United States of the Ionian Islands

The United States of the Ionian Islands (Greek: Ηνωμένον Κράτος των Ιονίων Νήσων, Italian: Stati Uniti delle Isole Ionie) was a former state and amical protectorate of the United Kingdom between 1815 and 1864. It is located in modern Greece, to whom it was ceded as a gift at the end of the protectorate.

History

Prior to the French Revolutionary Wars, the Ionian Islands had been part of the Republic of Venice. With the dissolution of that polity under the 1797 Treaty of Campo Formio, it was annexed into the French Republic. Between 1798 and 1799, the French were driven out by a joint Russo-Turkish force. The occupying forces founded the Septinsular Republic, which lasted from 1800 until 1807. The Ionian Islands were re-annexed by the French into the Illyrian Provinces, in which they remained until 1815.

The Congress of Vienna agreed to place the Ionian Islands under the exclusive protection of the United Kingdom. Despite British military administration, the Austrian Empire was guaranteed equal commercial status to the UK. The arrangement was solidifed with the ratification of the 'Maitland constitution' on 26 August 1817, which created a federation of the seven islands.

On 29 March 1864, the United Kingdom, Greece, France, and Russia signed the Treaty of London, pledging the transfer of sovereignty to Greece upon ratification. Thus, on 28 May, by proclamation of the Lord High Commissioner, the Ionian Islands were united with Greece.^[6]

States

As its name suggests, United States of the Ionian Islands was a federation. It included seven island states:

Government

The government was organised under the leadership of a Lord High Commissioner, appointed by the British monarch on the advice of the British government. In total, ten men served in this capacity, including William Gladstone as a Lord High Commissioner Extraordinary.

The Ionian Islands had a bicameral legislature, titled the 'Parliament of the United States of the Ionian Islands' and composed of the Legislative Assembly and the Senate.^[8]

See also

• Order of St Michael and St George, an extant British chivalrous order created in honour of the protectorate

Footnotes

References

• Constitution of the Ionian Islands. University of Kassel. Retrieved on 2006-07-21.de:Republik der Ionischen Inseln

fr:République des Sept-Îles pl:Republika Siedmiu Wysp

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