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| 1712 |
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| Escalating tensions between Catholics and Protestants led to the SECOND VILLMERGEN WAR. Cause: A highway was designed that connected Schwyz with the Austrian border, separating Zürich and Protestant Glarus. The abbot of St. Gallen, Leodegar Bürgisser, demanded labor service for the road from the inhabitants of Wattwil, but they refused because they were exempt from compulsory labor services. Zürich and Bern supported them, and the Bernese won a decisive victory at Villmergen (July 25), firmly establishing Protestant dominance. | 1 |
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| 1712, Aug. 11 |
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| The Peace of Aarau ended the Second Villmergen War, increasing Zürich's and Bern's control and establishing tribunals equally representing both religious groups to settle disputes. | 2 |
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| 1715, May 9 |
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| The Trücklibund. A secret agreement, named after the locked box it was placed in, signed by the Catholic cantons giving France exclusive rights to recruit military personnel in their territories. | 3 |
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| 1723 |
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| Revolt of Abraham Davel. Davel seized upon growing discontent with the government in Bern and demanded self-government for the Vaud. He saw such independence as the first step in religious transformation. When Bern rejected his demand, he asked the city council of Lausanne to rule the region independently. The city council refused and condemned Davel to death. | 4 |
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| 1725 |
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| Renewal of the treaty with France, but this time with the abstention of the Protestant cantons. | 5 |
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| 1734, 1737 |
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| Uprisings in Geneva led to some constitutional revision; uprisings continued throughout the 18th century. | 6 |
| With the middle of the century there came a distinct economic improvement in Switzerland, marked by the expansion of industry. This brought with it a falling off of the mercenary system but also a rise of the middle class and an intellectual renaissance: Zürich (with Johannes J. Bodmer, 1698–1783, Albrecht von Haller, 1708–77, and Johannes C. Lavater, 1741–1801) became an important center of German literature and thought; Geneva (with Rousseau, 1712–78, Voltaire, resident in the vicinity after 1755, etc.) became a refuge for advanced thinkers of the French school. The Helvetic Society (founded 1762) was an exuberant organization devoted to the new ideas. The educational reformer Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (1746–1827) was strongly influenced by Lavater. After publication of How Gertrude Teaches Her Children (1801), Pestalozzi's influence became international. | 7 |
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| 1776 |
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| The whole confederation once more allied itself with France, but Swiss mercenaries in French service fell to under 10,000. | 8 |
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| 1789–92 |
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| The Swiss seriously considered intervention against the French but determined to remain neutral, pursuing repressive policy at home (crushing of unrest in the Vaud by the Bern government). | 9 |
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| 1792, Dec. 5 |
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| A revolutionary coup at Geneva put the government in the hands of the popular party. Thenceforth the developments in France were faithfully mirrored in Geneva. | 10 |
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| 1793 |
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| The French Republic annexed the bishopric (not the town) of Basel. | 11 |
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| 1797–98 |
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| Last diet of the old confederation renewed the oath to the confederation in an effort to maintain Swiss unity and autonomy. However, the diet merely demonstrated the weakness of the Swiss confederation. | 12 |
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| 1797, Oct |
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| Napoleon annexed the Valtelline and Chiavenna to the Cisalpine Republic (See 1797, Feb. 2). | 13 |
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| Dec |
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| Revolutionists seized the town of Basel. | 14 |
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