Act of Mediation

Switzerland [1803]

Also known as: Mediation Constitution

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June 30, 2026

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The Act of Mediation, enacted in 1803, was a pivotal document that restructured Switzerland. It was dictated by Napoleon Bonaparte following the conquest of Switzerland by Revolutionary France and the subsequent establishment of the Helvetic Republic. The Helvetic Republic, founded in 1798, was a centralized state modeled after the French Directory, but it suffered from internal factional disputes.12

The Act of Mediation replaced the Helvetic Republic with a new Swiss Confederation, forcing it into close association with France. This act reestablished the cantons as near-sovereign states and created six new ones, bringing the total to 19. While it preserved the individual rights gained during the Helvetic Republic, it also bound Switzerland to France through a defensive alliance. This period marked a significant shift in Swiss governance, moving away from a centralized republic towards a confederation that balanced cantonal autonomy with French influence.12

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Hans Reinhard
…1802, he subsequently signed the Act of Mediation (Feb. 19, 1803), which marked a return to a national confederate model of government after the unitary experiment of the Helvetic Republic.
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…1802, he subsequently signed the Act of Mediation (Feb. 19, 1803), which marked a return to a national confederate model of government after the unitary experiment of the Helvetic Republic.
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Solothurn
…Confederation as reconstituted by Napoleon’s Act of Mediation. Although distinctly Roman Catholic, it did not join the Sonderbund (separatist league of Catholic cantons) in 1845, and it approved the federal constitutions of 1848 and 1874. The present cantonal constitution dates from 1887 but was substantially revised in 1895 and 1986.
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…Confederation as reconstituted by Napoleon’s Act of Mediation. Although distinctly Roman Catholic, it did not join the Sonderbund (separatist league of Catholic cantons) in 1845, and it approved the federal constitutions of 1848 and 1874. The present cantonal constitution dates from 1887 but was substantially revised in 1895 and 1986.
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