The River Rhone Cycle Route. Mike Wells

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      Château de Chillon was a Savoyard castle captured by the Bernese (Stage 4)

      Napoleonic era

      This division ended when French revolutionary forces invaded Savoy (1792) and Napoleon invaded Geneva and Berne (1798) bringing the whole region temporarily under French control. Napoleon re-established a Swiss Confederation in 1803, separating Valais from Savoy and breaking up Berne into smaller cantons including Vaud. The feudal structure was abolished and the cantons in this confederation were set up with governments based on democratic principles. After Napoleon’s fall (1815), the Congress of Vienna gave Savoy to the kingdom of Sardinia, a nation that already controlled neighbouring Piedmont in northern Italy. This congress also recognised Swiss neutrality.

      Nineteenth-century Switzerland

      For most of the 19th century, Switzerland remained one of Europe’s poorest countries, relying upon agriculture with very little industry or natural resources. The coming of railways that enabled rich visitors from northern Europe to visit the Alps and the attraction of clean air and medical facilities for those with consumption and bronchitis started to lift the Swiss economy. The development of hydro-electric generation gave Switzerland plentiful cheap energy and spurred the growth of engineering businesses. Swiss banks in Zurich and Geneva, with a policy of secrecy and a reputation for trust, attracted funds from foreign investors who wished to avail themselves of these benefits.

      Modern-day prosperity

      Although neutral and not involved in the fighting, Switzerland suffered badly during the First World War when foreign visitors were unable to reach the country and markets for its engineering products dried up. Post war recovery was led by the banking sector. Political and economic turmoil in Russia and Germany boosted Swiss bank receipts. Swiss neutrality made it the obvious location for multinational bodies such as the League of Nations and the International Red Cross. The Swiss economic miracle has continued since the Second World War with industries such as watch making, precision engineering and electrical generation becoming world leaders. Modern-day Switzerland has the highest nominal capital per head in the world and the second highest life expectancy. Transport systems by rail and road are world leaders and the country has an aura of order and cleanliness. The Swiss are justifiably proud of what they have achieved. European Union member countries surround Switzerland but it is not a member. The Swiss have however signed the Schengen accord, creating open borders with their neighbours, and are participants in the European Health Insurance Card system allowing free emergency medical treatment to European visitors.

      The neutrality conundrum

      Switzerland has a policy of armed neutrality with one of the highest levels of military expenditure per head in Europe. All Swiss men undertake military service with approximately 20 weeks’ training upon reaching the age of 18, followed by annual exercises until 35. Conscripts keep their weapons and uniforms at home and it is common on Saturday mornings to find trains busy with armed men going to annual camp. Prior to 1995 it was Swiss policy to sit out a nuclear war by retiring to nuclear bunkers and emerging unharmed when it was all over. All new buildings were built with nuclear shelters; these still exist with many used as underground garages or storerooms. Meanwhile the Swiss armed forces would retreat to fully equipped barracks in the fastness of the Alps, one of which is passed on Stage 4 at St Maurice. Airstrips were built in alpine valleys with camouflaged hangars holding fighter aircraft ready to fly. Referenda in 1995 and 2003 scrapped this policy and reduced the armed forces from 400,000 to 200,000, although conscription remains.

      Swiss languages

      While it might appear that Switzerland with four official languages, German (spoken by 72 percent of the Swiss population), French (22 per cent), Italian (six per cent) and Romansh (under one per cent), is a multi-lingual country, this is far from being true. Federal government business is conducted in German, French and Italian and school students are required to learn at least two languages. However, in most cantons, business is mono-lingual and it is sometimes difficult to find people willing to speak any Swiss language other than their own. Even Valais, where German is spoken in part of the canton and French in the rest, is not officially bi-lingual. The only places in Switzerland where bi-lingualism is legally prescribed are three towns that sit astride the isogloss (language border) including Sierre/Siders (Stage 2).

      France

      The Fifth French republic is the current manifestation of a great colonial nation that developed out of Charlemagne’s eighth-century Frankish kingdom and eventually spread its power throughout Europe and beyond.

      Roman France

      Before the arrival of the Romans in the first century BC, the part of France through which the Rhone flows was inhabited by Iron Age Celtic tribes such as the Gauls (central France) and Allobroges (Alpine France). The Romans involved local tribal leaders in government and control of the territory and with improvements in the standard of living the conquered tribes soon became thoroughly romanised. Roman colonial cities were established at places such as Lyon (Stage 10), Vienne (Stage 11) and Arles (Stage 19), with many other settlements all along the Rhone. During the fourth century AD, the Romans came under increasing pressure from Germanic tribes from the north and by AD401 had withdrawn their legions from the western Alps and Rhone valley.