General election on August 3, 1914

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Ulrich Wille and Theophil spokesman von Bernegg (in the middle) at a maneuver meeting with officers.

The General Election August 3, 1914 was a by intrigue -loaded election to appoint a commander in chief of the Swiss army for the time of the First World War . The Swiss Federal Council tried vehemently and against the will of the parliament for one of the candidates. The official election took place in the Federal Palace in Bern . The real decision, however, was made at a candidate's private residence. For General was Ulrich Wille chosen shortly after the opposition candidateTheophil spokesman von Bernegg appointed as the new chief of staff .

According to the press , the election was investigated too imprecisely and not dealt with correctly. The impression arose that the Federal Council wanted to put the proceedings aside as quickly as possible in order to demonstrate unity both at home and abroad in the interests of national defense. In addition, the existing should rift between the German-speaking Switzerland and the Romandie not be increased unnecessarily. Strangely enough, no official minutes were made of the meeting of the Neutrality Commission scheduled for the same day . In addition, the then National Councilor Heinrich Walther later commented on further inconsistencies that are said to have happened in the "most questionable manner" around the election.

Reasons for the general election

After prolonged tensions between the states of the Triple Entente and the Central Powers , the assassination attempt in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914 sparked the First World War. Switzerland observed the developments closely. After Austria-Hungary declared war on the Kingdom of Serbia on July 28, 1914 and Russia triggered the general mobilization on July 30, 1914, the Federal Council was forced to act as well. It was clear to him that he wanted to uphold Switzerland's basic foreign policy values ​​of freedom, independence and neutrality at all costs. If necessary, he wanted to defend the country with all available military means. He therefore put the entire army in readiness and on August 1 ordered general mobilization. It was only through this mobilization that it became necessary to appoint a commander-in-chief (general in Switzerland).

Possible candidates for the office of general

Ulrich Wille

Ulrich Wille , born in Hamburg in 1848, moved to Switzerland with his family at the age of three. In 1872 he married Clara, the daughter of the Württemberg Lieutenant General Friedrich von Bismarck . Later he was repeatedly accused of being friendly to Germany during the war.

Ulrich Wille joined the professional officer corps in 1872 and quickly gained attention thanks to his training drill and strict leadership. In 1896 he provoked his dismissal as chief of arms. In 1900 he was a militia - Major General reactivated and the 1904 corps commander appointed. His main focus was on combat and leadership training. As the commander of the 3rd Army Corps, he directed the highly regarded imperial maneuver in 1912 . Wille himself had great ambitions for the office of general.

Theophil spokesman for Bernegg

Theophil spokesman von Bernegg from the former Graubünden noble family spokesman von Bernegg (but mostly just spokesman) was two years younger than Wille. At the age of 21 he was elected to the local council of his birthplace Maienfeld and later held various political offices. He was also a member of the board of directors in major companies in Eastern Switzerland.

Speaker has had an exemplary career in the army. At the age of 41 he was a Colonel in the General Staff, Chief of Staff of the 4th Army Corps. In 1905 he was elected Chief of the General Staff Department and from 1909 was Chief of the 4th Army Corps as Commander of the Colonel Corps. Spokesman himself wanted to conform to the wishes of Parliament and did not have a favored office.

Alfred Audéoud

Alfred Audéoud , born in Geneva in 1853 , was in command of the 1st Army Corps . From the French-speaking part of Switzerland he was planned as chief of staff. In this function, he was supposed to support the spokesman, who was the preferred candidate for the general office from French-speaking Switzerland. Since French-speaking Switzerland had relatively little influence in the political environment and Audéoud had fewer years of service than the other candidates, the chances of success in an election were very small.

Isaac Iselin-Sarasin

Isaak Iselin-Sarasin , born in Basel in 1851 , led the 2nd Army Corps , represented the canton of Basel-Stadt in the National Council and was President of the Swiss Red Cross . Due to a conflict of interest, he voluntarily refrained from voting and did not take part in the vote himself. He could abstain from voting and did not have to vote against the speaker or the will.

