Switzerland defines neutrality as "...non-participation in an armed
             conflict between other states" (Confederazione Svizzera). This modern
             concept must have taking time to develop. This paper will investigate how
             and why Switzerland has grown into the neutral power that it is today. It
             argues that Switzerland's original isolationist stance of neutrality has
             changed into active peace mediation. It will first show this historical
             background of Switzerland and how the old Swiss Confederacy taught the
             fledgling nation to be neutral. It will go on to show the different
             processes of neutrality during the World Wars and the Cold War. Lastly it
             will examine the processes of modern Swiss neutrality and how the role of
             nation has changed into the country seen today.
             Switzerland had been under foreign control for hundreds of years
             during the Holy Roman Empire. Switzerland was divided into subsections
             called cantons. Cantons were established after the Peace of Westphalia in
             1648. Cantons were separate sovereign mini-states that were part of the
             Swiss Confederacy. If another canton was attacked by a foreign invasion,
             the other cantons were meant to come to its aid. The cantons had agreed
             that they were big enough as a confederacy of allies to defend their own
             lands but would not be big enough to help the much larger surrounding
             countries of the Holy Roman Empire with their wars and so, the confederacy
             was, for the first time, established as a neutral.
             The Holy Roman Empire fell 150 years later and France had begun to
             emerge as the new hegemon. The Swiss were free from Italian and Holy Roman
             rule for less than a year in 1798 when it was taken over by France. The
             Swiss spoke French and should therefore be placed into the new, "one and
             divisible ally of France" Helvetic Empire. France claimed that it was
             "liberating" the Swiss people from their feudal government system (Illi).
             The French ...