zesamofdepast
Banned
Following the Napoleonic Wars and the Congress of Vienna, the Republic of Genoa was incorporated into Sardinia-Piedmont. What if it remained independent?
The biggest impact is, by inference, on European politics. What has happened, to change the OTL focus on French containment?
Genoa itself would be poorer on the long term, as it greatly benefitted from being the main port of the industrial North (the so-called Triangolo industriale).
If S-P still unifies Italy, then not much changes. After all, they now have plenty of ports to replace Nizza.
Actually genoa had a great decline as power because Spain never paid it's debts toward the republic and was going bankrupt (the american gold wasn't enought anymore), this debt was so huge that the crown gave even panama as payment(until the original city was destroyed by Henry Morgan). When the congress of Wien was held this was one of the main reasons why the republic was shut down sincethe bank itself would not exist anymore and by extension the spanish debt.
A recreated republic would probably have back corsica because the island was taken from the country until genoa did not pay his debt (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Versailles_(1768)) which at the time was impossible...
Also the republic would istantly search the english alliance for protection by giving better economic deals since Genoa was (and still is)one of the most important ports in the mediterranean sea.
the only difference would be probably the goverment somehow less republic, it was an oligarchy but with some class mobility so maybe just limited to nobility with no chance for the new enriched to join.
Yeah they gave up corsica but the treaty itself said that if genoese had the money they could take back the island, also in OTL England demanded to sp to decrease and reopen the genoese trade since it was an essential trade node.They gave up Corsica because they had no chance of retaking it, like, at all. The UK is not interested in essentially reconquering it for Genoa, either - they would rather try and prop up an independent ruler or outright annex it as they attempted OTL. Nor do they care about Genoese ports on the Med, when they are obtaining plenty of ports of their own (Malta, Gibraltar, the Ionian Islands).
By 1800, the Genoan state was very derelict, it just happened to be incorporated in S-P before most other Italian states did.
Almost all Republics (And all the big ones.) were removed after Vienna, so Genoa as a Republican state (Even if oligarchic.) is very unlikely to survive.
Probably it can become a Duchy, but this opens the problem of a ruler (Bourbon? Unlikely. Hapsburg? Impossible 'cause this would make them too powerful. Savoia? It's basically begging for an annexation.).
I don't think an independent Genoa (And so a more fragmented Northern Italy and a weaker Sardinia) would be possible post Vienna.
It is basically asking for another war between France and Austria or for Austrian domination of Northern Italy.
For the sake of the WI let's say Genoa stays free and gets a local as Duke.
It's an alt-1848: il Re Tentenna invades Genoa taking advantage of the possible riots there. Most of the Republic falls quickly (Few cities resist, but they are forced to surrender later.).
I'm not very sure about all this Corsica back to Genoa thing: why should anyone want it?if we keep the wi of genoa with a duke( not impossible, in '500 Andrea D'oria had the chance to become one) it would be a local noble, and to make sure the new duchy is able to be a shield against france it would form a union with corsica( treaty of versailles 1768 decleared null) also the savoiards have never been able to conquer the region alone, as i stated before Genoa had a city wall of 13 km( 20 with the sea walls) and managed to resist to a 35k bersaglieri in 1849 with a small garrison, now imagine a city with a fleet giving supplies and a full garrison.
basically if we make it with the WI, no italian unfication under savoy rule
the corsican until today still are desiring autonomy but lets say the war happens, do you really think genoa would not have any ally? it's one of the most important ports of the mediterranean sea a trade deal with any nation is enough to bee protected ( england? spain? )I'm not very sure about all this Corsica back to Genoa thing: why should anyone want it?
• Corsicans wanted independence.
• Genoa would have to face permanent guerrilla in the interior.
• Having only Corsica wouldn't make Genoa strong enough to resist France or Austria.
It's an alt-1848: Savoy invades Liguria, big cities like Genoa resist supplied by the fleet, Corsican rebels take advantage of the situation and break free from the Duchy, after a long siege a breach is open in the city's walls. The end.
Piedmont-Sardinia's only coast is going to be in Nice. Unless a western part of Genoa (Imperia?) is ceded to Piedmont-Sardinia as well, this would be troublesome for Turin.
If Piedmont-Sardinia isn't getting Genoa, what is it getting instead? Corsica seems like the most likely option.
the corsican until today still are desiring autonomy but lets say the war happens, do you really think genoa would not have any ally? it's one of the most important ports of the mediterranean sea a trade deal with any nation is enough to bee protected ( england? spain? )
but let's keep going with a war with a Genoa purely innocent that trusts it's historical rival to not attack her; Savoy wasn't able to conquer the city in centuries even with help of the french army (1626) when the "mura nuove" weren't yet built up so what makes you possibly think that they could be able to win this siege while keep occupying the whole region? if such a war would start genoa may realese corsica as indipendet but nothing more, savoy wasn't able to win the war alone.