Switzerland Special Union War (b/w photo)

General Henri Dufour and his staff in the Sonderbund War of 1847. Guillaume-Henri Dufour was appointed commander of the Tagsatzungtroppen in the war against the Sonderbund on 24 October 1847. The Sonderbund, a separate alliance of the cantons of Lucerne, Zug, Wallis, Fribourg and the original cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden, was formed as a protective association to safeguard its territorial rights after a dispute over the dissolution of a monastery in Aargau and the appointment of the Jesuits to Lucerne had divided Switzerland politically and denominationally. After a resolution to dissolve the Sonderbund by the united Tagsatzung had shown no effect and all attempts at mediation had failed, the Tagsatzung decided to dissolve the Sonderbund by force on November 4, 1847. Only 25 days later, on 29 November 1847, the surrender of the Valais marked the end of the Sonderbund War.