Peter Isler

At 66 years of age, Peter Isler from Wagenhausen in the canton of Thurgau was the oldest candidate. He was the infantry chief of weapons and commanded the 1st Army Corps until 1912. Isler was considered an unlikely candidate for the office due to his old age.

Parliamentarians' views on the candidates

The two candidates will and speaker each received different appreciations. Spokesman had been known to many parliamentarians as a strategist for years. They emphasized his sense of duty for the welfare of the country and his careful work on the General Staff. Since he also spoke the national languages, he received great attention from all parties and language areas in Switzerland .

Wille also received a lot of recognition, but above all his connection to Germany (especially his sympathy for the German Empire and the Prussian army ) was criticized. He was also held to have a poor understanding of federalism and the political system in Switzerland . A major disadvantage for him was that he only spoke Standard German both privately and professionally and did not speak any of the other national languages ​​fluently. His biggest critics were the Social Democrats and the French-speaking Swiss.

Federal Council's views on the candidates

For its part, the Federal Council wanted Theophil spokesman to continue as chief of staff, as he had prepared all deployment plans and successfully led the area. With Ulrich Wille, the Federal Council wanted to confront the overpowering Germany with a similar character and at the same time upright commander.

Pre-election events

Friday July 31, 1914

The then Federal President Arthur Hoffmann sent a telegram on July 31, 1914 at 11:30 a.m. to Willes' private address in Meilen . The content read:

"I would be grateful if you would visit me this afternoon. Wire reply paid by Hoffmann Federal President."

- Arthur Hoffmann

Wille received the message around 3 p.m.

Arthur Hoffmann took the preparations for the election by the hand and had the entire Federal Council convened for two meetings at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. In these meetings the views and the common direction should be agreed. It was decided that the Federal Council wanted the Federal Assembly to be given the power to formulate the declaration of neutrality and that the National Council and the Council of States would be summoned by telegram to an extraordinary meeting on Monday, August 3 at 10:00 a.m.

The agenda for Monday provided for the following:

1. Notices regarding the situation in Switzerland and the steps taken by the Federal Council to maintain independence and neutrality;
2. Granting powers of attorney;
3. Election of the general;
4. Federal decree on the issue of banknotes with a nominal value of 5 francs.

Saturday August 1, 1914

The “ Bellevue Palace ” in the First World War. A train unit marches past in the foreground .

In the meantime, the mobilization was triggered, which for thousands of soldiers meant that they had to leave their families and their jobs behind within hours and put themselves in the service of the army. Ulrich Wille traveled from Meilen by train to Bern on Saturday morning . Immediately after his arrival he went to the Grand Hotel " Bellevue Palace " and immediately booked a suite there . He had already planned this as the future location of the headquarters . The fact that he already mentally divided the rooms into military offices underscored his strong ambitions for the general office.

During the day, Wille was received by the Federal President. However, there is only an oral testimony, not official sources for the location, duration, course or content of the conversation. Presumably those present discussed all possible outcomes of the election. The fact that Hoffmann and Wille were sympathetic to each other was partly due to the fact that both were of German descent, and they had both done military service together. At that time, Hoffmann, as the commander of the 12th Brigade, was subordinate to Division Commander Wille.

Sunday August 2, 1914

According to Willes, he traveled back to his place of residence on Sunday, but arrived back at the «Bellevue Palace» that evening.

Election day

Events shortly before the start of the meeting

Before the beginning of the meeting, a parliamentary group from French-speaking Switzerland visited Camille Decoppet , the head of the Federal Military Department (EMD). They spoke out against Willes's candidacy and brought their "serious concerns" to the attention of the Federal Council. Decoppet took note of the statements and then referred the group to the Federal President.

