The first colonizers of Malta within historic times were the Phoenicians, who landed about 1500 B.C. and found structures of the Stone Age and fossils of the day when the archipelago linked Europe with Africa. From the Phoenicians, who by their migration to Malta became the first sailors of Europe, the Maltese have inherited their general appearance, personal characteristics, and basic language. The rule of the Phoenicians lasted until control fell to the Greeks in about 700 B.C.
Following the Greeks, the Carthaginians, Romans, and Arabs ruled successively in ancient times. During this period the most outstanding events of the archipelago, over which the Maltese linger with satisfaction, were the legendary shipwreck of St. Paul upon their shores in 58 A.D., the establishment of the Roman chief Publius as their first bishop, and the birth of Hannibal. It is said that the people were converted to Christianity at the time of the shipwreck of St. Paul.
In 1090 A.D., Roger the Norman, of Sicily, drove the Arabs from the islands and established Christian rule. This move pleased the Maltese, who had never liked the Arab type of government, although they were linked with the Arabs in language and culture. From this time until 1530, the islands were a feudal fief subject in turn to the Sicilian Crown, to the Norman Kings, to the German Emperors of the House of Suabian Hohenstaufen, and to the Crowns of Anjou, Aragon, and Castile, and as fiefs followed the fortunes of the Kingdom of Sicily. Each nationality made some contribution to the life of the islands, but in general many Phoenician characteristics remain.
The period of most sensational development in the turbulent history of Malta began in 1530 when Emperor Charles V of Sicily, in consideration of an annual payment of a falcon, deeded the three islands of the archipelago and Tripoli to the Order of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, commonly known as the Knights of Malta. This Order was first established in Jerusalem in 1099, after the capture of that city by the Crusaders, as a charitable brotherhood designed to ease the suffering of Christian pilgrims in the Holy Land. Pope Paschal II gave the order a charter dated 1113. When the Crusaders were driven from the Holy Land in 1291, the Knights, who by this time had combined the profession of arms with their charitable pursuits, migrated first to Acre, then to Cyprus, and then to Rhodes, where they remained until they were finally driven out by a superior Turkish force in 1522. The members were scattered among the various capitals of Europe. Ultimately they re-established themselves on Malta and began the authentic history of this island of less than 25,000 people. Until this time the activities of the island were largely a matter of conjecture.
Once settled in Malta the Knights, who came exclusively from the noble families of Europe and were divided into provincial chapters according to nationality, began a vigorous campaign of home development and military enterprise. Typical of the provincial chapters of the order were those representing Provence, Auvergne, France, Italy, Aragon, Catalonia, Navarre, England, and Castile. These provincial chapters were endowed and given military support, to a degree, by their homelands, because they were engaged in a humanitarian obligation and formed a last bulwark in the Mediterranean between the Moslems and Christians of Europe.
That the Knights contributed to humanitarian accomplishments there is no doubt, but the militant activities essential to domination in the Mediterranean eclipsed all their other endeavors. Their interests were restricted to military matters; few of them could read and write. As fighters, determined never to consider the number of an enemy, they had no superiors.
Profit from their piratical and marauding expeditions against sea-borne commerce and coastal cities was enormous. The wealth so accumulated was spent in the fortification and beautification of their surroundings as well as in the establishment of a luxurious mode of living.
The Knights were not always on the offensive. In fact the defense of Malta was constantly a paramount consideration. On the occasion of the siege of the island in 1565 by the Turks, one of the most heroic pages in history was written. A handful of Knights, under the Grand Master, La Vallette, defeated an overwhelming number of Turks after terrible carnage on both sides. Quarter was neither asked nor given by the contestants. In retaliation for the mutilation of Knights who were taken prisoner, the severed heads of Turkish prisoners were fired at the invaders from the guns of Fort St. Angelo. Half of the Turks were sacrificed on the walls of Fort St. Elmo. These forts, with modifications, guard the entrance to Grand Harbor today.
In the attempt to subdue the Knights, the Turks had thrown comparatively large forces into the battle. The Turkish forces consisted of 50 transports, 130 galleys, and 40,000 troops including reinforcements and 4,000 Janissaries. The fleet was commanded by Piali and the troops by Mustapha.
A tremendous price in blood was paid by the Knights in the repulsion of this siege and the defenses were tested to an extent which did not indicate security for the future. As a consequence, construction of the fortified city of Valletta was begun in 1566 on the site which the siege had demonstrated to La Vallette as the most strategic location for a system of defenses. Fortunately, the Knights were rich in slaves and treasure; the latter being largely supplied by their many ventures on land and sea. Gifts from the European capitals were also received. Vast moats and tunnels were hewn from the solid bedrock, and the rock so excavated was immediately utilized to raise superior fortifications and scarps. Built on a peninsula with excellent harbors on either side, the defenses today with modifications indicate strength of a bygone day and promise a strong defense in the future.
Grand Master La Vallette was the hero of the siege and the builder of Valletta, which was named in his honor. He was a great commander in chief of the galleys, a great fighter, a great churchman, a great pirate, and the true embodiment of a spirit of chivalry that was fast passing. The Maltese were proud to follow a leader of such genius and piety.
Though the construction of the fortifications was given primary importance, the Knights also built many ornate buildings, most of which remain today. Perhaps the most imposing of these structures is the Cathedral of St. John, the home church of the Knights. It typifies the period and contains the burial place of the Grand Masters as well as many works of art, including some very old Brussels tapestries which are hung on certain religious occasions. These tapestries, captured by pirates while en route to Malta, were finally redeemed by paying a ransom equal to the original cost. Many other buildings such as the Grand Palace and elaborate quarters for each provincial chapter were built. The one which housed the Castile chapter was the finest of all and now serves as military and naval headquarters, while the present Union Club was once the home of the Knights of Provence.
The prosperity increased and the standard of living improved as the Knights widened their prestige and influence. By 1653 they were able to purchase the West Indian islands of St. Kitts, St. Barthelmy, St. Martin, and St. Croix from King Louis of France. They held these islands for a few years before selling them to French merchants. Perhaps such prosperity was a factor in their downfall, for they lost sight of their fundamental charitable and military objectives through too much high living.
One of the most prosperous chapters of the Knights was the French one. With the outbreak of the French Revolution, a main source of income was lost to this chapter. The others lost their revenues soon thereafter. This led to a certain amount of dissension within the organization and promoted intrigue among the various chapters. Activities closely akin to those of the present-day Fifth Column gradually seeped into the organization. As an ultimate result, during the absence of the British Fleet from the Mediterranean, the gates and forts were opened to the soldiers of Napoleon. This most treasonable act was not popular with the Maltese, though these people were no longer admirers of the Knights.
Napoleon visited Malta on his way to Egypt and appropriated many relics for his personal collection. Plundering in general was carried out by the French, but most of the objects so collected were lost when the British sank the French ship L'Orient, in the Battle of the Nile. With the loss of this engagement Napoleon abandoned hope of making the Mediterranean a French lake; and the combination of a siege led by Nelson and a revolt on the part of the Maltese ended in the submission of the French troops. Although they had held out for two years, finally, in 1800, they surrendered themselves in the fortifications of Valletta.
With the collapse of the French a Maltese Congress ceded the islands to the British under the express conditions that their laws, privileges, and customs, whether civil or religious, be respected and upheld. A provision of the Treaty of Amiens stipulated that the British were to return the islands to the Knights of Malta. Such provision was not supported by the Maltese nor carried out by the British. The Treaty of Paris in 1814 provided for British control, and this change met with the approval of the people, who feared further misrule at the hands of the Knights. As an international organization, the Knights of Malta practically passed out of existence after the loss of Malta, though their coinage remained the legal tender of the islands until 1886. There are a few branches today which devote themselves to humanitarian interests.
The acquisition of Malta was of no minor importance to the British in their establishment of a life line of empire. Located midway between Gibraltar and Suez, it is a powerful key to the control of the Mediterranean and contributes materially to the maintenance of the route to India and the Far East. Military and naval activities center about Valletta, which is situated on a peninsula with excellent harbors on both sides. The main harbor, which is known as the Grand Harbor, is capable of accommodating a large fleet, while Mar- samusetto Harbor on the other side, though not a deep-water harbor, is of use to light craft. The harbors are well fortified, and the many historic buildings have been converted to the use of the military and naval forces.
In the town of Vittoriosa, across the Grand Harbor from Valletta, there is a dockyard, which is capable of caring for the needs of a modern fleet. Moored here in former times was The Great Galleon, the famous fighting ship of the Knights. This vessel carried 100 Knights, 500 fighting men, 100 seamen, and an armament consisting of 55 guns, which fired 60-pound balls. The residence of the commanding officer of the dockyard was formerly that of the Captain of the Galleys. Caves near by, which once served as the quarters of the Mohammedan slaves who rowed the galleys, are now naval storehouses.
There are indications today that the British have no idea of abandoning Malta without a struggle. In fact it seems obvious that a formidable defense would be offered if necessary. It is significant that one of the most thoroughgoing British colonial organizers was called out of retirement to organize the air raid defenses and to place the island in readiness for withstanding aircraft raids and possible siege. The stone forts and scarps will no doubt offer a degree of defense against aircraft, but it is not to be expected that the Mediterranean Fleet will be able to operate from the Grand Harbor as a unit so long as Italy is a positive threat. For moored ships there is a twofold danger of being bombed in a confined harbor and of being restricted by mine fields. In this connection it is interesting to note that on the day following the arrival of the Commander of Squadron 40-T to Valletta during the crisis of the spring of 1939, the Commander in Chief of the British Fleet found it necessary to depart with his ships on a cruise to the eastern Mediterranean. One cruiser was left behind to assist in the entertainment of the visitors; but, aside from this ship and certain craft undergoing repairs, the entire fleet was moved. The Commander in Chief at this time was Admiral Sir Dudley Pound, the present First Sea Lord. His fleet consisted of 3 battleships, 1 battle cruiser, 6 cruisers, an aircraft carrier, 4 destroyer flotillas, 1 submarine flotilla, and 1 motor torpedo-boat flotilla with an appropriate number of other light craft and auxiliaries. The battleships were of the Warspite class, which saw service in the Battle of Jutland. Admiral Pound flew his flag aboard the Warspite, the battleship used in the action at Narvik last spring.
Though the Navy is the chief link in the armed forces stationed at Malta, a few troops are normally garrisoned there, as well as an appropriate air force organization. These detachments have no doubt been greatly augmented since the outbreak of the war.
The connection of the Maltese people to the Italians is a misconception. The Maltese being basically of the original Phoenician stock, their corrupted language is a form of Phoenician dialect which can be readily understood by the Arabs. Since Italian was the court language of the island for an extended period, a great number of the streets bore Italian names. Maltese is now used as the court language and means are provided for translation into any language. Recently, street names have been changed into English names. The main street, formerly known as Strada Reale, is now Kingsway. Other names have been changed to ones typically English. In the past many students have studied in Italy. This has probably come about because of the proximity of the schools and because of the Maltese interest in the Vatican rather than because of nationality. Steps are being taken to draw the people more closely to the British through education and, recently, through a broadcast from London in the Maltese language.
To say that the Maltese are devoted to the British would be an exaggeration, because they have never entered into intimate social relations with the occupant people. Their families have not intermarried to any extensive degree with those of foreigners. Today marriage between the men of the British armed forces and the Maltese women is extremely rare. When the Knights came to the island, they found the people devout Catholics, their greatest allegiance being to the Vatican. In fact, when Garibaldi moved on Rome there was some talk of shifting the Holy See to Malta. Actually, the Maltese ask of their rulers about the same consideration today as in the past; that is, freedom of religion, which means so much in the life of the Maltese people, and a degree of freedom in government. With these conditions satisfied, they are favorable toward continued British administration. The British on their part have been satisfied with their occupation because they have received no interference from the easily governed Maltese that would tend to complicate the position of the island from a military and naval standpoint. By the Maltese, the occupation cannot be considered as other than beneficial to their welfare, since with the development and increase of naval power in the Mediterranean, prosperity in a relative degree has come to them. Whether the individual Maltese have benefited from this naval expansion is a moot question. At any rate if they have not enjoyed more comforts without danger of famine, they have had the satisfaction of creating more and bigger families. The birth rate and population have increased tremendously under British rule. There are about 266,000 Maltese at the present time with a population concentration of about 2,000 per square mile. The population increase is in direct proportion to the naval activity in the Mediterranean. In 1931 the population was slightly over 240,000. By 1937 it had reached nearly 265,000.
Though the Maltese have not joined the forces proper of their rulers, they have maintained their own troops to assist the powers. Under the Knights they often served to defend their island, and the Knights in turn conferred peerages, which established a Maltese nobility. Since these peerages have been recognized by the British, many Maltese bear them legally today. To augment the British forces a regiment of Maltese is maintained, which is known as the King’s Own Maltese Regiment.
Among the older Maltese women an interesting tradition is preserved. There is a legend that, as a reminder of the misdirected and undesired gallantry of Napoleon’s soldiers, they and their descendants should wear a distinctive “hood of shame,” known as a faldetta (a black cloak with a widely stretched hood), for a period of 100 years. It would probably be more correct to link the faldetta with the Arab domination. This garb was not designed for modern times. There is no room in auto buses for them and, since they restrict the view, a woman wearing one may find herself the victim of the hazards of Valletta traffic.
Although modern navies have relegated the Maltese to the tasks of dockyard workers and air-raid wardens, the people still reflect on their past glories on land and sea. Their history indicates that they once destroyed a squadron of the Republic of Pisa, and raised the siege of Syracuse. They also wrested the island of Crete from the Venetians by virtue of their destruction of a Turkish fleet. Thoroughly indoctrinated in the principles of military defense, they readily fit into the British picture.
With the fleet in port, Valletta is a beehive of activity. The many bars and honky-tonks are crowded with the bluejackets, marines, and soldiers to be found in any restricted port. With the fleet out of port, Valletta suggests a deserted city.
It is worth-while to review the background of Malta in order to understand present-day developments in the Mediterranean. Events are moving rapidly in that area, and it is obvious that Italy is taking advantage of the proximity of Malta to Sicily to carry out extensive bombing operations. Bombers from Sicily can reach Valletta in about 20 minutes. The future of Malta is therefore dependent upon the outcome of the operations taking place in the Central Mediterranean as well as in other strategic areas of that sea.
I do NOT know what is amiss with the Italian Navy. It is not in ships; it is not in officers . .. it is not in science . . . it is not in pluck and hard work; it is not in seamanship. . . . Yet there is something amiss, something that I can't help being conscious of. And the upshot of it all is, that if I had a heavy job on hand here, I would rather, even if I had a very inferior force of my own, attempt it without than with Italian help. —High Ranking British Naval Officer, 1892, as quoted in Clowes, The Millstone around the Neck of England.