The Russo-Ottoman siege of Corfu begins.
The Russo-Ottoman siege of Corfu in 1798–1799 was a significant military engagement during the French Revolutionary Wars, marking the combined effort of the Russian and Ottoman empires to expel the French from the Ionian Islands. Following Napoleon’s conquest of Venice in 1797, the Ionian Islands, including Corfu, passed under French control. The French presence in the eastern Mediterranean alarmed both Russia and the Ottoman Empire—traditional rivals who now shared a common interest in curbing French expansion. Under the command of Admiral Fyodor Ushakov, a Russian fleet allied with Ottoman forces launched a campaign across the Ionian Sea, systematically capturing the smaller islands before focusing their efforts on Corfu, the most heavily fortified French stronghold.
The siege began in late 1798 and lasted into March 1799. Corfu’s defenses were formidable, consisting of powerful Venetian-built fortifications and a well-equipped French garrison. Ushakov’s fleet, supported by Ottoman ships and troops, established a naval blockade, cutting off supplies and reinforcements to the island. The combined forces landed troops to besiege the coastal forts and bombard key positions. Despite the French defenders’ tenacity, the allied fleet’s naval superiority and the continuous bombardment weakened morale and defensive capabilities. The turning point came when the allied forces stormed the Vido and Lazaretto islands guarding the main harbor, paving the way for a direct assault on the fortress of Corfu itself.
By March 3, 1799, the French garrison surrendered, marking a decisive victory for the Russo-Ottoman alliance. The fall of Corfu not only expelled the French from the Ionian Islands but also demonstrated the growing influence of the Russian navy in the Mediterranean under Ushakov’s leadership. This victory allowed Russia to establish a naval base in the region, strengthening its position in southeastern Europe. The operation was also one of the rare examples of close military cooperation between the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire, two powers that had often been adversaries in previous centuries.
The aftermath of the siege led to the creation of the Septinsular Republic, a semi-autonomous state under joint Russo-Ottoman protection, which governed the Ionian Islands until 1807. This new political entity represented a compromise between imperial interests and local autonomy, reflecting the shifting balance of power in the post-Venetian Mediterranean. The siege of Corfu thus marked both a strategic and symbolic moment—Russia’s emergence as a Mediterranean power and the temporary alliance of two great empires against the revolutionary tide of France.