When the French occupied Corfu the local people, fired by the ideals of the French Revolution, had visions of their own independence and of an end to the days of the nobility. The 'Libro d'Oro' was burned and emblems of Venetian rule were destroyed, but the authoritarian policy which the French in turn imposed soon antagonised the people of the island.
In 1799 Russia and Turkey, concerned about French territorial expansion, formed an alliance and took Corfu. A year later, on March 21st 1800, Corfu and the other Ionian islands joined to create the independent Septinsular Republic, but this was dissolved when, in 1807, Corfu was again ceded to France under Napoleon, a situation which lasted until 1814. By then the Ionian Academy and the Library had been established and the local economy had improved.
Corfu finds Ionian identity
In the beginning: Corfu was not always an island
The Corinthians: A powerful Corfu is creating
The Athenians: They base their power on Corfiots
The Romans: Corfu becomes the first resort
The Byzantines: Βuilding the modern identity of Corfu
The Angevins: The puzzle is complete
The Venetians: Four centuries of Venetian rule were to determine the character of the island.
The British Influence: Cricket and beer
The Unification: So, here we are