In Foreign Service - Glarus Soldiers between Poverty, Politics and Military Careers

In the 19th century, numerous young men from the canton of Glarus left their homeland to serve as mercenaries in the service of foreign states - such as France, the Netherlands or the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. This practice was based on the so-called capitulations - official agreements between Swiss cantons and foreign powers in which conditions such as troop strength, pay, provisions and return rights were stipulated.

The capitulations - the contractual basis of the Swiss mercenary system

In the 19th century, the so-called capitulations formed the basis of international law and organization for the deployment of Swiss troops in foreign service. These treaties, concluded between a foreign state (such as France, Spain or the Netherlands) and a Swiss canton or an individual officer, regulated all aspects of military service in detail: from troop strength, pay and supplies to religious freedoms and jurisdiction.Typically, capitulations stipulated that Swiss officers retained command of their troops, that service could be carried out in their own language and denomination and that in the event of conflict, the law of the homeland took precedence. This was particularly important for Catholic or Reformed regiments that wanted to preserve their religious identity under foreign rule.The capitulations served not only to protect the soldiers, but also to ensure political control by the home canton. They often had to be approved by the cantonal governments or the Federal Diet. In Glarus, for example, local officers acted as military entrepreneurs who were contractually obliged to raise a regiment in exchange for financial contributions and political privileges.France was Switzerland's most important contractual partner for centuries. The first capitulations were concluded as early as the 15th century. The treaty of 1616 between King Louis XIII and the Swiss Confederation is particularly well known. The French Swiss regiments, such as that of the Bernese von Diesbach family or the Schwyz von Reding family, served until the French Revolution. The Netherlands also maintained Swiss regiments on the basis of such treaties from the 17th to the early 19th century - such as the May Regiment, in which Glarus was also involved.

The recruitment process and its players

Recruitment was mostly carried out by cantonal officers. They often recruited at market squares, accompanied by drummers and ceremonial speeches. The recruited men received what was known as hand money, an enlistment bonus, and undertook to serve, usually for several years.These officers in turn benefited from commissions, which were based on the number of recruits enlisted and brought them not only money, but also status and career opportunities. Thus, joining the foreign military was both a job and a career springboard for many educated Glarus citizens.

Economic and social motives

In the 19th century, the canton of Glarus suffered from overpopulation, poverty and limited agricultural space, especially in valleys such as the Sernftal. Agriculture hardly offered sufficient prospects. Military service abroad was therefore a realistic option - with guaranteed pay, hand pay and adventure travel. Some historians describe this step as a "logical consequence of poverty and hopefulness".

Glarus units in foreign service

Dutch service: From the 16th to 1829, 31 Swiss troop contingents - comprising around 80,000 men - were integrated into the Dutch army. Between 1815 and 1914, around 7,600 Swiss even served in the Dutch colonial troops in Indonesia. Many of them, including Glarner, fought in fierce conflicts such as the Aceh War, with almost half either dying of tropical diseases or returning wounded.

French service: In the 18th and early 19th centuries, France maintained up to 20,000 Swiss soldiers, including Glarner, e.g. in the famous Cent-Suisses-Gard. This elite infantry protected the king until the Revolution in 1792. In 1805, the 1st Swiss Regiment was formed in the Napoleonic army, equipped with three battalions, which fought in Italy and Russia, for example at Polotsk and Berezina.

A typical quote underlines the importance of the Swiss units for France:

"Sire, if your Majesty still had all the gold and silver that you and your ancestors paid the Swiss, you could pave a road from Paris to Basel with it. But be sure: if you had collected all the blood your Swiss gave there, you could fill a canal with it."

The quote is handed down in James M. Luck's book "A History of Switzerland" (1986), which refers to an actual dialog between the French war minister Marquis de Louvois and the colonel of the Swiss Guard, Peter Stuppa.

Spanish service: Spain also repeatedly employed Swiss regiments from the 17th century onwards. Glarus soldiers served there, particularly in the Royal Guard and in infantry units during the time of Bourbon rule. In the 19th century, some of them were deployed in the Carlist Wars. Spanish service was considered honorable, but was burdened by political instability and the often difficult supply situation.

Service in the Kingdom of Naples-Sicily: The Kingdom of Naples (or the later Kingdom of the Two Sicilies) also maintained Swiss troops for a long time. As early as the 18th century, there were capitulations that maintained Swiss regiments - often led by Catholic noble families such as the von Salis or von Reding families. Even in the 19th century, young men from Glarus traveled to the south of Italy, where they were confronted with climatic hardships, political unrest and epidemics - yet the service offered social and economic prospects for many.

Sardinian-Piedmontese service: The Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont used Swiss soldiers for guard and security services until Italian unification in 1861. The Glarus regiments often included Catholic men who were in the service of the House of Savoy. The Sardinian service became increasingly controversial politically over the course of the 19th century, as the liberal forces in Switzerland increasingly opposed monarchical ties.

Political development in Switzerland

The political reorganization of Switzerland in the 19th century also fundamentally changed the way mercenaries were treated. The Federal Constitution of 1848 marked a decisive turning point. Article 11 of this constitution explicitly stated: "No canton may accept or equip foreign troops, nor permit recruitment for foreign military service." This meant the end of state-organized recruitment of Swiss troops for foreign powers and thus the formal end of the so-called capitulations.However, it did not put a complete stop to Swiss service abroad. The article was primarily directed against the state organization and toleration of such recruitment. Swiss citizens were still allowed to join foreign armies on an individual basis as long as they were not officially recruited or recruited themselves. Between 1848 and 1859, numerous Swiss citizens were still enlisted, for example in the Dutch colonial army or in French units - often through semi-legal recruitment practices.A complete ban only came with the federal penal code of 1859, which also criminalized individual advertising and recruitment. Nevertheless, one significant exception remained: The Pontifical Swiss Guard. This was expressly excluded from the ban, as it was regarded as a religiously motivated protective service and not as a military unit.

Conclusion

The omnipresent poverty and overpopulation in Glarus drove many men into foreign armies. They were in demand there - due to their military reputation and thanks to firm contractual agreements. Glarus officers were able to win as well as the foreign states, which were dependent on experienced troops. But the downsides - illness, death, lack of prospects for return - were just as real. It was not until the political upheavals of the liberal era that this practice came to an end and marked a lasting change in Switzerland's perception of its role in the war.