Neutrality Commission

The neutrality commission also met on that day and discussed the upcoming business. Hoffmann took the floor early on. From the point of view of the entire Federal Council, he stated that only the most capable troop leader could be elected general. Sympathies and antipathies would have to resign completely. The Federal Council examined both candidates and came to the conclusion that, although the spokesman had a greater theoretical knowledge, if he was willing, however, a calmer determination and better decision-making skills can be seen. He rejected the concerns from western Switzerland and made it clear that Wille was definitely a Swiss with patriotic thinking. He saw the connection to the German Kaiser Wilhelm II as an advantage, as he had fully recognized Swiss neutrality on the last visit . He went on to emphasize that Germany believes Switzerland has a strong enough army to defend its neutrality. This success is due to will.

The former Colonel Division and editor-in-chief of the Gazette de Lausanne , National Councilor Édouard Secretan , did not agree with these statements. First he pointed out that the Federal Council had no right to propose the election of the general and that the Federal Assembly had to decide completely freely and on its own responsibility. If the Federal Council wants to make a proposal, it should only present a name, without the reasons for or against. He went on to say that the French-speaking Swiss were of the opinion that a possible election by Willes would be a serious political mistake. Secretan also criticized the fact that Wille was also unpopular in other parts of the country (e.g. in the canton of Graubünden due to the Flüela affair , in which Wille had accused soldiers of mutiny in an NZZ article in 1913 ) and that he had given the army the wrong impetus have. Wille was further accused of knowing "neither the country nor the feelings of the people" and wanting to develop an "unpleasant and intolerable dictatorship". Secretan suggested electing a spokesman because he had introduced the new order of forces and therefore knew best how to lead the army corps. He proposed Alfred Audéoud as chief of staff.

The Graubünden National Councilor Andrea Vital reiterated these statements and emphasized that Wille did not have the trust of his canton.

The Federal President was not happy about the development of the discussion and tried to justify himself with unconstitutional demands and vague arguments. He advocated that the state government primarily responsible must have the decisive influence on the general election, although this is not provided for in the federal constitution. He went on to say that the Federal Council could, if necessary, assert itself against the will if it did not follow the Council's view. Hoffmann went on to consider that if Wille were not appointed general, he would have to vacate the position as high corps commander. He therefore applied for Wille to be appointed general and spokesman for chief of staff, as had already been agreed with the two candidates.

The morning session

Alfred von Planta , the then President of the National Council

National Council President Alfred von Planta opened the extraordinary session at 10:00 a.m. In his opening speech, he underlined the will that Switzerland wanted to remain neutral and that they were ready to use all means for peace in the country.

Von Planta explained the planned course of the topics to be dealt with and noted that "in view of the situation and the mood of the country, the election of the general should be made today." In Parliament, however, there were different opinions about when to vote. The Socialist Group President Herman Greulich requested that the two councils meet again at 5 p.m.

At 10:30 a.m. the Federal Assembly decided (with 88 votes against 73) to discuss the Federal Council's report and the resulting general election in the afternoon.

The general election created a lot of discussion and opinions varied. The National Councilor and later Federal Councilor Karl Scheurer recorded the following in his diary: “The election of the general is a lot to talk about. Speakers from Bernegg and Audéoud are in the foreground. Will seems to be excluded. "

The afternoon

From 2 p.m., the political groups began to discuss which candidate should hold the office of general. The Liberals , the Catholic Conservatives and the Social Democrats discuss only speaker and will; the other candidates were not eligible for any of the political groups. The liberals decided to vote by a two-thirds majority, as did the Catholic Conservatives. The Social Democrats also voted almost unanimously for speakers. The Catholic Conservatives refrained from making a definitive decision, however, because they wanted to vote for a candidate together with the Liberals so that he would receive a high number of votes and thus an honorable election.

Adalbert Wirz , Councilor of States from the canton of Obwalden , stated the following in his “Federal City Letter”:

“There was a strong trend in the Federal Assembly for the election of Colonel von Sprecher. The Federal Council, on the other hand, unanimously and emphatically approved the election of Mr. Obersten Wille. The Federal Council does not have the right to make proposals. If the Federal Assembly had asked him for such a proposal, this would have been tantamount to actually giving up their right to vote. "

- Adalbert Wirz : Obwaldner Volksfreund from August 8, 1914

Theophil spokesman von Bernegg said a week before the election to Federal Councilor Eduard Müller that he would also serve as chief of staff alongside Ulrich Wille. Since an overwhelming majority wanted to elect him, he told the Federal Council that he would also accept any election as general.

