United States of the Ionian Islands

The Republic of the Ionian Islands (1815-1864: United States of the Ionian Islands ) was a political system that included the Greek Islands Andikythira, Andipaxos, Corfu, Kythira, Lefkada, Ithaca, Kefalonia, Paxos and Zakynthos in the 19th century. The Republic was founded in 1800, after 1797, the centuries-long rule of the Venetian Republic had ended over the islands. She was briefly one after the Russo- Ottoman and under French protectorate until 1815, the British were given supremacy over the Ionian Islands. Seat of government was the city of Corfu. From 1815 until the union with the Kingdom of Greece in 1864 was called the Republic of United States of the Ionian Islands. After the corresponding larger islands it was also called Republic of the Seven Islands.

Republic of the Seven Islands (1800-1807)

With the end of the Venetian Republic in the Treaty of Campo Formio in 1797 the then Venetian Ionian Islands were initially fell to France. The French divided the islands into three departments Corcyre (headquarters: Corfu ), Ithaque (headquarters: Argostoli ) and Mer - Egée (headquarters: Zakynthos ) and subordinate them to a central administration in Corfu under the leadership of Count Theotokis. 1798/1799 conquered Russia and the Ottoman Empire, who had joined forces against France, the islands. The Treaty of Constantinople Opel from March 21, 1800 the Allies agreed that the islands should continue to form the Republic of the Seven Islands Corfu City. Russia guaranteed the independence of the new state, the Ottoman suzerainty was under and had to pay an annual tribute of 75,000 piastres to the Sultan.

The Republic was an aristocratic constitution modeled after the Republic of Ragusa. At the top of the state to that of a president -led Senate, which was composed of representatives of the "Great Councils " of the islands was. Members of the Senate and the "Great Directors " could only be members of the nobility. First President of the Senate, Count Theotokis, as Senate secretary acted Ioannis Kapodistrias, who later became president of independent Greece. Coat of arms of the new republic was the Venetian Golden Lion in the blue box that held in a claw seven arrows and united in the other Gospels, the book with the cross and the year 1800 and the corresponding year of the Hijrah.

1803 adopted the ' Constituent Assembly of the Ionians " a new constitution, received by the commoners as well as of a certain income, the right to vote and access to public office. Executive Council of the Republic was under the Constitution of 1803, consisting of 17 members headed by the Senate, the Republic of representing and externally Principe ( = Prince ). First Principe was the former President Theotokis. In addition, 40 were "national representatives " as the legislature and the three- censors under the direction of a ephors Censura generals as the highest court. At the same time Greek was raised instead of the previously usual Italian as the official language.

Ionian Islands under French rule (1807-1815)

1807 left Russia in the Treaty of Tilsit the Ionian Islands Napoleon I. The French lifted the Constitution of 1803 and transferred the administration of General Donzelot as military governor, " Principe " Count komuto resigned. Officially renamed the former Ionian Republic now as a " gouvernement local de Corfou ". On 2 October 1809, the French fleet was defeated off the island of Zakynthos. The islands of Kefalonia, Zakynthos and Kythira were occupied by Great Britain, who used a provisional government of the Republic of Zakynthos. Only in Corfu, the French were able to maintain. General Donzelot capitulated only after the fall of Napoleon in July 1814 and handed over the fortress of Corfu to the British.

United States of the Ionian Islands ( 1815-1863/64 )

In the Treaty of Paris of 5 November 1815, Great Britain, Russia, Prussia and Austria agreed that the Ionian Islands should form " a single, free and independent state under the name of the United States, the seven islands' future. The new state was given internal autonomy, but was under the protectorate of Great Britain, which was represented by a " Lord Chief Commissioner " in Corfu. President of the Senate of the Republic was again Graf Theotokis, the British Lord High Commissioner Lieutenant General Thomas Maitland took office in February 1816.

On August 26, 1817, Britain's Prince Regent George the new state granted a constitution. The state name was afterwards United States of the Ionian Islands. At the top of the existing state of a president and five other members of the Senate stood. The Legislature formed the as " Legislative Assembly " designated, consisting of 40 member parliament. Supreme Court was the " Supreme Judicial Council of the United States of the Ionian Islands ". Senior state offices could be filled only with the consent of the British Lord High Commissioner, the comes with all the military was subordinate to the islands. 1826/1827 received the Republic of the so-called Ionian Academy as a university based in Corfu. 1849 was a radical constitutional reform. The right to vote was extended to four times the number of previous voters, the election of municipal officials was completely released. At the same time unrestricted freedom of the press was granted.

As of 1830, the desire for annexation to Greece was loud on the islands. Since the elections in 1850 was also the parliamentary majority for union with Greece. Only in 1862 but also declared the British protector of their willingness to accept the union of the islands with Greece. On October 1, 1863 Lord Chief Commissioner Storck brought a corresponding template in the Ionian Legislative Assembly. However, as no agreement on the required by the British dismantling of the fortress Corfu came, the matter was delayed initially. Only by the Treaty Great Britain, Russia and Austria with Greece on 29 March 1864, the unification of the Ionian Islands with Greece has actually been agreed. End of May 1864 gave Lord Chief Commissioner Storck governmental power to a Greek proxy and solved the Ionian Parliament, at the same time went out the constitution of the Ionian Islands. Since then, the islands as Administrative Region of Ionian Islands a part of Greece, but without the island of Kythira, which was added to the Prefecture of Piraeus district.

List of British High Commissioners

Between 1815 and 1864 ruled the following Commissioners:

• Sir Thomas Maitland (1815-1823)
• Sir Frederick Adam (1823-1832)
• Lord Nugent (1832-1835)
• Howard Douglas (1835-1840)
• James Alexander Stewart - Mackenzie (1840-1843)
• Lord Seaton (1843-1849)
• Sir Henry George Ward (1849-1855)
• Sir John Young (1855-1859)
• Sir Henry Knight Storks (1859-1863)