Treaty of Versailles (1768)
The Treaty of Versailles was signed on May 15, 1768 in Versailles between the Republic of Genoa and France . The agreement turned out to be decisive for the later political development of Corsica , as Genoa would soon lose control of the island completely.
environment
Corsica has been ruled by the Republic of Genoa since 1284 . However, in the 18th century, the Corsicans began to rise up against the Genoese to achieve independence. A German adventurer, Theodor von Neuhoff , proclaimed himself King of Corsica - trusting promises of support from the Netherlands and England (which already had Menorca and Gibraltar in the Mediterranean ). So France intervened at Genoa's request.
The intervention was carried out by the State Secretary of the Foreign Office of Louis XV. , Étienne-François de Choiseul . The situation was of special importance for France: after the Battle of Rossbach and after further failures in the colonial area, the Peace of Paris in 1763 meant a great loss of prestige for France, which New France and India had to cede to the British.
The uprisings in Corsica prompted the French government, in the person of Choiseul, to at least give thought to the situation in the Mediterranean , especially since British supremacy was becoming more and more pronounced and hardly seemed to be slowing down. From a strategic point of view, Corsica was an important region, the situation of which was particularly unstable. Since Genoa had received too little support from troops from the Holy Roman Empire , the old republic had shown itself to be unable to cope with the difficult situation in Corsica. The moment now seemed to have come for Choiseul to intervene to assert French claims to the island - and thus to the Mediterranean. Such an undertaking was possible without getting involved in extensive military conflicts, which at the time would not have been acceptable for France.
French troops were eventually sent to Corsica, with the financing of the company to come from Genoa. However, the French used their troops cautiously against the insurgents: after they had achieved control of the ports and fortresses, they tried to act as mediators between the Corsicans and Genoa. So after a few years Genoa was hopelessly indebted to the French king without the old republic having benefited from the agreements.
Conclusion of contract
Choiseul forced the city into an agreement that, in theory, Genoa would have had the opportunity to clean up its debts, although settlement seemed very unlikely. The Republic of Corsica offered as security for the debt, which had risen to around two million Genoese lire .
Outwardly, the contract was designed as an agreement that preserved the legal position. In return for an annual pension of 200,000 liveries , the Republic of Genoa granted extensive rights to Corsica to France for a period of 10 years with the task of administering and calming the island.
Nevertheless, the deed of the disguised sale could not deceive anyone: the bankrupt Genoa would be unable to repay to France the costs caused by the peacemaking of the troops of Louis XV. as called for in the last two "separate and secret" articles of the treaty. As Voltaire correctly recognized, the contract was a definitive assignment. Not only would it have been inconceivable that Genoa could have paid the debt; even then, the Italian port city would never have had the means to keep Corsica's insurgent population under control.
France immediately seized the military initiative across the island and ensured calm. From that moment (May 1769) until the French Revolution, Corsica was considered the “personal patrimony ” of the King of France.
Remarks
- ↑ Voltaire: Par ce traité, le royaume de Corse n'était pas absolument donné au roi de France, mais il était censé lui appartenir, avec la faculté réservée à la république de rentrer dans cette souveraineté en remboursant au roi les frais queues il avait faits en faveur de la republique. C'était, en effet, céder à jamais la Corse, car il n'était pas probable que les Génois fussent en état de la racheter; et il était encore moins probable que, l'ayant racheté, ils pussent le conserver contre le Corses qui avaient fait serment de mourir plutôt que de vivre sons le joug de Gênes