Editing Louis XV (section)

===France enlarged: Lorraine and Corsica===
The borders of France were enlarged for the last time before the Revolution by two additions; the Duchy of [[Lorraine]], ruled by the King's father-in-law, Stanislaus, reverted to France after his death, and was officially joined to the kingdom 27–28 March 1766. The acquisition of Corsica was more complicated. The island formally belonged to the [[Republic of Genoa]], but an independent [[Republic of Corsica]] had been proclaimed in 1755 by [[Pasquale Paoli]], and the rebels controlled most of the island. The Republic of Genoa did not have the military forces to conquer the island, and permitted Louis to send French troops to occupy the ports and major cities, to keep the island from falling into British hands. When the war ended, the island was formally granted to France by [[Treaty of Versailles (1768)|Treaty of Versailles]] on 19 May 1768. Louis sent the army to subdue the Corsican rebels; the army on the island eventually numbered twenty-seven thousand soldiers. In May 1769 the Corsican rebels were defeated at the [[Battle of Ponte Novu]], and Paoli took refuge in England. In 1770 the island formally became a Province of France.<ref>Bluche (2003), pp. 249.</ref>