Switzerland was originally inhabited by a Celtic people, who were named the Helvetians by the Romans. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Switzerland was overrun by the Alemannen, Burgundian and Frankish tribes. In the 9th century, it was divided between Swabia and Burgundy, but the territory was reunited in the 11th century as a part of the Holy Roman Empire.

By the 13th century, the Swiss territories had split into a number of feudal principalities, which were mostly dominated by the Houses of Hapsburg and Savoy. In 1291, the ancient cantons of Schwyz, Uri, and Unterwalden formed a defensive league against the threat of Hapsburg domination. In 1315, they defeated an Austrian army and, in 1499, the Swiss Confederation defeated Charles the Bold of Burgundy and Emperor Maximilian I. At this point, Switzerland was recognized as independent.