So, Federico I will be remembered poorly, while only really being a somewhat dull hand-on-the-tiller steady-as-she-goes monarch?
He's like the Star Trek III: The Search for Spock of Corsican monarchsFollowing Corsica's royal George Washington would be hard enough, but it looks like Federico's caught between two peaks.
Please attend to the one rule:Eh, I think it depends on what Napoleon does and how he affects things. He could stay and attempt to make a Corsican empire or he could just as easily leave and go to France. He could just as easily be butterflied away but then you go down the slippery slope of how do you make a historical timeline if you remove people from history.
The Rule
There is but one commandment which I must insist upon in this thread: Thou Shalt Not Mention Napoleon.
Damn didn't realise. Sorry, have deleted itPlease attend to the one rule:
Damn didn't realise. Sorry, have deleted it
I really like this list, it's useful for reference, interesting and quite refreshing because normally when this thread talks about possible territorial growth for Corsica it's Corsica unifying Italy or getting involved in the scramble for Africa or at least uniting with Sardinia.He's like the Star Trek III: The Search for Spock of Corsican monarchs
It is fun to see him attempting to follow the Prussian model of building his reputation by (trying to) conquer new territory, even though he knows how badly it ended for Old Fritz.
All right, for fun, here's my outline of a maximalist Corsican Empire where pretty much everything goes right for them:
It'll be interesting to see how much of this territory ends up Corsican in the end, or if they make gains which are later reversed (easy to see Piombino proper fall to an Italian nationalist movement, for example).
- Corsica proper, including a liberated Bonifacio
- Capraia
- Pianosa (part of the dowry of the Prince of Piombino's eldest daughter to the Prince of Corti)
- Montecristo (claimed by Corsica, in dispute for a ludicrously long period of time considering it's a desolate rock)
- Elba and Piombino proper (inherited by the eldest daughter of the Prince of Piombino, personal union with Corsica until their son inherits everything)
- Tabarka (handed over by Britain in an "Ionian Islands" situation, eventually becomes the Ceuta or Melilla of Tunisia)
- and the Maddalena Islands (presumably Sardinia allows Corsica clear title to them as payment for something else - troops, perhaps?)
To be fair, Pianosa and Montecristo are not that helpful for Corsican nation-building. They don't have much in the way of resources, and are relatively difficult to reach. For example, Pianosa had a prison for most of the XIX and XX centuries, and Montecristo had a monastery, and as you point out was more or less a desolate rock. The Romans had some agriculture and quarrying on the islands, but it was mostly to support the villas on other, more comfortable islands.All right, for fun, here's my outline of a maximalist Corsican Empire where pretty much everything goes right for them:
- Pianosa (part of the dowry of the Prince of Piombino's eldest daughter to the Prince of Corti)
- Montecristo (claimed by Corsica, in dispute for a ludicrously long period of time considering it's a desolate rock)
Yeah. It would not be a good idea, but it might be one that occurs to someone - such as King Fred.Would probably be a bit concentration camp-y to exile an ethnic community of more then a few dozen to a "desolate rock" best known for being a prison.
I appreciate this TL as sort of an ode to little nations. Being a great power is overrated.I really like this list, it's useful for reference, interesting and quite refreshing because normally when this thread talks about possible territorial growth for Corsica it's Corsica unifying Italy or getting involved in the scramble for Africa or at least uniting with Sardinia.
Whereas your maximalist Corsican Empire is basically Corsica plus a bunch of barely inhabited rocks nearby. Enjoy the small scale of it.
The issue is, Corsica does not have very good relations with it's own Greek community. A large chunk of it is in the town currently still in Genoan hands for a reason. It is likely that these Greek shipwrights and seamen are aware of this and in all probability will choose a place where they are more welcomed by the populace, even if king Federico would want them.If Federico wants fighting ships on the cheap there might be a solution: In Ottoman Greece, the Orlov Revolt has just been quenched. Young Greek privateer Lambros Katsonis is left without a job. There might be an opportunity for him not to settle in Crimea, but to be given an opportunity to combat Barbary corsairs, something at which he was excellent. But from where Federico could find ships? The Ottomans have just destroyed the island of Spetses, an island famous for its naval tradition. Most of the surviving locals found refuge in the Peloponnese and returned after the war. If given an opportunity, I could see a couple of armed brigs escaping west to Corsica. In addition to this, there might be Maniots escaping west, as the revolution failed and the Peloponnese is being plundered. Maniots would fit rather nicely in Corsica: organized in clans, warlike and with blood feuds. They were also notorious pirates, usually operating galliots.
But how could Federico pay for Spetsiot armed brigs and armed golettas ? Well, I don't think he has to. These were armed merchantmen, used in peacetime for trade and their crews had extensive experience fighting Barbary corsairs. Moreover, a number of men had experience from the Ottoman Navy as they were regularly drafted to it. Their owners are merchants that pay for the ship in peacetime. I think if they found shelter and protection under Corsican flag, they could become the naval equivalent of militia.
