Britain's foreign relations formed a crucial component of the political nation during the eighteenth century. Foreign affairs were a key issue of state, and perceived failure within European power politics could cause the fall of government ministries. Britain's foreign relations with the main European powers, and especially France and Spain, have been extensively recorded. Britain's unique relationship with Corsica has been neglected. Corsica can appear to be insignificant compared to other European states. Many British writers, however, government officials, naval and military officers, considered Corsica to be of the highest importance within eighteenth-century foreign affairs. Corsica was especially important within the larger sphere of Anglo-French rivalry. Corsica was one of the few territories that was ruled by both nations during the eighteenth century. This thesis reveals that Britain's relations with Corsica were far more significant than has been previously realised. Britain's relations and interactions with Corsica remained relatively consistent throughout the period from 1728 up until 1796. The two main developments to occur between Britain and Corsica during the eighteenth century were, firstly, the ‘Corsican crisis' (1768-1769) and, secondly, the establishment of an Anglo-Corsican Kingdom (1794-1796). These are discussed in chapter 2 and chapter 4 of the thesis respectively. Both of these ‘events' have been studied as being separate from each other and as confined to their respective periods of time. This thesis aims to link and to compare these two key developments for the first time, and to show that the Corsican crisis directly influenced the Anglo-Corsican constitution in 1794.Corsica was the largest European territory to be ruled by Britain during the eighteenth century. The Anglo-Corsican Kingdom provides a unique insight into how Britain might rule conquered territories in Europe. The thesis charts and explains Britain's relations with Corsica against the background of the second hundred years war against France.

The Golo River in Corsica, France, is a short, steep river (~95 km, 2706 m relief) in the Western Mediterranean with formerly glaciated headwaters. The small size and location of the Golo River make this system ideal for observing the influence of climate and sea-level change on river dynamics over the 100,000 years. A rapidly advancing dating technique, optically stimulated luminescence, was utilized to determine the timing of these river deposits on the coastal plain in order to frame them in the context of previous glacial and interglacial episodes. Climate fluctuations in the headwaters supplied the vast majority of sediment into the system during glacial time periods, which was then transported and deposited near the mouth of the Golo River on the coastal Marana Plain. Sea- level also played a vital role in defining a geometric configuration that ultimately governed whether large amounts of sediment stored onshore or offshore. Analysis of the Golo River longitudinal profile and watershed reveals changes in steepness and gradient that are related to changes in rock type, fault movement and tectonically-driven base-level fall.

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Johannesburg, 2014. / Intermediate-depth earthquakes occur at depths of 60 – 300 km at these depths high confining pressure inhibits brittle failure from generating earthquakes. Fault-related pseudotachylytes from Corsica are exhumed paleofaults from a high pressure, low temperature subduction zone environment, and are considered analogues of intermediate-depth earthquakes. Hence, it is important to analyse the physico-chemical processes by which these pseudotachylytes form in order to gain primary insight into the controls of their formation and how this seemingly paradoxical process takes place. Up until the recent discovery of high pressure pseudotachylytes there was no known direct method of evaluating the formation mechanisms of intermediate-depth earthquakes. High pressure pseudotachylytes found in subduction complexes are regarded as relict paleo-earthquakes. Previous research aimed at understanding the generation of these phenomena and the role of fluids on their origin has been based on seismic, experimental and numerical modelling. The principal aims of this project were to carry out detailed geochemical, petrographic and microtextural analyses of such pseudotachylytes located in the Eocene Schistes Lustres Complex, Corsica, and to determine whether the data from natural samples corroborate current models. The pseudotachylytes in this study reside in peridotitic and metagabbroic lozenges enclosed within serpentinites. Pseudotachylytes are notoriously complex and messy, with compositions that vary widely over small distances (< 1 mm). For this reason the pseudotachylytes in this study were systematically analysed from the outcropscale to the micron-scale according to their wallrock type. From these data it was observed that greenschist and blueschist facies hydrous minerals present in the peridotite and metagabbro wallrocks were entrained into pseudotachylyte fault veins. Back scatter electron (BSE) imaging shows that these hydrous minerals underwent wholesale fusion in the melt. No evidence for prograde dehydration reactions was observed in the wallrocks or in association with the pseudotachylytes. Electron microprobe analyses (EPMA) of the bulk matrix of the pseudotachylytes revealed variable H2O content, 0 – 14 wt % in peridotite-pseudotachylytes and 0 – 4 wt % in metagabbro-hosted pseudotachylytes. The principal minerals that underwent fusion are: clinopyroxene, plagioclase, glaucophane, Mg-hornblende and actinolite (metagabbro- hosted) pseudotachylyte), and olivine, orthopyroxene clinopryroxene, chlorite, serpentine and tremolite (peridotite-hosted pseudotachylyte). The bulk of H2O entering the melt remained in solution until it reached supersaturation, upon which it exsolved to form fluid-rich, vesicular veins. Cuspate and lobate rims of microlites (omphacite, clinopyroxene, olivine and orthopyroxene) along the boundaries of hydrous veins indicate that the melt was still molten when the fluids exsolved. The presence of hydrous fluids in the melt appears to have enhanced the fracturing process. Fault veins hosted by peridotite that have the greatest H2O content are the thickest, have more chaotic injection networks and exhibit more cataclastic deformation features than the anhydrous fault veins observed. With regard to the mechanism of pseudotachylyte generation, it is clear that water present in hydrous minerals or entrapped in the crystal lattices of anhydrous minerals plays a fundamental role in facilitating intermediate-depth earthquakes through hydrolytic weakening. A melt richer in hydrous fluid also has a lower viscosity, facilitating fault slip. Dissolved H2O is also a flux and may enhance further melting of the wallrock, relative to an anhydrous pseudotachylyte vein. Sheared, kinked and twinned wallrock minerals and survivor clasts associated with the pseudotachylyte fault veins indicate crystal-plastic deformation. No significant grain size reduction was observed in proximity to fault veins. The grain size of wallrock minerals at fault vein boundaries ranges from 5 – 20 mm. From this it was inferred that the mechanism of deformation is controlled by power law creep, temperature and high strain rate. The presence of metastable high temperature crystallisation products in the pseudotachylyte such as hoppers and dendrites of olivine, orthopyroxene and diopside (in peridotite) and Al-rich omphacite and Fe-rich anorthite (in metagabbro), are suggestive of a short-lived high temperature event resulting from thermal instability. These high temperature mineral assemblages are overprinted by ones indicating a return to ambient conditions (lower temperatures, but still high pressures), namely, glaucophane, albite and epidote (in metagabbro) and clinochore, fine-grained granoblastic olivine, enstatite and diopside (in peridotite). The observations from this detailed study of natural samples suggest that intermediate-depth seismicity may be generated by a thermal runaway process.

Intense heat fluxes from the divertor incident on material surfaces represent a “bottleneck” problem for the next generation of tokamaks. Advanced divertors, such as the X-Divertor (XD) and Super X-Divertor (SXD), offer a magnetic solution to the heat flux problem by (a) increasing the plasma-wetted area via flux expansion at the targets, and (b) possibly opening regimes of stable, detached operation of the divertor via flux tube flaring, as quantified by the Divertor Index. The benefits of the XD and SXD are derived from their unique magnetic geometries, foregoing the need for excessive gas puffing or impurity injection to mitigate divertor heat fluxes. Using the CORSICA magnetic equilibrium code, XDs and SXDs appear feasible on current- and next-generation tokamaks, with no required changes to the tokamak hardware, and respecting coil conductor limits. Divertor heat and particle transport modeling is performed in SOLPS 5.1 for XD or SXD designs in NSTX-Upgrade, Alcator C-Mod, and CFNS/FNSF. Incident heat fluxes at the targets are kept well below 10 MW/m², even for narrow SOL widths in high-power scenarios. In C-Mod and CFNS, parallel temperature profiles imply the arrestment of the detachment front near the targets. Finally, an X-Divertor for ITER is presented. / text

La Corse abrite une grande diversité de zones humides soumises à des pressions et menaces d’origine anthropique qui n’ont cessé de croître et de se diversifier au cours de ces dernières décennies. La conservation de ces milieux à forte valeur patrimoniale et du peuplement d’odonates original qui s’y développe, représente aujourd’hui d’importants enjeux environnementaux et sociétaux afin de préserver les services écologiques essentiels rendus par ces éléments clefs des écosystèmes aquatiques et terrestres. Le projet de recherche appliquée développé dans le cadre de cette thèse s’est attaché à améliorer les connaissances disponibles sur les libellules de Corse, afin de proposer des mesures de conservation et de gestion concrètes en faveur de ce groupe et de ses principaux habitats naturels sur l’île. Dans cet objectif, la première partie de ces travaux s’est employée à combler les principales lacunes de connaissance identifiées par les études antérieures sur la situation des espèces, notamment en intensifiant l’effort de prospection consenti à l’échelle régionale. Les particularités, la répartition, les exigences et habitats écologiques de nombreuses libellules se développant en Corse ont pu être décrits avec précision. Les informations disponibles sur certains taxons à forte valeur patrimoniale ont particulièrement augmenté comme l’illustre la définition très complète de la situation éco-biogéographique de Chalcolestes parvidens. La deuxième partie de ces travaux s’est attachée à évaluer et comparer l’efficacité des principales méthodes d’échantillonnage couramment utilisées pour l’étude des populations d’odonates. Dans ce cadre, les nombreuses informations récoltées sur l’organisation spatiale et la dynamique des populations étudiées ont notamment été employées afin de proposer aux principaux gestionnaires d’espaces naturels de l’île (Conseils départementaux, PNRC, Communes…) des méthodes adaptées pour l’évaluation et le monitoring des espèces à fort enjeu de conservation, dont l’emblématique et menacé Lestes macrostigma.La troisième partie de ces travaux est consacrée au développement d’outils pour le suivi de la qualité des principaux habitats d’odonates. Elle a permis d’aboutir à l’élaboration d’un tout nouvel indice biologique adapté à l’évaluation de l’état écologique des rivières de Corse : « Odonata Community Index – Corsica » (OCIC). Cet outil innovant, basé sur l’étude du peuplement caractéristique des libellules des cours d’eau, s’est montré particulièrement performant lors de sa confrontation aux autres indices biologiques actuellement utilisés sur l’île. L’indice OCIC et le groupe des odonates apparaissent aujourd’hui clairement comme des solutions alternatives prometteuses, en vue d’améliorer l’efficacité du système d’évaluation de la qualité écologique des rivières de Corse, compte tenu des failles de représentativité mises en évidence par les expérimentations réalisées.La dernière partie de cette thèse, basée sur des évaluations patrimoniales et écologiques du peuplement insulaire d’odonates réalisées à l’aide des informations produites, se conclue par le développement de nouveaux dispositifs régionaux de conservation en lien avec les services de l’Etat : un Plan Régional d’Actions, une liste rouge d’espèces menacées ainsi qu’une liste actualisée d’espèces déterminantes pour les Zones Naturelles d’Intérêt Ecologique Faunistique et Floristique. Ces dispositifs permettront d’améliorer l’état de conservation des libellules de Corse et des principales zones humides qui les abritent.Au final, ces travaux de thèse qui ont permis de plus de tripler les données disponibles jusqu’alors sur les libellules de Corse, fourniront un nouveau cadre de développement pour l’odonatologie insulaire. / Corsica is home to a great diversity of wetland subject to anthropogenic pressures and threats which have continued to grow and diversify in recent decades. The conservation of these environments with high heritage value and of the original Odonata community that develops in it, today represents significant environmental and societal challenges in order to preserve essential ecological services provided by these key elements of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The applied research project developed as part of this thesis is focused on improving the knowledge available on the corsican dragonfly’s community, to propose concrete conservation and management measures for this group and its main insular natural habitats.In this objective, the first part of this work has sought to fill principal knowledge gaps identified by previous studies on the situation of listed species, including by greatly intensifying exploration effort at the regional level. The special features, distribution, habitat requirements and ecological of many dragonflies growing in Corsica have been described with great precision. The information available on some taxa with high heritage value increased as illustrated by the comprehensive definition of eco-bio-geographical situation of Chalcolestes parvidens.The second part of this work has sought to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of the main sampling methods commonly used for the study of dragonfly’s populations. In this context, the informations collected on the spatial organization and dynamics of the populations studied were especially used to propose appropriate methods for evaluation and monitoring the species to high conservation issue to main managers of natural areas of the island (County Councils, PNRC, municipalities ...), including the emblematic and threatened Lestes macrostigma.The third part of this work is devoted to the development of tools for monitoring the quality of the main Odonata habitats. It lead to the development of a new biological index adapted to assess the ecological status of corsican rivers: "Odonata Community Index - Corsica '(OCIC). This innovative tool, based on the study of characteristics of Odonata community of watercourses, was particularly effective during its confrontation with other biological indicators currently used on the island. The OCIC index today appear clearly as an alternative solution to improve the efficiency of the ecological quality assessment system of the Corsican rivers, given the representativeness vulnerabilities which have been highlighted by the tests performed.The final part of this thesis, based on heritage and environmental assessments of the insular dragonfly’s community made with all the information produced, ended with the development and the proposal of several regional conservation devices whose implementation is encouraged by the state services: a first regional actions plan, a first red list of threatened species and an updated list of species determinative for natural areas of ecological, flora and fauna interest. These important features are intended to contribute to improve the overall state of conservation of Corsican dragonflies and main wetlands that support them. They should enable the implementation of truly operational management actions and ensure better consideration of the main regional conservation and valuation issues identified.In the end, the thesis work that increased more than triple the previously available data on dragonflies of Corsica, will provide a new framework to developpe the isular odonatology.

