Roman Republic (18th century)

Roman Republic
Repubblica Romana
Client state of France
1798–1799
Flag of the Roman Republic, with the black stripe instead of the blue one of the flag of France.
Departments of the Roman Republic in 1798.
Capital		Rome
Languages		Italian
Government		Directorial republic
Directory
•	1798–99	Roman Directory
Legislature		Legislative Council
Historical era		French Revolutionary Wars
•	French invasion	15 February 1798
•	Neapolitan invasion	30 September 1799
Currency		Roman scudo, Roman baiocco
Preceded by Succeeded by Papal States Anconine Republic Tiberina Republic Papal States
Today part of		Italy   Vatican City

Flag of the Roman Republic, with the black stripe instead of the blue one of the flag of France.

The Roman Republic (Italian: Repubblica Romana) was proclaimed on 15 February 1798 after Louis Alexandre Berthier, a general of Napoleon, had invaded the city of Rome on 10 February. The Roman Republic was a client republic under the French Directory composed of territory conquered from the Papal States. Pope Pius VI was exiled to France and died there in 1799. It immediately took the control of the other two former-papal revolutionary administrations, the Tiberina Republic and the Anconine Republic. The Roman Republic was short-lived, as the Papal States were restored in October 1799.

Napoleon's campaign on the Italian peninsula from 1796 to 1797 was one of the reasons for his elevation to supreme commander of the French Army during the Wars of the Republic. After the creation of the First Coalition (Holy Roman Empire, Britain, Prussia, Spain, Naples, etc.) in 1792, Napoleon Bonaparte intended to take the fight to the coalition in Northern Italy to force the Austrians to the negotiating table via an invasion of Piedmont. At the same time he intended to reinforce the French Army of Italy, which was outnumbered by Austria and the Italian States. This invasion of the Italian Peninsula was also a diversion since, according to the First Coalition, the main offensive was expected in the Rhine River. Rome, under the rule of the Papal States, was part of the First Coalition, along with many other Italian states.