AH Challenge: Much larger Switzerland.

[eschaton]

Come up with a TL where the Swiss manage to expand to at least twice their current size. Bonus points if you can find a way to expand at least in part into Francophone lands, rather than S. Germany or N. Italy.

 

[MerryPrankster]

Well, during one of the Italian Wars, Swiss mercs seized control of a big hunk of northern Italy, including the city of Milan itself. Perhaps things can go in such a way that they basically annex it to Switzerland (the southern hunk of the country is Italian-speaking anyway).

I don't know too much about that episode, though. Basileus has commented about it before though.

 

[Grey Wolf]

When Haute Savoie was ceded to Napoleon III's France there was a large degree of sentiment within the ceded region for union with Switzerland. Of course, at the time it suited neither Cavour nor Napoleon to have the area decide what it wanted, but maybe a potential divergence can be arranged.

Alternatively, it has to be noted that this area was demilitarised in 1815, and that this demilitarisation went with Haute Savoie when it was ceded to France. Popular thought is that it was breached by France in WW1, but it doesn't really matter anyway as part of the adjunct to Versailles was to anull the demilitarisation

Grey Wolf

 

[Max Sinister]

Germany wins WW1 and decides to give Savoy to Switzerland to weaken France?

I also was working on a TL where Switzerland conquers the Breisgau (SW tip of Germany around Freiburg) from the Hapsburgs...