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The Cispadane Republic (Italian: Repubblica Cispadana) was a short-lived republic located in Northern Italy, founded in 1796 with the protection of the French army, led by Napoleon Bonaparte. In the following year, it was merged into the Cisalpine Republic.
On 16 October 1796, a congress was held in Modena, formed by representatives from the provinces of Modena, Bologna, Ferrara and Reggio Emilia. The congress was unofficially organized by Napoleon, whose French army had swept through northern Italy earlier in the year, and needed to settle the situation in Italy and gather new troops for an offensive against Austria. The congress proclaimed that the four provinces had formed the Repubblica Cispadana, and invited other Italian populations to join them. A civic guard, composed by mounted hunters and artillery, was formed. In the 7 January 1797 session, in Reggio Emilia, the congress decided to form a government; the flag was a horizontal tricolour, with red (top), white and green stripes; in the middle, an emblem composed by a quiver, accolade to a war trophy, with four arrows that symbolized the four provinces forming the Republic, all within a crown of bay.
On 9 July, the Cispadane Republic combined with the Transpadane Republic to form the Cisalpine Republic.
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