La Corse est une île qui symbolise la résistance à la tyrannie. Son histoire est faite d'une succession de révolutions (1729-69) contre les occupations génoise et française dont les périodiques britanniques se sont fait l'écho. James Boswell (1740-95), lors de son Grand Tour (1763-66), rencontre le père de la nation corse, Pascal Paoli (1725-1807), à la tête des rebelles. Il devient le chantre de la liberté pour ceux qui sont, aux yeux de l'Europe éclairée, de braves insulaires. Il commence une campagne de presse effrénée afin de faire intervenir la Grande-Bretagne dans un conflit qui n'est pas le sien. Le volume d'essais que James Boswell a édité, n'a jamais été traduit. L'étude porte sur le texte de "British Essays" et sur son contexte. La traduction et l'appareil critique concernent les vingt essais qui composent le volume. La circulation des idées et des hommes facilitent l'intérêt pour les nouvelles venant de l'étranger dans une société britannique où l'histoire est un genre noble et où la presse se développe dans ces nouveaux lieux de sociabilité que sont les cafés. On s'y adonne à la conversation, art que chacun croit maîtriser et la politique est de tous les débats. / The island of Corsica has always been the symbol of resistance to tyranny.Its history was made up of a series of revolutions against the Genoese and French settlements which made the news in the British periodicals.James Boswell(1740-95), while on his Grand Tour(1763-66), met the father of the Corsican nation, Pascal Paoli( 1725-1807), at the head of the rebels.Boswell championed the cause of liberty on behalf of those who were regarded as brave islanders by the enlightened conscience of Europe.He started a frantic press campaign so that Great Britain would interfere in a conflict it did not want to enter. The volume of essays James Boswell published has never been translated. This study is concerned with both the text of *British Essays* and its context.The translation and the critical apparatus bear on the twenty essays which make up the volume. The circulation of ideas and men fuelled the interest in foreign news in the British society where history was a lofty genre and where the press flourished in coffee-houses, those new types of places of sociability. Patrons took pleasure in conversations, an art everyone thought they mastered and politics was on everyone's lips.

Thesis--Lyon. / Includes bibliographical references (p. ix-xiv).

Thesis--Lyon. / Includes bibliographical references (p. ix-xiv).

