In this second Fireside Conversation between Frank Suess and well-known Swiss journalist and author, Markus Somm, they pick up Swiss history right where they left off in their first Conversation to discuss Swiss industrialization, the evolvement of direct democracy, and the imperative role fair competition plays in creating a healthy democracy.

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If you haven’t done so already, we invite you to review their first Fireside Conversation to learn more about why Switzerland is such a special case, how the Swiss evolved from notorious mercenaries to international entrepreneurs, and why Swiss neutrality was originally a question of internal peace.

This time around, Markus and Frank dive into how the Swiss, who depended on their textile export industry in the 19th century, were shocked when the British started the industrial revolution and were suddenly able to produce high-quality textiles much cheaper. Markus explains how industrialization then quickly progressed in Switzerland to the point the Swiss became serious competitors to the British.

Parallel to the industrialization, there was a civil war going on in Switzerland. Markus shares how this very short and surprisingly ‘unbloody’ war led to the creation of the first Swiss constitution in 1848, which led to Switzerland becoming the first democratic state in Europe.

From there, they go on to discuss how and why Swiss democracy turned into the direct democracy we know today, how Switzerland now unfortunately tends to comprimise on its successful system, and why free and fair competition is crucial for a forward-moving society and functioning democracy.

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