Corsica needed legitimacy to gain recognition from other European states. In Early Modern Europe, one way of achieving legitimacy and status was by having a king, ideally from a well-recognized dynasty with marital ties to the larger powers. Corsica never drew the interest of any of Europe's great dynasties, but it did have a brief and farcical flirtation with monarchy.
In March of 1736, the Bey of Tunis recognized Corsica and helped German noble adventurer Theodore von Neuhoff reach the island. Neuhoff somehow convinced the Corsican notables to declare him king, despite his obscure background and sudden appearance. As king, Theodore created a Corsican court, elevating rebel leaders to nobility, issuing coins, and giving Corsica a semblance of order, although the island remained divided and poor. However, Genoa had called in its powerful French ally, whom Theodore could not defeat. The king left Corsica to find help in November.
Theodore travelled to the Netherlands, where he was tossed into debtor's prison in Amsterdam. After his release, he returned to Corsica with a contingent of Dutch troops and some loans. These men, however, balked at fighting the powerful French army and deserted. Neuhoff later courted Britain but was promptly tossed into a debtors' prison in London. Sir Walter Besant records that he mortgaged Corsica (which he did not own) as collateral, but never reclaimed his throne. Corsica's leaders would have to fight on their own. As a result of his failure, however, several Corsican leaders, including Giacinto Paoli, went into exile under French orders.
