French Takeover of the Ionian Islands

In June 1797, French troops sent by Napoleon Bonaparte landed on Corfu and occupied the Ionian Islands, which had belonged to the Republic of Venice until its collapse a month earlier. Many islanders, especially among the middle classes and ordinary people, welcomed the French, who brought the revolutionary ideas of liberty, equality and fraternity. The French abolished the privileges of the Venetian nobility, burned the Golden Book listing the noble families, planted liberty trees, and introduced new local governments. The Greek language gained status alongside Italian in public life. The Treaty of Campo Formio in October 1797 confirmed French possession of the islands, and Napoleon valued them as a strategic base in the eastern Mediterranean. French rule was brief, however. Heavy taxes, requisitions and disrespect toward the Orthodox Church soon caused resentment. In 1798, Russia and the Ottoman Empire, usually rivals, formed an alliance against France and sent a joint fleet. The French garrison on Corfu surrendered in March 1799 after a siege. The islands later returned to French control between 1807 and 1814.