Switzerland, a small state in the heart of Europe, is often hailed as teh world"s oldest republic. This sketch of Swiss history from the origins to the present day does not set out to examine whether this reputation is merited or not. Rather it seeks to outline the main trends that led from the Roman era to the emergence of the old Confederation, then to the Swiss Federal state and finally to the modern Confederation as it exists today. It aims to offer the reader a history oriented towards present-day concerns, in the form of a readily comprehensible survey.