The National Council met punctually at 4:00 p.m. to continue the meeting. The Council of States was also present in the hall to find out about the developments and thus to shorten the subsequent consultation. The grandstand was overcrowded and everyone in the hall was excited about the vote. The President of the Neutrality Commission, Karl Spahn , spoke about the situation and the granting of powers to the Federal Council. Édouard Secretan also gave a presentation on the same subject in French. Herman Greulich took the floor as another speaker. After these speakers, the National Council approved the motion that the Federal Council should be given unrestricted powers to make all necessary arrangements.

Instead of finally carrying out the vote planned for 4:30 p.m., the election was again delayed.

In the background, Hoffmann instructed the President of the National Council to send a letter to the speaker.

"Dear friend! You will have heard that the groups put your candidacy first. I therefore ask you to come to event. Have the swearing ready around 7 a.m. Enclosed is the formula of the oath. Of course, incidents cannot be ruled out. Kindly [...] Your Planta. "

- Alfred von Planta
Giuseppe Motta , the third Federal Councilor to campaign strongly for will.

Immediately after receiving the message, he went home to change from his suit to military uniform. At the same time, the Federal President, Ulrich Wille, called to see him in the Federal Palace. Until then, Wille was staying at the Grand Hotel Bellevue and was there quickly. A letter from Ulrich to Clara Wille shows that first Decoppet, then Hoffmann and finally Giuseppe Motta spoke to him and informed him that there was a strongly united opposition in parliament. The Federal Councilors had done everything to change the MPs and wanted to inform him of the developments so that he would not be surprised. Wille was not satisfied with that and said he wanted to hear factual reasons and then analyze them. He refused to give up an election. The federal councilors then assured him that they wanted to speak to the parliamentarians again.

The crucial phase

At 5:45 p.m. the united federal assembly met again and there was loud and noisy discussion. The Federal Council also consulted again and continued to try to change parliamentarians. At the same time, Wille found in the hotel that his choice would not be possible under the current conditions. He decided to take an unusual route and had his adjutant Karl Schulthess chauffeured him to Alpenstrasse 29 in Bern, where Sprecher lived. At 6 p.m., Sprecher was already in his gala uniform in his bedroom and practicing the swearing-in formula received from Von Planta.

At the beginning of the conversation, Wille tried desperately to persuade the speaker that he should forego the general election. Wille is said to have stated that he had worked "all his life" towards "preparing [and] for the task now presented". Speakers were not convinced by these statements, especially since Wille and Colonel Fritz Gertsch had fought him on various occasions. Wille spoke of the fact that he would no longer be able to show himself to his wife and two daughters if he should emerge as a loser from this election. However, spokesman remained unimpressed. Now Wille threatened that he would withdraw from the army in order to be able to fight spokesmen unhindered in the press. Speaker realized that will in opposition could do more harm to the country than if he were elected general. In the current situation it was important that Switzerland presented itself as a unit both internally and externally and was ready to defend itself at any price. With an ongoing press battle against the Commander-in-Chief, it would be impossible to accomplish the task. Thus, Sprecher gave in to Wille so as not to make a mistake from a state-political point of view. However, he made the condition that he would no longer support Gertsch's activities in the future.

At about 6:20 p.m., the relieved will left the house, right in front of the spokespersons. Theophil spoke the following sentence to his wife Helene: "At this difficult moment we do not want to offer the fatherland such a spectacle." His wife, who witnessed the events, later made the following statement to Perpetua von Sprecher: “But Wille's offended vanity would have been a dangerous factor in the current difficult situation. The policy of the Federal Council, which had no right to make proposals, had to change the National Council's mind at high pressure, solely because of the correct calculation that Theophils Noblesse offered a guarantee to prevent a conflict.

