The origins of which country can be traced to the forming of a defensive league by Uri, Schwyz and Lower Unterwalden in 1521?
Unterwalden Unterwalden Unterwalden (Latinized as "Sylvania", later also "Subsylvania" as opposed to "Supersylvania") is the old name of a forest-canton of the Old Swiss Confederacy in central Switzerland, south of Lake Lucerne, consisting of two valleys or "Talschaften", now organized as two half-cantons, an upper part, Obwalden, and a lower part, Nidwalden. Unterwalden was one of the three participants in the foundation of the Old Swiss Confederacy, named in the Pact of Brunnen of 1315 with Uri and Schwyz. The division of Unterwalden into two separate territories, Obwalden and Nidwalden in the early period is less than clear. Unterwalden figures as
History of Uri Tell had planned to kill him if the first bolt had killed Tell's son. Gessler took Tell captive, but Tell was able to escape. Tell then ran cross-country to Küssnacht where he assassinated Gessler with the second crossbow bolt. Tell's assassination sparked a rebellion, which led to the Rütlischwur, a further alliance between Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden. While the historicity of William Tell and specific events are questioned by modern historians, the cantons around Lake Lucerne and other nearby lakes had a long history of alliances. For example, in 1291, Uri, Schwyz and Zürich entered into a three-year defensive alliance.