Cession of Corsica to France
- When
- 1768–1769
- Where
- Corsica, subject of the cession; Corsica
- Episodes
- 3
In 1768, the Republic of Genoa ceded Corsica to France through the Treaty of Versailles, signed at Versailles on 15 May 1768. Genoa pledged the island to repay debts incurred after enlisting French military help against the Corsican revolt. France began its conquest in September 1768 and gained full control after the Battle of Ponte Novu in 1769.
Episodes
- Treaty of Versailles concluded
Genoa and France signed the Treaty of Versailles at Versailles on 15 May 1768, by which Genoa sold Corsica to France.
- France begins conquest of Corsica
In September 1768, France began its conquest of Corsica following the cession.
- Battle of Ponte Novu and annexation
France gained full military control of Corsica following the Battle of Ponte Novu in 1769, after which France annexed the island.
Background and detail
Background. Corsican resistance to Genoese rule included a brief attempt in 1736 to proclaim an independent kingdom under the German adventurer Theodore von Neuhoff, supported by the Dutch Republic and Great Britain. In 1755, a full-fledged Corsican Republic was founded under Pasquale Paoli. In 1764, Genoa asked France to send troops to the island.
The Treaty of Versailles. The Treaty of Versailles was concluded on 15 May 1768 at Versailles between the Republic of Genoa and France, in which Genoa sold Corsica to France. According to one account, Genoa had no option but to put Corsica in pledge to France to repay its debts. The treaty also established that France would return to Genoa the possession of neighboring Capraia island, previously occupied by the Corsican Republic.
French Annexation. In 1768, Genoa officially ceded Corsica to Louis XV of France as part of a pledge for debts incurred after enlisting French military help in suppressing the Corsican revolt. France began its conquest of the island in September 1768 and gained full military control following the Battle of Ponte Novu in 1769, after which France annexed the island.
Sources
- Treaty of Versailles (1768) Wikipedia, revision of 2026-07-27
- Corsica Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-14
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.