This treaty transferred Corsica from Genoese to French sovereignty, shaping Mediterranean geopolitics and making Napoleon Bonaparte a French subject by birth.
Key Facts
- Treaty signed
- 15 May 1768
- Genoese rule of Corsica began
- 1284
- Corsican Republic founded
- 1755, under Pasquale Paoli
- French conquest began
- September 1768
- Full French control established
- 1769, after Battle of Ponte Novu
- Capraia island returned to Genoa
- Per treaty terms, previously held by Corsican Republic
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Genoa had ruled Corsica since 1284, but by the 18th century the island was in open revolt. A Corsican Republic was established under Pasquale Paoli in 1755, and Genoa, weakened and in financial decline, was unable to suppress the independence movement. In 1764, Genoa requested French military assistance, deepening its dependence on France.
On 15 May 1768, the Republic of Genoa and France signed the Treaty of Versailles at Versailles, in which Genoa ceded Corsica to France as a pledge against its unpayable debts. The treaty also stipulated that France would restore the neighboring island of Capraia, previously occupied by the Corsican Republic, to Genoese possession.
France launched its conquest of Corsica in September 1768 and secured full military control following the Battle of Ponte Novu in 1769. Until the French Revolution, Corsica was treated as the personal possession of the French king, ending Genoese rule and extinguishing Corsican independence under Paoli.
Political Outcome
Genoa ceded sovereignty over Corsica to France in exchange for debt relief; France gained full control of the island by 1769.
Corsica under nominal Genoese rule, with active Corsican Republic under Pasquale Paoli
Corsica under French sovereignty, treated as personal possession of the French king