Corsican Republic

The Corsican Republic was a short-lived, unrecognized European state on the island of Corsica in the Mediterranean Sea, founded on November 18, 1755. Proclaimed by Pasquale Paoli, it sought independence from the Republic of Genoa. Paoli created the Corsican Constitution, the first written in Italian, which incorporated Enlightenment principles, including female suffrage. The republic established an administration, a justice system, and an army. It was dissolved on June 13, 1769, when the island was taken over by the Kingdom of France, which subsequently revoked female suffrage.