Guerriglia, controllo del territorio e potere in Corsica (1741-1755)

In the course of the 18th century, Corsica was a war theatre for almost forty years, from 1729 to 1768. In this war, various concepts intermingled and combined altogether: first, revolts, aimed to the redefinition of the power relations existing between Genoa and Corsica; second, civil war, fought between Corsican rebels and Corsican loyalists to Genoa; third, revolution, for the independence of Corsica. Throughout the war, a crucial phase took place between 1741 and 1755. This was the phase within which the primary political objectives were outlined: Genoese Corsica or independent Corsica. The conflict, therefore, took the form of a competition between Genoese and Corsicans to exert political power with complete legitimation. The centre of gravity of this competition was set on the administration of criminal justice, which both of the actors recognised as a source for power legitimacy. The conflict developed into an armed competition to control the territory and to administrate justice and, even more importantly, to prevent the adversary from exercising it. The operative instrument was guerrilla warfare. The guerrilla became, at the same time, an instrument to control the territory and to harm the enemy's ability to do so. Starting from their respective "sanctuaries" (for the Genoese, the cities along the coast and, for the rebels, the mountains of the interior) the two factions played a complicated game, whose centre of gravity was the construction of the consensus among the notables. The outlined framework is extremely fluid, both operationally and politically. The guerrillas exercised the functions of the security forces; the security forces exercised those of guerrillas. The notables, with their bands of guerrillas and militiamen, frequently changed sides, passing from the independentist to the loyalist and vice versa. The action of an external actor, France, made the picture even more complicated. France was allied with Genoa, but pursued its interests, intending to get its hands on Corsica. The French strategy consisted of helping the Genoese – not enough to win – and, at the same time, of winking at the independentists.