Clive H. Church Bücher

Despite its position at the heart of Europe and its quintessentially European nature, Switzerland's history is often overlooked within the English-speaking world. This comprehensive and engaging history of Switzerland traces the historical and cultural development of this fascinating but neglected European country from the end of the Dark Ages up to the present. The authors focus on the initial Confederacy of the Middle Ages; the religious divisions which threatened it after 1500 and its surprising survival amongst Europe's monarchies; the turmoil following the French Revolution and conquest, which continued until the Federal Constitution of 1848; the testing of the Swiss nation through the late nineteenth century and then two World Wars and the Depression of the 1930s; and the unparalleled economic and social growth and political success of the post-war era. The book concludes with a discussion of the contemporary challenges, often shared with neighbours, that shape the country today.

This guide provides readers with the text of, and a commentary on, the key European treaties. These the treaty establishing the European Community (Treaty of Rome), the treaty on European Union (Maastricht Treaty), and the Treaty of Amsterdam. It seeks to make the text easily available and provides an accessible introduction to the treaties and their significance, not just for the European Union, but also for the public at large.