Corsican Crisis

[1]: 556  The ministers were young and largely inexperienced in foreign affairs,[1]: 555  and had accorded much more importance to events in Britain's Thirteen Colonies in America.

[1]: 567 In contrast to the government's lack of interest, news of the invasion sparked popular support in favour of the Corsicans.

James Boswell, a long-standing champion of the Corsicans, lobbied leading members of society and organised thirty cannons to be sent from the Carron Ironworks in Falkirk.

Great Britain in the 1760s was unable to build a system of alliances with other European states as it had done in the past, a problem that became acute during the Corsican crisis and the later American War of Independence.

France's invasion had been unpopular with Spain and Sardinia and, prodded into action by the public attacks on them, the British government began tentative negotiations to try to build a coalition of states that would oppose French annexation of the island.

[1]: 562  The other major powers of Europe took note of the British failure to act, and severe damage was done to Britain's international standing.

[2]: 127  This had the knock-on effect of discouraging the Russians from concluding a treaty of alliance with Britain, leaving the British without a major ally entering into the run-up to the American Revolutionary War.

A number of Corsican exiles served with British troops during the American War of Independence, and many made their home in Britain.