The Battle at the Trient Bridge and the Sonderbund War
29 February 2024
The Sonderbundskrieg of 1847 is a well-known historical fact. However, who remembers the military confrontation between Old Switzerland (die Alte Schweiz) and Young Switzerland (die Junge Schweiz) on May 21 1844, at the Trient bridge (le pont du Trient) near Vernayaz in (Lower) Valais? Yet this battle, with about 60 dead, was a rehearsal of the Sonderbundskrieg of November 1847.
The canyon and bridge of Trient in 1844 © Archives et médiathèque Sion
At the national level, the radical liberals wanted a reform of the 1815 constitution. This reform is known as the Rossi Plan. The term ‘die Junge Schweiz/la Jeune Suisse’ is derived from ‘la Giovine Italia’ by Joseph Mazzini (1805-1872), an Italian lawyer whose aim was the unity of Italy.
He also founded the movement Young Europe (das Junge Europa/la Jeune Europe) in Bern in 1834 in exil, with the motto ‘Young Europe will defend itself against the Old Europe of the Monarchs (Das Junge Europa wird sich gegen das alte Europa der Könige durchsetzen).
Young Switzerland united a group of radical liberals, but not all of them. In Valais, it wanted a stronger national government at the expense of cantonal power, separation of church and state, abolition of censorship, freedom of association, a strengthening of citizens’ rights, more democracy and free settlement for newcomers, including Protestants in the Catholic canton. However, the centuries-old dominance of Upper Valais (Oberwallis/Haut-Valais) at the expense of Lower Valais (Unterwallis/Bas-Valais) also played a role.
Maurice Barman (1808-1878) was a leader of the Jeune Suisse/ Junge Schweiz and an essential politician from and for Bas-Valais/Unterwallis. Photo: Wikipedia
The Catholic conservatives, and especially the seven Zenden (Tithings) of Upper Valais, actually wanted to maintain the old situation (the ancien régime) and (Catholic) privileges. The Bishop of Sitten was the driving force behind this movement.
The cantonal government (Landrat), which included representatives from Lower Valais (with two members) and Upper Valais (with three members), was divided. At the national level, 11 cantons (actually 10.5) adopted all or part of the Rossi reform around 1830. This process is known as Regeneration. In Valais, however, little or nothing changed.
The Bâtiaz Bridge
From 1830 to 1839, the radical liberals and Young Switzerland gained increasing influence and support. The liberals and conservatives clashed not only verbally: on 11 April 1833, a skirmish broke out at the Bâtiaz Bridge in Martigny. The event goes down in history as the “bastonade” of Martigny.
The polarisation and escalation were such that the Tagsatzung (the national assembly of representatives of the cantons) mediated. This eventually led to changes in the constitution in 1839. However, the Catholic conservatives resisted and founded the movement ‘Old Switzerland’, led by the bishop of Sitten and supported by the seven Zenden of Upper Valais.
The location of the Battle of Trient nowadays, January 2024
The six Zenden of Lower Valais supported the radical liberals and Young Switzerland. A split in the canton became a real possibility, and the situation became increasingly grim with violence, deaths and injuries.
The radicalisation continued, and both movements assembled a force. After many minor skirmishes, the Battle of the Trient Bridge occurred on May 21, 1844. The Catholic-conservative winners joined the Sonderbund in 1845.
Politically, the events in Valais between 1830 and 1844 are a precursor to the Sonderbundskrieg of 1847 (taking into account the specific sensitivities, historical development and local differences in this canton).
Nor is the March 3 2024 referendum unrelated to this history and the relationship between Lower Valais and Upper Valais.
(Source: Walliser Boten/ Le Nouvelliste; Vallée du Trient)
Vernayaz,the Trient
