| Conventional Long Name: | Swiss Associates |
| Native Name: | Zugewandte Orte (German) Pays alliés (French) Paesi alleati (Italian) |
| Religion: | Catholic / Reformed |
| Government Type: | Associated States Tagsatzung |
| Status: | Associated States of the Old Swiss Confederacy |
| Common Languages: | Middle French / French / Alemannic German / Lombard / Rhaeto-Romansh |
Swiss Associates, also known as Associated Places,[1] Zugewandte Orte (Facing Places),[2] or Pays Alliés (Allied Countries), were associate states of the Old Swiss Confederacy, with some form of alliance agreement with either the entire Confederation or individual cantons.
The associates were extremely heterogeneous. They had no institution that bound them together, other than their alliances with the Swiss Confederacy. Some had extremely close bonds with the Confederation, whereas others were only bound with one or two cantons. Generally, all nations that were related to the Confederation that were not subjects nor fully fledged cantons were considered associates.
Whereas members of the Swiss Confederacy were not permitted to form alliances or ties with outside states without consent of all cantons, the associates were permitted to form their own alliances and conduct their own diplomacy. Grisons for example even had their own delegates at the Congress of Vienna.[3] Following the creation of the Federal Diet, associate states were also permitted to send delegates as representatives in the diet. However, not all associate states were not granted the right vote.[4] Over time, many associates were gradually absorbed into the cantons, or became cantons themselves. By 1815, the remaining associates would become part of the modern Swiss Confederacy.
The origin of the German term Zugewandte Orte (literally meaning Facing Places) is unknown, but it was used in 15th century Swiss sources to refer to certain secular and ecclesiastical territories that were subject to contractual agreements with the Confederation without being a full member of the Confederation. Throughout the 16th century, multiple states would be described as being related to the Confederacy, such as the Bishopric of Constance. The French term, Pays Alliés (meaning Allied Countries), is a more modern representation of the term.
As mentioned before, each associate had different relations with the Confederacy when compared to others. Associates were allied with the confederation in terms of military aid, though on occasion such aid was asymmetrical, as was the norm with European diplomacy at the time due to the complex shifting of alliances. What was always ensured was the enactment of duties, trade, justice, and mediation in terms of conflicts, that latter of which generally enforced by the Federal Diet, in which most associates had representatives in.
The associates themselves also differed in how close their relations were with the Swiss cantons. Some had excellent relations with all or most of the cantons, whereas others hardly had treaties at all.In the later years of the Confederacy, some associates even gained the ability to vote in the Federal Diet, which was not possible in the past. This privilege was only granted to the largest and most influential associates. The associates of St. Gallen and Biel were regular and officially authorized members of the diet from 1667, and Graubünden, Valais, Mulhouse and Rottweil all held sporadic spots in the diet as well. Not all associates had such benefits; The city and county of Neuchâtel, the city of Geneva and the Prince-Bishop of Basel, all did not have any representation in the diet.
Some associates even had their territory directly integrated into the Confederacy. The County of Gruyere, originally an associate, fell bankrupt in 1555, and was partitioned by the cantons of Fribourg and Bern.[5] The Lordship of Sax-Forstegg, which held an associate status due to a 1458 treaty with Zurich, would be annexed by Zurich in 1615. These annexations were not rare, and were important in the centralization of Switzerland. In the 14th and 15th century, Switzerland was littered with Imperial Villages. These were some of the smallest entities within the Holy Roman Empire. By 1803, only 5 imperial villages remained, several of which annexed into the Confederation by larger cantons.[6]
Due to the extremely vague and undefined nature of the Swiss Associates, they were unique when it came to political affairs. Depending on the situation, the Federal Diet could either emphasize autonomy or subtract autonomy from the associate states. The surrounding areas also acted as a buffer state, defending the core of the Swiss Confederacy from their rivals. The Three Leagues for example provided a good buffer to Habsburg Austria. The Confederation could also use the military potential of the associates without having the bear responsibility for the land, for they weren't fully part of the Confederation.
These associates were known as German: Engere Zugewandte:
This consisted of two Federations, known collectively as German: Ewige Mitverbündete:
There were two associates known as German: Evangelische Zugewandte: