Swiss Passport

During Europe's colonial rule ...

Während der kolonialen Herrschaft Europas ...

Correct answer: D

  1. A Switzerland had colonies in Asia and Africa.hatte die Schweiz Kolonien in Asien und Afrika.
  2. B Swiss mercenaries were active in Russia.waren Schweizer Söldner in Russland aktiv.
  3. C Switzerland exported spices to North America.exportierte die Schweiz Gewürze nach Nordamerika.
  4. D Switzerland was able to establish itself as an industrial nation thanks to access to raw materials.konnte sich die Schweiz dank Zugang zu Rohstoffen als Industrienation etablieren.

Why

Switzerland had no colonies. But Swiss companies bought and traded raw materials such as cotton from other countries' colonies and built up their industry in this way.

Common mistakes

A: Switzerland had colonies in Asia and Africa.
Switzerland never owned colonies of its own, even though Swiss companies and people were active in colonies.
B: Swiss mercenaries were active in Russia.
There were Swiss mercenaries in foreign service, but this has nothing to do with the colonial period and industrialisation.

Topic

From agrarian state to industrial state

Around 1800, most people in Switzerland lived from agriculture. In the 19th century, Switzerland changed from an agrarian state into an industrial state. Industrialisation means: goods are made with machines in factories instead of by hand. The basis was an invention from England: the steam engine. In the 18th century, James Watt improved it so that it could drive machines in factories. This started industrialisation in Europe in the 19th century.

Timeline of Swiss history
  1. 58 BCHelvetii and Romans
  2. 1291The Rütli and William Tell
  3. 1515Marignano
  4. 1523The Reformation
  5. 1798The French and Napoleon
  6. 1815Neutrality
  7. 1848Sonderbund War and the federal state
  8. 19th c.From agrarian state to industrial state
  9. 1918National general strike
  10. 1939–1945Second World War
  11. 1948Prosperity and AHV
  12. 1970Immigration and the Schwarzenbach initiative
  13. 1971Women's suffrage and equal rights
  14. 1979The youngest canton: Jura

History of Switzerland
Federal state and industrialisation

Sources

Last checked: September 2026

Question 225 of the official question list of the Canton of Zurich (Gemeindeamt, May 2025). Translation and explanation: Swiss Passport.

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