The general election has now been set at 6:15 p.m. After just a few minutes, the President of the National Council informed his colleagues that the election would have to be postponed again. At the request of "various groups", he wanted to give the members of the neutrality commission the opportunity to consult with their party again, as these members would not have been able to attend the morning group meetings. National Councilor Secretan stated that the "different groups" meant the Federal Council.

The Federal Councilors now tried again to campaign for the parliamentary groups to vote by will. In the parliamentary group room of the influential liberals, the Federal President even climbed a table to talk to the parliamentarians. But all the efforts of the federal councilors never got the parties to vote will.

The renunciation and the ordinary choice

After the arrival of the spokesman von Bernegg at 7:00 p.m. in the Bundeshaus, he spoke to each parliamentary group and announced his official waiver. Many parliamentarians were impressed by this step. National Councilor Heinrich Walther later wrote about this appearance: "The declaration by Spokesman that he [...] would work alongside General Wille as Chief of Staff made a deep impression in all parliamentary groups."

The liberals then conferred again, with the western Swiss in particular continuing to fight against will. In the end, the parliamentary group overturned its decision from the afternoon and decided with 67 votes against 30 to re-elect Ulrich Wille. The faction of the Catholic Conservatives no longer carried out its own vote, but, as agreed, followed the election recommendation of the Liberals. The SP also gave in after the waiver and decided to vote for Wille.

1st ballot
ballot papers distributed 192
ballot papers received 192
empty / invalid 7/0
valid total 185
absolute more 93
Ulrich Wille 122
Theophil spokesman for Bernegg 63

Ten hours after the first session opened, Alfred von Planta initiated the official ballot at 8:00 p.m. Ulrich Wille won the election with 122 votes. Despite the waiver, the speaker still received 63 votes, the approval of around a third of all parliamentarians. This indicates that the parliamentarians from western Switzerland and the SP were particularly unhappy about the outcome of the day.

The President of the National Council addressed his congratulations to Ulrich Wille with the following words:

«General!
You have been appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Army through the trust of the Swiss Federal Assembly. On behalf of the Parliament and the Swiss people, I offer you patriotic congratulations on this honor. May you succeed in justifying the trust placed in you, may you lead the troops under your control in peace and, if need be, in war for the honor and welfare of our country. Bring the patriotic greeting of the Federal Assembly to the Swiss Army and tell them that we have unlimited confidence in their efficiency and patriotic sentiments. It is with a moving heart that we hand over to you, General, and your troops the hat to our frontier, the threshold to our freedom and independence. May this greatest good be preserved for us! "

- Alfred von Planta

After these words, Ulrich Wille was sworn in before the United Federal Assembly and the session was then officially closed.

Effects of choice

Friedrich Brügger , the newly appointed adjutant general

The next day, as planned, the Federal Council appointed spokespersons as Chief of Staff of the Swiss Army. Furthermore, the colonel division Friedrich Brügger was appointed adjutant general.

The Swiss media reacted positively to the election and the French-speaking Swiss media were particularly pleased about the election of the spokesman as chief of staff. But they were also of the opinion that will was suitable enough to lead the army. In its August 4th edition, the “ Gazette de Lausanne ” criticized the Federal Council for interfering so heavily in the electoral process. She was convinced that the whole day would have gone much more smoothly if the Federal Assembly had not been so heavily influenced.

On its August 4th front page, the conservative Freiburger Nachrichten described Wille as "sharp, angular" and "far from being popular". The 63 votes for speakers are a sign for the newspaper that it also has the competencies for this important office. However, the newspaper also stated that will and spokesman together would best lead Switzerland through the crisis.

