Treaty of Versailles (1768)

The Treaty of Versailles was signed in Versailles between the Republic of Genoa and France on 15 May in 1768. The agreement proved for the subsequent political island's development as crucial as Genoa shortly thereafter should lose control of the island completely.

Surroundings

Corsica was ruled by the Republic of Genoa since 1284. However, the Corsicans began to revolt against the Genoese in order to achieve independence in the 18th century. A German adventurer, Theodor von Neuhoff, called forward to the king of Corsica - trusting in support promise of the Netherlands and England ( the Mediterranean Menorca and Gibraltar had already ). Thus France intervened at the request of Genoa.

The intervention was carried out by the State Secretary of the Foreign Office of Louis XV. , Étienne- François de Choiseul. The location had a special significance for France: After the Battle of Rossbach and other failures in the colonial area of the Paris Peace 1763 had meant a great loss of prestige for France, the New France and India to the British had been forced to resign.

The uprisings in Corsica prompted the French Government in the person of Choiseul to make at least over the situation in the Mediterranean thoughts, especially as the British supremacy was more pronounced and seemed hard to stop. Corsica was strategically important region whose situation was particularly unstable. Since Genoa had received too little support of troops from the Holy Roman Empire, the old republic had not shown to be able to cope with the difficult situation in Corsica. Choiseul seemed now to have come the moment to intervene to French claims to the island - to assert - and thus the Mediterranean Sea. Such an undertaking was possible without being involved in extensive military conflicts that would have been at that time by France hardly portable.

French troops were eventually sent to Corsica, with the financing of the company should be borne by Genoa. However, the French continued their troops against the rebels reluctant one: After reaching the control of the ports and their fortresses, they tried to show himself as a mediator between the Corsicans and Genoa. So Genoa was hopelessly in debt after a few years the French king over without the old republic would have pulled out of the agreements an advantage.

Conclusion of contract

Choiseul forced the city to an agreement, according to which Genoa was in theory the opportunity to restructure its debt, although a settlement seemed to be very unlikely. The Republic offered Corsica as security for debt, which rose to about two million Genoese lire.

The treaty was designed outwardly as a preservative, the legal agreement. For an annual pension of 200,000 liveries the Republic of Genoa gave extensive rights in Corsica to France for a period of 10 years with the mandate to manage the island and calm down.

Nevertheless, the deed of sale was clad fool anyone: The bankrupt Genoa would be unable to repay the cost to France by the Peace Foundation of the troops of Louis XV. would be caused, as called for in the last two " separate and secret ' articles of the Treaty. As Voltaire had correctly identified, the contract of a permanent transfer was the same. Not only it would have been hardly conceivable that the debt could be paid Genoa: Even then, the Italian port city never has the necessary funds to keep the insurgent population of Corsica under control.

France immediately tore the military initiative on the island itself and ensured peace. From this moment on (May 1769) was considered Corsica to the French Revolution as "personal patrimony " of the king of France.

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