Civil War in Switzerland – An Exceptionally Polite War
Some of the bloodiest conflicts in history have undoubtedly been civil wars. In fact, many would agree that the term “civil war” itself sounds like an oxymoron, precisely because such wars are so often marked by war crimes, hatred, attacks on civilians, and similar horrors. But today, we won’t talk about those atrocities—there are more than enough of them in the ongoing war in Ukraine. Instead, we’ll recall a war that truly deserves the name civil.
We’re talking about the civil war that took place in Switzerland in 1847 (yes, even the famously neutral Switzerland had its own civil war—but has avoided armed conflict ever since!). You may never have heard of this war, known as the Sonderbund War (we’ll explain the name shortly), but why do we say it was so “civil”? Is it even possible to wage a “civilized” war? Isn’t that itself an oxymoron? In this case, as we’ll show, it really was something different…
The conflict, typical for the time, was fought between reformists in the predominantly Protestant federal government and a rebel army organized by conservative Catholics. That alone sounds like a recipe for a brutal and bloody war—but not in Switzerland!
Let’s start with this: the commander of the federal forces refused the government’s request to use artillery rockets because… he didn’t want to cause excessive harm to the enemy (!). That same commander sent the rebels a detailed plan of attack—not because he was a traitor, but to realistically show them it would be better to surrender and avoid loss of life.
Furthermore, in cities that fell during the war, local residents welcomed the “occupiers” without any major hostility.
But what about the main battles? There were battles, yes, but they were mostly bloodless. Consider this: around 150,000 soldiers were mobilized on both sides, yet by the end of the war—after just three weeks—fewer than 100 soldiers had been killed. As for the wounded, commanders gave explicit orders to their troops to save every wounded soldier—regardless of whether they were friend or foe.
How Did the War Even Begin?
The 1840s saw the rise of the liberal Tagsatzung party in Switzerland. The new government launched an ambitious reform agenda, including efforts to reduce the influence of the Catholic Church. It also announced plans to create a new constitution that would more tightly unite the Swiss cantons into a national confederation.
Seven predominantly Catholic cantons in central and western Switzerland strongly opposed this move. In response to calls for broader national unification, these cantons formed their own alliance called the Sonderbund (hence the name Sonderbund War).
In the map referenced in the original article, the rebel cantons are marked in yellow, while those loyal to the federal government in Bern are in green. And in typical Swiss fashion, two cantons—Neuchâtel and Appenzell Innerrhoden—chose to remain neutral (marked in brown):
After the Catholic cantons rebelled, the federal government assembled an army of about 100,000 troops under the command of General Guillaume-Henri Dufour, a hero of the Napoleonic Wars.
Dufour, then 61 years old, reluctantly accepted the command but made it clear from the outset that one of his key goals would be to keep violence and hostility to an absolute minimum. As we’ll see, he succeeded.
The Battles
In the first five days of the war, the Sonderbund launched an offensive, capturing several towns and strategic mountain passes leading to the rebel regions. On November 9, 1847, federal forces reached the city of Fribourg and surrounded it.
The federal commanders prepared an assault plan—but then came a famous moment: Dufour decided to send a copy of the plan to the city’s defenders to show them what was coming and advise them to surrender. The defenders asked for a day to consider, and Dufour granted it.
A small skirmish occurred when some federal troops misinterpreted orders and attempted an assault on the city walls. The rebels repelled the attack, and eight attackers were killed. However, after further deliberation, the rebels chose to surrender. Federal troops took the city of Fribourg, and the rebel soldiers were told to go home—without punishment.
After the fall of Fribourg, morale on the Catholic side declined, and on November 21, the canton of Zug withdrew from the Sonderbund.
Dufour then led his forces toward the canton of Lucerne, where perhaps the largest battle of the war occurred—at Gisikon, near Lucerne.
To capture the rebel positions, the federal army had to cross a river under fire. After three assaults, they succeeded. A total of 37 soldiers were killed in the battle—which would go down in history as the last time Swiss troops engaged in armed conflict.
After their defeat at Gisikon, the rebel canton of Lucerne surrendered.
Over the next week, the remaining rebel strongholds also surrendered. The Sonderbund was crushed, and the new confederation with its new constitution was ratified and confirmed.
The Aftermath
Total losses? Fewer than 70 soldiers from the federal side, and fewer than 30 from the rebel side.
Was there any retribution? No. In fact, the only punishment was financial—the two neutral cantons mentioned earlier were fined for refusing to send troops to the federal army. The money was given to widows and families of fallen soldiers from both sides.
What Happened to General Dufour?
General Guillaume-Henri Dufour, who played a key role in making this one of the most “civilized” wars in history, had seen many battles in his lifetime—but he was above all a humanitarian, as this war showed.
It’s no surprise, then, that in 1863, he was one of the founders of the organization that would become world-renowned—the International Committee of the Red Cross.
The organization’s mission? “To protect the lives and dignity of victims of war and internal violence and to provide them with assistance.” These were the very principles Dufour upheld during the Sonderbund War, making it perhaps the most decent civil war ever fought.
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