Page 34 - DIVA_No.24_2006

The man who gave Switzerland its neutralit

Charles Pictet-de-Rochement (1755-1824)

pended and a provisional gov- tor. He urged the Swiss to come
If the city of Geneva owes its
ernment took over, declaring all up with a constitution them-
present structure to James Fazy,
citizens equal. In 1794 Pictet selves. The new constitution
and the shape of la rude can be
was placed under house arrest restored the notion of
attributed to General Dufour, it for a year. His father-in-law, autonomous cantons, created
can be stated that it was Charles
Jean-Francois de Rochemont, six new cantons and gave a
Pictet-de-Rochemont new name to the country-the
who
was less lucky; he was execut-
established the outline of the ed. Swiss Confederation.
canton of Geneva. He was a
Meanwhile, in 1798, Pictet-de-
statesman and diplomat who Later, Switzerland served as a Rochemont had acquired sev-
defended the status of Geneva theatre of war and practically enty-five hectares of land at
and prepared the declaration of fell apart in the process. Lancy, centred on the present
Switzerland's neutrality at the Napoleon had invaded in 1798 maine de Lancy, and led the
end of the Napoleonic Wars. and everywhere egalitarian life of a gentleman farmer. He
Charles Pictet was born on 21 ideas took root and the old aris- concentrated on the breeding of
September 1755 at Cartigny tocracy was swept away. merino sheep and introduced
near Geneva into an aristocrat- Armies devastated the country- the culture of maize to the
ic but tolerant family. At the side and the winter of 1800 Geneva region. His agrarian
age of 20 he went to France and would long be remembered as innovations spread. Alongside
for twelve years pursued a one of misery and starvation. his life as a farmer, he wrote a
career in the French Army. It Geneva was annexed to France. great deal and founded a
was his marriage in 1786 to A few weeks later Napoleon review entitled La bibliothèque
Adelaide Sara de Rochement issued a new constitution for a britannique. From 1796 to
that gave him a triple-barreled Helvetic Republic trying to 1815 he wrote the agricultural
name. Two years later he replace the former archaic sys- colunm in it.
entered the governing councils tem of cantonal authorities with
of Geneva and was made a centralized executive. This Napoleon's downfall led to the
responsible for reorganizing the attempt to tinker with the can- liberation of Geneva by
urban militia. tonal system caused such a vio- Austrian troops. A new republi-
lent reaction that Napoleon can government was declared
The impact of the French withdrew his troops in 1802. on 1 January 1814 and Pictet
Revolution in 1789 on read the proclamation, no doubt
Switzerland in general and The power vaccuum thus creat- written by himself, to a joyful
Geneva in particular was terri- ed set off a civil war, during population. Napoleon's brief
ble. In 1792 the former city which Napoleon cunningly return to power in 1815-the
councils of Geneva were sus- offered his services as arbitra- Hundred Days-ending at the

32 22006 Diva