Cisalpine Republic

Cisalpine Republic, former state of northern Italy, formed on July 9, 1797, by the French emperor Napoleon I as a satellite state of revolutionary France. It replaced the older Cispadane and Transpadane republics. The name Cisalpine was taken from the ancient Roman term for the region on the Italian side of the Alps. It had an area of more than 41,000 sq km (16,000 sq mi) on both sides of the Po River with Milan as the seat of government. The republic maintained an army of French troops.

In 1802 the Cisalpine Republic became the Italian Republic, with Napoleon as president. In 1805 the Italian Republic became the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy, with Napoleon as the head of state. In 1815, following his final defeat, the kingdom was ceded to Austria.