The Transpadane Republic (Italian: Repubblica Transpadana) was a sister republic of France established in Milan from 1796 to 1797.

Transpadane Republic
Repubblica Transpadana (Italian)
1796–1797
Flag of Transpadane Republic
Northern Italy in 1796. The Duchy of Milan became the Transpadane Republic after the French occupation of 1796.
Northern Italy in 1796. The Duchy of Milan became the Transpadane Republic after the French occupation of 1796.
StatusSister Republic of France
CapitalMilan
GovernmentProvisional republic
Historical eraNapoleonic Era
10 May 1796
• Proclaimed by Napoleon
21 May 1796
29 June 1797
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Duchy of Milan
Cisalpine Republic

History

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On 10 May 1796, the French army defeated the Austrian troops in the Battle of Lodi, and occupied the Duchy of Milan. Napoleon set up a temporary authority, the General Administration of Lombardy, which replaced the Austrian administration and created a French client republic in Northern Italy, adopting the French Republican calendar.

The administration was granted full civil powers by a proclamation of Napoleon on Brumaire 8, year V (29 October 1796), although its orders had to be approved by the French military commander of Lombardy. The administration was composed of four departments: religious and cultural affairs, transportation and engineering affairs, financial and tax affairs, and mercantile and commercial affairs.

After the new victories of Napoleon's army, the territory of the republic grew; with the Peace of Leoben on 17 April 1797, France invaded the Republic of Venice, conquering Bergamo and moving eastwards from the Adda River to the Oglio River, the Venetian demarcation line established more than three centuries earlier. On 19 May, Napoleon transferred to Milan the territories of the former Duchy of Modena from the bordering Cispadane Republic. On 29 June, he decided to give the republic a final arrangement: by his own decree, he proclaimed the birth of the Cisalpine Republic.

Sources

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45°28′N 09°10′E / 45.467°N 9.167°E / 45.467; 9.167