French occupation of Malta

The island of Malta was taken over by France from 1798 to 1800. In June 1798, Napoleon Bonaparte and his soldiers landed on Malta, and the Knights Hospitaller agreed to give up control of the island. During this time, the French brought some new ideas to Malta. They started a system where people could have a say in how things were run, gave everyone the chance to go to school for free, and said everyone should be allowed to share their ideas in writing.

The French also made big changes to old ways of life. They ended things like nobility, slavery, unfair land rules, and strict religious courts. One thing you can still see today is that many old buildings had their old signs removed by the French. However, the Maltese people did not like French rule. They fought back, pushing the French soldiers into the city of Valletta and the nearby forts. After being surrounded for over two years, the French finally gave up Malta because they were almost out of food.

French invasion of Malta

Further information: French invasion of Malta

In May 1798, a large French fleet left the port of Toulon with over 30,000 soldiers led by General Napoleon Bonaparte. Their goal was to travel to Egypt to expand French power and pressure Britain during the French Revolutionary Wars. The fleet stopped near Valletta on June 9, 1798. At that time, Malta was ruled by the Order of Saint John. The leader of the Order, Grandmaster Ferdinand von Hompesch zu Bolheim, refused to let all French ships enter the harbor.

When the Grandmaster refused, Bonaparte ordered his ships to attack Valletta. On June 11, French soldiers landed at several places around the island. Many French members of the Order left, and the remaining members could not stop the French. About 2,000 Maltese people fought for one day before moving back to Valletta after the city of Mdina was taken. Though Valletta could have held out longer, Bonaparte negotiated with the Grandmaster, who agreed to give up Malta in return for homes and payments in France. Bonaparte left 4,000 soldiers behind to guard the islands before sailing to Alexandria on June 19.

Reforms

During Napoleon's time in Malta, he introduced important changes based on the ideas of the French Revolution. These changes aimed to make life fairer and more open for everyone.

The people of Malta were treated equally under the law and seen as French citizens. The old noble class was removed, and slaves were freed. Freedom to speak and share ideas was allowed, though only one newspaper, the Journal de Malte, was published by the government. Political prisoners were released, and the Jewish community was allowed to build a synagogue.

The French took control of properties owned by a religious group and set up a new government to manage the islands. Malta was divided into areas called cantons and municipalities, each with its own leaders. Schools were planned for towns and villages, and some students were to study in France, though these plans were not carried out because French rule did not last long. The government's control over church properties led to some problems, which helped cause an uprising by the local people.

Maltese uprising

Main article: Siege of Malta (1798–1800)

The French quickly changed the rules in Malta, taking away important buildings and not paying workers. This made many people very unhappy. The French also took valuable items from churches to help pay for their travels, which upset the Maltese people even more because they were very religious.

On September 2, this anger turned into a big protest when people were selling church items. Soon after, thousands of local fighters pushed the French soldiers into the city of Valletta. The city was too strong to attack directly, so the locals built strong walls around it to try to force the French out.

Later, help came from Britain. In 1799, a British leader named Alexander Ball was put in charge of Malta. Finally, in September 1800, the French soldiers in Valletta gave up and left for France. Malta then became a place protected by Britain.

Gozo

Main article: Gozo (1798–1800)

In October 1798, British leaders talked to the French soldiers on the nearby island of Gozo. The French agreed to leave without fighting, and the British let the local people take control. The leader of Gozo became Saverio Cassar, and the island was its own small country under the rule of Ferdinand III of Sicily. This lasted until the British changed the leaders in 1801.

Economic Impact

The Massa Frumentaria was a special fund that brought in wheat and food for Malta. It was managed by local leaders and made money by letting people lend to it and earn interest.

When Napoleon took over Malta, the French took almost everything from this fund. They also took money from two other important funds that helped people in need and paid to free captives. Because of this, many people lost their money, and food became hard to find. The loss of these funds hurt many Maltese people for a long time.