Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes ProCon History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
Helvetic Republic
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Read Next
Union Jack flag of Great Britain, united kingdom
What’s the Difference Between Great Britain and the United Kingdom?
Map view of Europe on a geographical globe.
Where Does the Name Europe Come From?
Flag of Switzerland
7 Notable Paintings in Switzerland
Discover
Los Angeles Police Department wanted flyer on Elizabeth Short, aka the "Black Dahlia," who was brutally murdered in January 1947. The FBI supported the Los Angeles Police Department in the case, including by identifying Short through her fingerprints that
America’s 5 Most Notorious Cold Cases (Including One You May Have Thought Was Already Solved)
Santa Claus flying in his sleigh, christmas, reindeer
Was Santa Claus a Real Person?
Ethel Rosenberg arrested in August 1950. Photograph dated Aug. 8, 1950. American civilians executed for espionage. Spies, communists, Julius Rosenberg
Spies Like Us: 10 Famous Names in the Espionage Game
Thanksgiving Turkey with all the sides
Why Do We Eat Turkey on Thanksgiving?
The Cheshire Cat is a fictional cat from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. (Alice in Wonderland)
11 Banned Books Through Time
A human Inuit skull in a stone chambered cairn in Ilulissat in Greenland. These ancient graves are pre christian and are at least 2000
14 Tough Questions Answered
Orange basketball on black background and with low key lighting. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society
The 10 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time

Helvetic Republic

Swiss history
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/place/Helvetic-Republic
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Also known as: République Helvétique
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Article History
Quick Facts
French:
République Helvétique
Date:
March 29, 1798 - September 30, 1803
Related Places:
Switzerland
See all related content

Helvetic Republic, republic constituting the greater part of Switzerland, founded on March 29, 1798, after the country had been conquered by Revolutionary France. The new republic excluded both Geneva, which was annexed to France (April 1798), and the three provinces of Valtellina, Chiavenna, and Bormio, which went to the Italian Cisalpine Republic. In 1802 Austrian Frickthal was added to the republic, and Valais was detached and made into an independent republic (later, in 1810, annexed to France). The Helvetic Republic was recognized in the Franco-Austrian Treaty of Lunéville (1801).

The government was patterned after that of the Directory in France. So many factional disputes arose that delegates from the republic called on Napoleon Bonaparte to mediate. He promptly dictated the Act of Mediation (Sept. 30, 1802; amplified on Feb. 19, 1803), which substituted a new Swiss Confederation for the Helvetic Republic, forcing it into close association with France.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica