Chapter 5

The Final Decades of the Twentieth Century

The second half of the twentieth century was a period distinguished by accelerated change on Corsica. The island that the French State had attempted to incorporate into the Republic by vigorous assimilation policies was becoming increasingly identified across France by its singularity in comparison with the rest of the European country. This identity had been shaped by centuries of experiences unique to the island and was maintained and accentuated by the regionalist movements during the twentieth century. A prime facet of this separate identity was the Corsican language which continued to be defended by language activists and regionalists who appreciated its value and significance as a marker of the historical differences between the islanders and the citizens of metropolitan France. As regionalism mutated into autonomism and then nationalism, the governance of Corsica posed political questions not encountered elsewhere in France.