See also

literature

  • Daniel spokesman: The general election of August 3, 1914 . In: Swiss History Journal . tape 52 , 2002, p. 163–193 , doi : 10.5169 / seals-81308 .
  • Hans Rudolf Fuhrer : "The mutiny on the Flüela" and its influence on the general election in 1914. In: Erika Hebeisen , Peter Niederhäuser, Regula Schmid: War and crisis time. Zurich during the First World War (= communications from the Antiquarian Society in Zurich. Vol. 81 = New Year's Gazette of the Antiquarian Society in Zurich. 178). Chronos-Verlag, Zurich 2014, ISBN 978-3-0340-1221-8 , pp. 161–172.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Daniel spokesman: The general election of August 3, 1914 . In: Swiss History Journal . tape 52 , 2002, p. 163–193, here: p. 163 ( digitized version [accessed on November 3, 2014]).
  2. ^ A b c Daniel spokesman: The general election of August 3, 1914 . In: Swiss History Journal . tape 52 , 2002, p. 163–193, here: p. 164 ( digitized version [accessed on November 3, 2014]).
  3. ^ Editor / AHB: World War I, First. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
  4. ^ A b Rudolf Jaun: Wille, Ulrich. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
  5. ^ Georg Kreis : General Ulrich Wille. Example for one - enemy for the other. Hans Rudolf Fuhrer, p. 224 , accessed on August 18, 2014 .
  6. ^ A b Daniel spokesman: The general election of August 3, 1914 . In: Swiss History Journal . tape 52 , 2002, p. 163–193, here: p. 166 ( digitized version [accessed on November 3, 2014]).
  7. ^ Daniel spokesman: spokesman, Theophil (von Bernegg). In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
  8. ^ A b Daniel spokesman: The general election of August 3, 1914 . In: Swiss History Journal . tape 52 , 2002, p. 163–193, here: p. 165 ( digitized version [accessed on November 3, 2014]).
  9. ^ A b Daniel spokesman: The general election of August 3, 1914 . In: Swiss History Journal . tape 52 , 2002, p. 163–193, here: p. 170 ( digitized version [accessed on November 3, 2014]).
  10. ^ A b Daniel spokesman: The general election of August 3, 1914 . In: Swiss History Journal . tape 52 , 2002, p. 163–193, here: p. 171 ( digitized version [accessed on November 3, 2014]).
  11. ↑ An emergency of armed neutrality. NZZ , July 27, 2004, accessed on November 4, 2014 .
  12. ^ A b Daniel spokesman: The general election of August 3, 1914 . In: Swiss History Journal . tape 52 , 2002, p. 163–193, here: p. 167 ( digitized version [accessed on November 3, 2014]).
  13. Message from the Federal Council on measures to protect the country and maintain neutrality. August 2, 1914, p. 9 , accessed August 18, 2014 .
  14. ^ A b Daniel spokesman: The general election of August 3, 1914 . In: Swiss History Journal . tape 52 , 2002, p. 163–193, here: p. 168 ( digitized version [accessed on November 3, 2014]).
  15. ^ Daniel spokesman: The general election of August 3, 1914 . In: Swiss History Journal . tape 52 , 2002, p. 163–193, here: p. 169 ( digitized version [accessed on November 3, 2014]).
  16. ^ Daniel spokesman: The general election of August 3, 1914 . In: Swiss History Journal . tape 52 , 2002, p. 163–193, here: p. 170 ( digitized version [accessed on November 3, 2014]).
  17. ^ Daniel spokesman: The general election of August 3, 1914 . In: Swiss History Journal . tape 52 , 2002, p. 163–193, here: p. 172 ( digitized version [accessed on November 3, 2014]).
  18. Hans Rudolf Fuhrer: "The mutiny on the Flüela" and its influence on the general election in 1914. In: Erika Hebeisen, Peter Niederhäuser, Regula Schmid (ed.): War and crisis time: Zurich during the First World War. Announcements of the Antiquarian Society in Zurich, Volume 81, Zurich 2014.
