Treaty of Versailles (1768)

See also: Treaty of Versailles (homonymy)

The treated of Versailles of May 15th 1768 attaches the Corsica to the personal inheritance of the king of France.

Context

Since 1284, Corsica is under domination of the République of Genoa. At the 18th century, the Corsica S fight against Génois. A German adventurer, Theodore de Neuhoff, proclaims king of Corsica, with the assistance of the United Provinces and the England (which in the Mediterranean has already Minorque and Gibraltar). After the disaster of Rossbach and the many defeats in the colonies, Choiseul, successively with the head of the diplomacy and the ministry for the war and the marine, seeks to quickly stop the war and the fall of the French capacity on total and European scale. The Traité of Paris (1763) recognizes the important French defeat, with the loss of the News-France and the India to the profit of the British.

By acting as secretary of foreign affairs of Louis XV, Choiseul aims at occupying of the strategic positions in the Mediterranean at the end thus to be opposed to the increasing British power and to avoid a surrounding even in the south, where Corsica occupies an important position; moreover, the political situation of the island is most fragile within the Mediterranean framework: it is already in the British test cards and becomes, consequently, a fundamental and invaluable objective also for the French minister. Meanwhile, incompetent to be opposed all alone to the Corsican revolt, Genoa, which received a too weak support by the imperial troops, is forced to be called with king de France to obtain troops of occupation to be sent on the rebellious island.

Choisel sees in this call the occasion that he sought to occupy the island without unchaining a new European conflict such as France could not support at the moment.

Thousands of French soldiers - on behalf of the government of Genoa and with its expenses - are thus sent to furnish the fortresses with the island against the Corsicans who besiege them.

However, Choisel holds its troops locked up in the ports and the Corsican fortresses rather than to sweep the revolt, by giving itself airs to mediator between the Corsicans and Genoa. In a few years, without to have obtained anything, the old Republic is involved in debt towards the king of France beyond his economic possibilities.

Thus, Choiseul forces Genoa to yield its rights on the island, by resigning the credits which the King of France has on Genoa: it had cumulated a debt of 2 million liras with the Louis XV for the military aid which he had provided to the ligure Republic for " réprimer" the revolt of the Corsicans.

It is only after one difficult military forwarding against the Corsicans raised against France that the King makes himself main from the island (May 1769).

The treaty

It is in the beginning only one treaty of “ conservation ”. Indeed, with the help of an annual rent of surroundings 200.000 books for one 10 years duration, the République of Genoa does not yield its rights of sovereignty on the Corsica to the France, which is charged to manage and pacify the island. Nevertheless, Genoa, ruined, will be unable to refund in France the expenses caused by the pacification of the troops of Louis XV required in the last two articles “ separated and secret ” of the treaty.

Voltaire thus summarizes the transaction carried out: “ By this treaty, the kingdom of Corsica was not absolutely given to king de France, but it was supposed to belong to him, with the faculty reserved for the republic to return in this sovereignty by refunding to the king the immense expenses which it had made in favor of the republic. It was, indeed, to yield forever Corsica, because it was not probable that Génois were in state to repurchase it; and it was even less probable than, having repurchased it, they could preserve it against the Corsicans who had made oath die than living rather sounds the yoke of Genoa. ”

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