ahc wi No Switzerland

Is there any way that Switzerland's cantons could have become parts respectively of France and the HRE, eventually the German parts joining Germany
 
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Well, if France "wins" the Revolutionary/Napoleonic Wars, then it can easily keep portions of Switzerland that are part of the Jura region (specifically the present-day cantons of Jura and Neuchâtel) and the city of Geneva. For the remainder... Austria could push for the northern cantons to re-gain their ancestral home of Castle Habsburg but generally I find Swiss partition plans to be unlikely unless you kill the Swiss Confederacy in its cradle.
 
If Switzerland doesn't devellop at all, that means that the region would keep being part of HRE, being divided and partially tied up with neighbours (as with Savoy, for exemple).
What becames of it would depends a lot from the butterflies it would involves between French-Imperial conflicts (tough I'm not too sure that they would be major butterflies on this regard)

If we're talking of an already develloped Switzerland, then the Napoleonic situation may be the safest initial point. With a PoD involving a Napoleonic peace, with several part of modern Switzerland already annexed by France or Italy, I don't think it would be too far fetched to see the remaining Helvetic Confederation being tied up with the Rhine Confederation eventually.
 
By 1648, Switzerland was mostly German, but officialy separate from the HRE. The French and Italian cantons were slowly added after 1648, and it kept growing until the French invaded in 1798, I believe. The best way to do it is have the French cantons entirely not join the German parts, and have them be absorbed by a Single German State. The most efficient way of doing this would have to be before 1648.
 
The most likely time to cancel Switzerland from the map of Europe or at least to consign them to irrelevance is during the 1470s when the Old Confederation went to war with Burgundy and Savoy. It certainly would help if the Sforzas in Milan are able to maintain a viable state and to defend their possessions in what is now Canton Ticino.

The other big opportunity as already noted - is during the Napoleonic period, although it is quite possible that a partition would be reversed at Vienna
 
By 1648, Switzerland was mostly German, but officialy separate from the HRE. The French and Italian cantons were slowly added after 1648, and it kept growing until the French invaded in 1798, I believe. The best way to do it is have the French cantons entirely not join the German parts, and have them be absorbed by a Single German State. The most efficient way of doing this would have to be before 1648.

Actually, by 1648 the religious divides within Switzerland had caused such a paralysis of foreign policy that it had essentially stopped growing. The Italian areas were gained in 1512, and the French speaking areas between 1475 and 1536 in wars with Burgundy and Savoy.

The most likely time to cancel Switzerland from the map of Europe or at least to consign them to irrelevance is during the 1470s when the Old Confederation went to war with Burgundy and Savoy. It certainly would help if the Sforzas in Milan are able to maintain a viable state and to defend their possessions in what is now Canton Ticino.

The other big opportunity as already noted - is during the Napoleonic period, although it is quite possible that a partition would be reversed at Vienna

I think another good opportunity is during the reformation- Switzerland was pretty heavily divided OTL and there were a few outright wars between cantons. Indeed, during the 30 Years War different groups of cantons supported the Habsburgs and the French, and despite being officially neutral- and a key part of the alliance system that effectively was the Swiss Confederacy at the time being agreements to mutual defence of members and associates- the Three Leagues was a major battleground and partially annexed for a few years during the war.

As for Napoleon, I think it's quite feasible to get a much smaller Switzerland afterwards, if the Lemanic Republic was annexed to France in 1798 rather than to the new Helvetic Republic, followed by Geneva, the Prince-Bihsopric of Basel and Valais (those as OTL), and then the Ticino as well as OTL's Valtellina gets annexed to the Cisalpine Republic. The rest might get given to Baden, or just lumped into the Confederation of the Rhine as is. Post-war Switzerland is in a much weaker position than OTL and the horse-trading that results sees Neuchatel remain independent, Savoy reclaim the Pays de Vaud and Valais and France keeps the Jura in exchange for slightly less of the Netherlands.
 
Maybe delay the Sonderbund War until Austria is no longer pre-occupied with it's own 1848 revolutions and is more willing to intervene on the side of the Sonderbund, leading to them leaving the Confederacy. Prussia could assert its rights to Neuchatel while France and Italy annex the French and Italian speaking cantons.

Cheers,
Nigel.
 
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