  19. ^ Daniel spokesman: The general election of August 3, 1914 . In: Swiss History Journal . tape 52 , 2002, p. 163–193, here: pp. 172–173 ( digitized version [accessed on November 3, 2014]).
  20. ^ A b Daniel spokesman: The general election of August 3, 1914 . In: Swiss History Journal . tape 52 , 2002, p. 163–193, here: p. 173 ( digitized version [accessed on November 3, 2014]).
  21. Opening speech by the President of the National Council. Retrieved August 24, 2014 .
  22. ^ A b Daniel spokesman: The general election of August 3, 1914 . In: Swiss History Journal . tape 52 , 2002, p. 163–193, here: p. 178 ( digitized version [accessed on November 3, 2014]).
  23. ^ Hermann Böschenstein: Federal Councilor Karl Scheurer. Diaries 1914–1929 . 1971, p. 146 .
  24. ^ Daniel spokesman: The general election of August 3, 1914 . In: Swiss History Journal . tape 52 , 2002, p. 163–193, here: p. 179 ( digitized version [accessed on November 3, 2014]).
  25. ^ Daniel spokesman: The general election of August 3, 1914 . In: Swiss History Journal . tape 52 , 2002, p. 163–193, here: p. 180 ( digitized version [accessed on November 3, 2014]).
  26. ^ Daniel spokesman: The general election of August 3, 1914 . In: Swiss History Journal . tape 52 , 2002, p. 163–193, here: pp. 180–181 ( digitized version [accessed on November 3, 2014]).
  27. ^ Daniel spokesman: The general election of August 3, 1914 . In: Swiss History Journal . tape 52 , 2002, p. 163–193, here: p. 181 ( digitized version [accessed on November 3, 2014]).
  28. ^ Daniel spokesman: The general election of August 3, 1914 . In: Swiss History Journal . tape 52 , 2002, p. 163–193, here: pp. 181–182 ( digitized version [accessed on November 3, 2014]).
  29. ^ A b Daniel spokesman: The general election of August 3, 1914 . In: Swiss History Journal . tape 52 , 2002, p. 163–193, here: p. 182 ( digitized version [accessed on November 3, 2014]).
  30. ^ Daniel spokesman: The general election of August 3, 1914 . In: Swiss History Journal . tape 52 , 2002, p. 163–193, here: p. 183 ( digitized version [accessed on November 3, 2014]).
  31. ^ Daniel spokesman: The general election of August 3, 1914 . In: Swiss History Journal . tape 52 , 2002, p. 163–193, here: p. 185 ( digitized version [accessed on November 3, 2014]).
  32. ^ A b Daniel spokesman: The general election of August 3, 1914 . In: Swiss History Journal . tape 52 , 2002, p. 163–193, here: p. 186 ( digitized version [accessed on November 3, 2014]).
  33. ^ A b Daniel spokesman: The general election of August 3, 1914 . In: Swiss History Journal . tape 52 , 2002, p. 163–193, here: p. 188 ( digitized version [accessed on November 3, 2014]).
  34. ^ Daniel spokesman: The general election of August 3, 1914 . In: Swiss History Journal . tape 52 , 2002, p. 163–193, here: p. 189 ( digitized version [accessed on November 3, 2014]).
  35. a b c d Daniel spokesman: The general election of August 3, 1914 . In: Swiss History Journal . tape 52 , 2002, p. 163–193, here: p. 191 ( digitized version [accessed on November 3, 2014]).
  36. ^ A b Daniel spokesman: The general election of August 3, 1914 . In: Swiss History Journal . tape 52 , 2002, p. 163–193, here: p. 192 ( digitized version [accessed on November 3, 2014]).
  37. Federal Gazette. Retrieved August 23, 2014 .
  38. a b Federal Gazette. Retrieved August 23, 2014 .
  39. L'élection du général. (No longer available online.) Gazette de Lausanne , August 4, 1914, archived from the original on November 4, 2014 ; Retrieved September 17, 2014 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.letempsarchives.ch
  40. ^ Ernst Bollinger: Freiburger Nachrichten. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
  41. General Ulrich Wille. Freiburger Nachrichten , August 4, 1914, accessed on September 17, 2014 .