Ceded to the French Directory in 1797 with the Treaty of Campoformio, the Ionian islands underwent a first French domination, which ended in 1799; after a long period during which they became a Russian-Ottoman protectorate, they were occupied by France again, this time an empire, in 1807, after the Treaty of Tilsit. This double French occupation, divided over time, allows us to observe clearly the profound differences between revolution and empire, not only from a strategic-military point of view, but also as regards the administrative, social, economic and political management of this space itself. They are two tracks, two parallel and, at the same time, connected paths that must and can be analysed and find a synthesis. If, on the one hand, the two occupations have elements of strong discontinuity, it is also true, on the other hand, that there are important aspects of continuity, first of all the same strategic origin in Napoleon's mind. In 1797, it was he, in fact, who pointed out to the Directory the importance of the possession of the Ionian Islands for France; and it was he who, in 1807, asked for and obtained them from Tsar Alexander.
Cedute alla Francia del Direttorio nel 1797 con il trattato di Campoformio, le isole Ionie subirono una prima dominazione francese, conclusasi nel 1799 e, dopo una lunga parentesi in cui divennero un protettorato russo-ottomano, tornarono ad essere occupate dalla Francia, questa volta impero, a seguito del trattato di Tilsit del 1807. Questa duplice occupazione francese, divisa nel tempo, permette di osservare con tutta evidenza le differenze profonde tra rivoluzione e impero non solo dal punto di vista strategico-militare, ma anche per quanto riguarda la gestione amministrativa, sociale, economica e politica dello spazio stesso. Sono due binari, due percorsi paralleli e allo stesso tempo connessi che devono e possono essere analizzati e trovare una sintesi. Se da un lato, infatti, le due occupazioni presentano elementi di forte discontinuità, è anche vero che non mancano forme importanti di continuità, prima tra tutte la medesima radice strategica nelle idee di Napoleone. È lui, infatti, nel 1797, a rimarcare al Direttorio l’importanza per la Francia del possesso delle Ionie ed è lui, nel 1807, a chiederle e ottenerle dallo zar Alessandro.
Tra rivoluzione e impero: Corfù e le isole Ionie tra Campoformio e Lipsia
D'Onofrio A
2021-01-01
Abstract
Ceded to the French Directory in 1797 with the Treaty of Campoformio, the Ionian islands underwent a first French domination, which ended in 1799; after a long period during which they became a Russian-Ottoman protectorate, they were occupied by France again, this time an empire, in 1807, after the Treaty of Tilsit. This double French occupation, divided over time, allows us to observe clearly the profound differences between revolution and empire, not only from a strategic-military point of view, but also as regards the administrative, social, economic and political management of this space itself. They are two tracks, two parallel and, at the same time, connected paths that must and can be analysed and find a synthesis. If, on the one hand, the two occupations have elements of strong discontinuity, it is also true, on the other hand, that there are important aspects of continuity, first of all the same strategic origin in Napoleon's mind. In 1797, it was he, in fact, who pointed out to the Directory the importance of the possession of the Ionian Islands for France; and it was he who, in 1807, asked for and obtained them from Tsar Alexander.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.