Marignano 1515
Topic
In the 15th century, the Confederates were militarily very strong. They conquered new territories and fought as mercenaries for foreign rulers. At the beginning of the 16th century, they fought for control of Milan in northern Italy. In doing so, they came into conflict with the King of France.
On 13 and 14 September 1515, the Confederates lost the Battle of Marignano, near Milan, against the French king Francis I. Thousands of Confederates died. In 1516, the Confederates concluded the «Perpetual Peace» with France. They gave up Milan. After that, the Confederation abandoned its policy of conquest. The time of great joint conquests was over.
Later, Marignano was often seen as the beginning of Swiss neutrality. Historians today are more careful: Swiss mercenaries fought in foreign armies for a long time afterwards. Neutrality was only recognised in 1815. Important for the test: the most important consequence of Marignano was the end of the policy of conquest.
Memory aid: 1515: fifteen-fifteen, the end of conquering.
Timeline of Swiss history
- 58 BCHelvetii and Romans
- 1291The Rütli and William Tell
- 1515Marignano
- 1523The Reformation
- 1798The French and Napoleon
- 1815Neutrality
- 1848Sonderbund War and the federal state
- 19th c.From agrarian state to industrial state
- 1918National general strike
- 1939–1945Second World War
- 1948Prosperity and AHV
- 1970Immigration and the Schwarzenbach initiative
- 1971Women's suffrage and equal rights
- 1979The youngest canton: Jura
Key terms
- Marignano
- Marignano: place near Milan where the Confederates lost against France in 1515.
- Söldner
- Mercenaries: soldiers who fight for a foreign ruler in return for payment.
- Eroberung
- Conquest: taking over a foreign territory by force.
Exam questions on this topic
- In 1515, the Confederates lost the Battle of Marignano. What were the consequences of this defeat?Correct answer: A, The Confederates gave up conquering further territories.
Sources
Last checked: September 2026