There was also a connection between Corsica and Greek merchants: Livorno - the main port-of-call of greek merchantmen in west Mediterranean.
British Minorca is where greeks and jews often moved otl, they were 500 strong when the island was retaken by the spanish and they were deported. Jews will probably go to corsica instead in ttl but I imagine the greeks will still go to minorca. The british actively encouraged them moving there for the same reasons the genoans did in corsica originally.The issue is, Corsica does not have very good relations with it's own Greek community. A large chunk of it is in the town currently still in Genoan hands for a reason. It is likely that these Greek shipwrights and seamen are aware of this and in all probability will choose a place where they are more welcomed by the populace, even if king Federico would want them.
Thank you! As others have already said, a Corsica which "acquires" Italy or even Sardinia really isn't Corsica anymore. Even inheriting smaller principalities on the peninsula through the female line like Piombino would really only be useful to be traded away for more desired (and easily-defended) insular territories, or ceded in peace negotiations after the territory is inevitably overrun by France/Spain/Naples/Austria/Sardinia/Italy in exchange for not having to grant economic or military privileges.I really like this list, it's useful for reference, interesting and quite refreshing because normally when this thread talks about possible territorial growth for Corsica it's Corsica unifying Italy or getting involved in the scramble for Africa or at least uniting with Sardinia.
I'm wondering if you can actually see Corsica from all of its insular colonies (excepting Tabarka, of course). Elba's western coast looks just far enough away from preliminary glimpses on Google Street View that the mountains of Capo Corso cannot be seen there, but Elba and Pianosa are probably visible atop the mountains given the height advantage. Montecristo is definitely too far away, which feels more apt for a disputed territory.Whereas your maximalist Corsican Empire is basically Corsica plus a bunch of barely inhabited rocks nearby. Enjoy the small scale of it.
It's already been mentioned more than once by our illustrious author that Capraia's primary economic benefit to Corsica is its fisheries, so I'm sure that'll be true for Pianosa as well. Given that the island is uninhabited, I think the King of Corsica may attempt a deliberate colonization mission, creating a myth about how the hated "Saracens" exterminated the "proud Corsican defenders" from the island and that the Corsican nation-state is now reclaiming it. I'm not sure the 16th-century inhabitants of the island would have identified as "Corsican" even if they understood what being "Corsican" meant, but why let that get in the way of a revanchist myth? Just put a few shepherds or goatherds on the island (as has already been done in the Maddelenas), along with fishermen of course, and they won't even need to grow crops. If Pianosa is a success they might attempt the same with Montecristo later on.To be fair, Pianosa and Montecristo are not that helpful for Corsican nation-building. They don't have much in the way of resources, and are relatively difficult to reach. For example, Pianosa had a prison for most of the XIX and XX centuries, and Montecristo had a monastery, and as you point out was more or less a desolate rock. The Romans had some agriculture and quarrying on the islands, but it was mostly to support the villas on other, more comfortable islands.
They could be useful for prestige, and to claim control of sea routes and fishing grounds. They could be sold for cash.
I could definitely see something like this working.It's already been mentioned more than once by our illustrious author that Capraia's primary economic benefit to Corsica is its fisheries, so I'm sure that'll be true for Pianosa as well. Given that the island is uninhabited, I think the King of Corsica may attempt a deliberate colonization mission, creating a myth about how the hated "Saracens" exterminated the "proud Corsican defenders" from the island and that the Corsican nation-state is now reclaiming it. I'm not sure the 16th-century inhabitants of the island would have identified as "Corsican" even if they understood what being "Corsican" meant, but why let that get in the way of a revanchist myth? Just put a few shepherds or goatherds on the island (as has already been done in the Maddelenas), along with fishermen of course, and they won't even need to grow crops. If Pianosa is a success they might attempt the same with Montecristo later on.
I'm wondering if you can actually see Corsica from all of its insular colonies (excepting Tabarka, of course). Elba's western coast looks just far enough away from preliminary glimpses on Google Street View that the mountains of Capo Corso cannot be seen there, but Elba and Pianosa are probably visible atop the mountains given the height advantage. Montecristo is definitely too far away, which feels more apt for a disputed territory.
Carp, really interesting updates! Sorry for always harping about the Jews, but IMO that aspect has the biggest potential impact. Does Federico conscript Jews into the Corsican Provincial Infantry/Militia or do they pay an additional tax like the rest of Europe? If it's the former that would be yet another major step towards integration which would send shockwaves through Europe...though at this point, the continued existence of Theodore's Corsica has probably jumpstarted and altered the entire Jewish Enlightenment beyond recognition.