ABSTRACT
On October 16, 1847, a week after the last cantonal meeting had been held, the Sonderbund's War Council drew the consequence and issued an order for the mobilization of its military forces. What was more, the Sonderbund coupled it with a demand that before negotiations could continue at all, the Diet would first have to rescind its mobilization order. Five days later, on November 3, 1847, hostilities began as Sonderbund troops attacked the Ticino without the courtesy of a formal declaration of war. The cheers were followed by a more concrete reaction to the Sonderbund's surprise attack: a decision to go to war. News of the Sonderbund's incursion into the Ticino had caused some fleeting concern, but then reports reached the Diet of the sniper attack at Airolo. Johann ab-Yberg ended his speech by proposing a motion that Schwyz persist in the course it had taken so far and remain loyal to the Sonderbund.
