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The Republic of Provence was first established by the British Government as a foothold in Southern France after their victory at the Battle of Toulon. However, settlement did not go as expected, as the locals refused to have the king stay and instead accepted retired admiral and war hero, Francois-Joseph Paul de Grasse as First Duke of Provence. Too bothered with the wars ongoing, Britain accepted and started militarising the new state, which effectively cut off France from Italy and Northern Africa. However, the British had to soon realise that they could not conquer all of France, and with the Peace of Avignon, had to sign a truce. However, the Duchy of Provence, thanks to the geography of the region, had managed to stay strong, and the British had managed to make the french directory recognize the Duchy.
This would however be a source of embarassment for the French Directory, who fell to Napoleon. Under Napoleon, France tried to invade Provence several times, but wasn't able to shake off the thorn in their boot. It was during these times that Provence, with British help, seized Sardinia, Genoa and Liguria in order to further protect the coast and solidify their positions. Provence managed to remain neutral during the Napoleonic Wars, despite British pleas to intervene, as De Grasse's policy of neutrality to better strengthen the nation was put into place. This policy also infuriated Napoleon, who couldn't meddle in Italian affairs, apart from the First Italian Campaign, and was too scared of a British attack through Provence to attack Spain. For several years, Provence therefore became a giant naval base for Britain, until the 1848 European Revolutions came.
In 1848, a wave of revolutions swept through Europe, bringing the time of absolute monarchies to an end. It was no different in Provence, as the Republicans toppled the Duchy, who was anyways not very keen on keeping power. The new Republic kicked out the British forces from Provence and moved towards reconciliacion with Napoleonic France, who shifted towards a constitutional monarchy.
Provence therefore started to colonise sparses of Africa, with colonies in Tunisia, Libya and Mauritania. Some of those colonies would remain under Provencal rule until the present day. These include Carthage and Port-de-Grasse. Provence also moved towards the industrial revolution as a mediator between European powers, mediating the Germano-French treaty of friendship and the establisment of the Austro-Hungarian nations after the Civil War of 1930 During these times, Provence did not go unmolested however. In 1915, the Italian Unification Wars began, and Piedmont invaded Provence. However, the Provencaux were able to defeat Piedmont and end Italian Unification before it even began.
During the World War, Provence remained neutral at first, but had to join the Allies to protect its interests in Africa and on the continent as Piedmont attacked the small country once more. With the Allies winning the war, Provence sat at the table of the victors, and became one of the founding members of the European Trade Union along with France, Northern Germany, Bavaria, Flanders and Catalunya,
Today, the Republic of Provence is one of the richest nations in Europe, mainly due to its light restrictions on taxes and its many tourist destinations. The country enjoys friendly relations with most European nations, barring maybe Turkey and Spain in recent years.

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