In 1847, the period of Swiss history known as Restauration ended with the breaking out of a war between the conservative Catholic and the liberal Protestant Swiss cantons (the Sonderbundskrieg). Its immediate cause was a 'special treaty' (Sonderbund) of the Catholic cantons. It lasted for less than a month, causing fewer than 100 casualties. Apart from small riots, this was the last armed conflict on Swiss territory.
As a consequence of the civil war, Switzerland adopted a federal constitution in 1848, amending it extensively in 1874 and establishing federal responsibility for defence, trade, and legal matters, leaving all other matters to the cantonal governments. From then, and over much of the 20th century, continuous political, economic, and social improvement has characterized Swiss history.
The first Federal Coucil sat on 16 November 1848, composed entirely of members of the Free Democratic Party.
In 1859, Reisläuferei (mercenary service) was outlawed, with the exception of the Vatican guard.