Invasion of Corsica | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of the Ottoman-Habsburg wars and the Italian War of 1551–1559 | |||||||
![]() Historic map of Corsica by Piri Reis | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
![]() ![]() |
The Invasion of Corsica of 1553 occurred when French, Ottoman, and Corsican exile forces combined to capture the island of Corsica from the Republic of Genoa.[1]
The island had considerable strategic importance in the western Mediterranean, being at the heart of the Habsburg communication network and serving as a forced stopover for small boats sailing between Spain and Italy.[2]
The island had been administered since 1453 by the Genoese Bank of Saint George. The invasion of Corsica was accomplished for the benefit of France.[3]