The Treaty of Basel: Ending the Swabian War
1499 · Basel, Switzerland
The Treaty of Basel was signed, ending the Swabian War between the Swiss Confederation and the Holy Roman Empire.
The Treaty of Basel, mentioned as being signed on December 18, 1499, is a historically significant event. However, this description contains multiple inaccuracies concerning the historical timeline and events.
A prominent Treaty of Basel was signed in 1795, not 1499, during which various agreements ended hostilities between Revolutionary France and other European powers—Spain, Prussia, and Hessen-Kassel—leading to various territorial and diplomatic resolutions. The 1499 date might be confused with the Swabian War, conflicting largely within the Holy Roman Empire and between the Swiss Confederation and the Habsburgs. The resolution of that conflict culminated not in a formal treaty granting Basel any special status as a free city but in Basel’s gradual emergence as part of the Swiss Confederation following the eventual Swiss victories.
For accuracy, these two points should not be conflated. Basel’s status as a neutral city and its relationship to the Holy Roman Empire and broader Italian Wars differ from this description.