The Forgotten Island Britain Once Ruled

In the summer of 1794, Horatio Nelson lost the sight in his right eye on a small Mediterranean island. That island was the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte. And for two years — it was British.
This is the story of the Anglo-Corsican Kingdom 1794-1796.

Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life.

Get my Free weekly newsletter
https://www.thehistorychap.com/Newsletter


WAYS YOU CAN SUPPORT MY CHANNEL

1)Become A Patron
https://www.thehistorychap.com/Supporters-club
or
2)Join My YouTube membership
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyTGpFsD0AJkQ6KSCW8d_Ug/join
or
3) Make a one-off donation
https://buymeacoffee.com/thehistorychap

In the summer of 1794, Horatio Nelson lost the sight in his right eye on a small Mediterranean island. That island was the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte. And for two years — it was British.

This is the forgotten story of the Anglo-Corsican Kingdom — a remarkable two-year experiment in which Corsica became part of the British dominions under King George III.

It is a story of Corsican nationalists, Royal Navy gun crews fighting ashore, a young Napoleon fleeing for his life, and a constitution more progressive than anything in Britain at the time.

At its heart is Pasquale Paoli — the Corsican founding father who inspired Voltaire and James Boswell, who declared independence from France thirty years before the French Revolution, and who gambled everything on a British alliance.

And it is the story of Horatio Nelson — who fought at Bastia, who lost his sight at Calvi, and who would return to these waters four years later to destroy the French fleet at the Battle of the Nile.

The Anglo-Corsican Kingdom lasted two years and four months. Its legacy is hidden in plain sight — in the Martello towers that dot the British coastline, in a famous poem most of us learned at school, and in the long shadow cast by a Corsican artillery officer who had very good reason to hate the British.

Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:33 Corsican Republic
1:40 French Invasion of Corsica 1769
2:15 French Revolution
2:48 Napoleon and Corsica
4:12 Siege of Toulon 1793
6:15 British Battles on Corsica
7:21 Nelson Loses His Eye
8:19 British Corsica
9:25 A Unique Colony
10:38 Growing Tensions
12:16 End of Empire
13:38 Aftermath
15:17 Legact

#britishhistory #militaryhistory #britishempire #napoleonicwars

Follow me at:
https://www.thehistorychap.com
Podcast: https://www.thehistorychappodcast.com
Facebook:https://bit.ly/37IUfkH
https://www.youtube.com/c/TheHistoryChap

My name is Chris Green and I love to share stories from British history. Not just because they are interesting but because, good or bad, they have shaped the world we live in today.

History should not be stuffy or a long list of dates or kings & queens.
So rather than lectures or Youtube animations, I tell stories that bring the past to life.

My aim is to be chat as if I were having a coffee or meal with you. Jean in Maryland, USA recently wrote: "Chris, is the history teacher I wish I had at school!"

Just for the record, I do have a history degree in Medieval & Modern history from the University of Birmingham and am a member of the Royal Historical Society.
I am also a member of the Victorian Military Society, the Anglo Zulu War Society and the Military Historical Society.

Disclaimer: All opinions and comments expressed in the 'Comments' section do not reflect the opinions of Chris Green Communication Ltd t/a The History Chap. All opinions and comments should contribute to the dialogue. Chris Green Communication Ltd does not condone written attacks, insults, racism, sexism, extremism, or otherwise questionable comments or material in the 'Comments' section, and reserves the right to delete any comment violating this rule or to block any poster from the channel.

The History Chap is a trading name of Chris Green Communication Ltd, a company registered in England & Wales (Co No: 05025587)