French rule in the Ionian Islands blockade of the islands. In October 1809, British forces easily took Zakynthos, Cephalonia, Ithaca, and Kythira, followed by Lefkada in April 1810. Only Corfu, Parga, and Paxoi held out, amidst a deteriorating supply situation, until the 1814 and the resignation of Napoleon. The Islands passed under British control, and were formed into the United States of the Ionian Islands. French rule in the Ionian Islands The French rule in the Ionian Islands ( "Gallokratía ton Eptaníson") lasted from June 1797 to March 1799. Following the Fall of the Republic of Venice in May 1797, the Ionian Islands, a Venetian possession,
Ionian Islands Ionian Islands The Ionian Islands (Modern Greek: , ; Ancient Greek, Katharevousa: , ; ) are a group of islands in Greece. They are traditionally called the Heptanese, i.e. "the Seven Islands" (, "Heptanēsa" or , "Heptanēsos"; ), but the group includes many smaller islands as well as the seven principal ones. As a distinct historic region they date to the centuries-long Venetian rule, which preserved them from becoming part of the Ottoman Empire, and created a distinct cultural identity with many Italian influences. The Ionian Islands became part of the modern Greek state in 1864. Administratively today they belong