Deux écrivaines méridionales, insulaires et de même génération, Marie Susini et Maria Giacobbe, ont écrit à l’étranger au sujet de leur île : la Corse et la Sardaigne. Chaque auteure s’est réapproprié, par sa plume et son imaginaire exacerbé par l’éloignement, l’Ithaque natale qu’elle a quittée. L’étude des conditions de la genèse de l’écriture, ainsi que l’analyse des formes et des thématiques des écrits liées au fait de “revisiter” constamment l’île, constituent les enjeux principaux de cette recherche. Si le comparatisme poussera plus loin ses investigations, par des confrontations avec les critères de Margherita Marras et des comparaisons avec des textes d’autres auteurs insulaires et non insulaires, le questionnement concernant le parcours identitaire des écrivaines toutefois demeure. Qu’est-ce qu’un écrivain insulaire ? Qu’est-ce que l’écriture de l’île ? / Marie Susini and Maria Giacobbe, two female writers who were born in two islands of the Mediterranean - Corsica and Sardinia - and belonged to the same generation, have written about their native islands while they were abroad. Through her imagination exacerbated by the distance, each of them has recaptured her native Ithaca. The main object of this research is to study the genesis of their writing, the analysis of forms and themes connected to their constant interior “revisitation”. A comparative approach will further examine the text through the critical standards of Margherita Marras, and comparisons with the texts of other authors, whether they are insular or not. What is basically at stake is the question of identity: what is an insular writer? What does writing about an island consist in?

La Corse figure parmi les zones les plus criminogènes d'Europe alors que ceux qui y vivent, et les touristes qui la visitent, en parlent volontiers comme d'un paradis terrestre. Cette thèse tente d'interroger ce paradoxe en faisant appel aux concepts de la psychanalyse pour ouvrir de nouvelles pistes permettant d'éclairer autrement le phénomène de la violence insulaire dans un débat déjà largement ouvert par les spécialistes des sciences humaines et bien sûr les journalistes. En prenant appui sur la théorie du signifiant élaborée par Jacques Lacan nous analyserons le drapeau, cet emblème qui identifie une communauté à l'international et auxquels les membres de cette communauté s'identifient généralement. Deux versions historiques seront étudiées : celui à tête de Maure et celui à l'effigie de L'Immaculée Conception de la Vierge Marie qui lui succède pendant la révolution pour l'indépendance, en 1735. Cette confrontation permet de soutenir que, si la Corse ne parvient pas à passer de la horde à l'État, c'est en partie en lien avec les signifiants proposés aux insulaires par son héraldique lesquels ne favorisent pas la compréhension des lois exogamiques et donc les passages que constituent les complexes d'OEdipe et de castration. La définition du terrorisme comme « guerre psychologique » justifie le recours à la psychanalyse pour en détecter les ressorts à travers une thématique qu'elle connaît bien : la notion de limite et de franchissement des limites à l'oeuvre dans toutes les formes de terrorisme. / Corsica is one of the most crimogenic areas in Europe, even though the residents and visiting tourists refer to it as an earthly paradise. This dissertation attempts to examine this paradox by calling on concepts of psychoanalysis in order to explore new avenues that may be able to provide insight and otherwise shed light on the phenomenon of insular violence in a debate that is already largely open and discussed by social science specialists and, of course, journalists. Based on the theory of the Signifier, developed by Jacques Lacan, we will analyse the flag, the symbol which identifies a community to the rest of the world and to which members of this community generally identify themselves. Two historical versions will be studied: that of the Saracen's head and the effigy of the lmmaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin, which succeeded it during the revolution for independence in 1735. Such a confrontation enables the supposition that if Corsica is unable to pass from mob rule to State rule, this is partly in connection with the signifiers suggested to the islanders by their genealogy which does not encourage the understanding of exogamous laws and thus the routes leading to Oedipus and castration complexes. The definition of terrorism as "psychological war" justifies the use of psychoanalysis to discover its origins by means of a thematic which it is very familiar with: the notion of limits and transgressing limits.