Valais Republic
Valais Republic République du Valais (French) | |||||||||
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1802[1]–1810[2] | |||||||||
Roman Catholic Church (state religion)[3] | |||||||||
Government | Republic | ||||||||
Legislature | General Diet[3] | ||||||||
Historical era | Napoleonic Wars | ||||||||
• Separation from the Helvetic Republic | 28 August 1802[1] | ||||||||
• Annexation to the French Empire through decree | 13 December 1810[2] | ||||||||
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The Valais Republic
History
A Rhodanic Republic had already been envisaged in March 1798 by General
The canton was to be divided into 17 administrative districts, each with a sous-prefet. However, this idea was put aside. In 1798, when the troops of the French Republic invaded the Swiss Confederacy, the French-speaking population of the Lower Valais declared a Revolutionary République du Valais (March 16) which was swiftly incorporated (May 1) into the Helvetic Republic.The Helvetic Republic served Napoleon's purposes well for some time, until it became ridden with internal strife and disputes and became unstable. At the same time, as
Napoleon quickly ordered the development of a route which would connect
Annexation by France
By an imperial decree of 12 November 1810, Napoleon annexed to the French Empire the territory of the Republic of Valais, as a department under the name of Simplon. In the decree he justified the annexation:
Considering that the Simplon Road, which unites the Empire to our Kingdom of Italy, is useful to more than sixty million men; that it cost our treasures in France and Italy more than eighteen million, an expense which would become useless if commerce could find there no convenience and perfect security;
That the Valais did not fulfill any of the engagements it had contracted when we had the work begun to open this great communication;
Wanting moreover to put an end to the anarchy which afflicts this country, and to cut short the abusive pretensions of sovereignty of a part of the population on the other.[2]
With the collapse the Empire during the War of the Sixth Coalition, the department was occupied by Austrian troops in late December 1813.[6] In August 1815, the Valais entered the new Swiss Confederation as a canton.
Gallery
-
Northern Italy before
the French invasion of 1796
References
- ^ The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica (April 9, 2013). "Valais". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e Czouz-Tornare, Alain-Jacques. "Quand le Valais était français". Fondation Napoléon (in French). Retrieved 2 June 2021.
- ^ a b c d Constitution et loix de la république du Valais. Sion. 1808.
- ^ Valais Republic in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
- ^ "Il y a 200 ans - Le Valais". Fondation Napoléon. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
- ^ Arnold, Renato. "Simplon (département)". Historical Dictionary of Switzerland. Translated by Florence Piguet. Retrieved 13 February 2021.