French invasion of Malta
| French invasion of Malta | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Mediterranean campaign of 1798 | |||||||||
Engraving depicting Malta's capitulation to Napoleon | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
| France | Hospitaller Malta | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Ferdinand von Hompesch | |||||||||
The French First Republic led by Napoleon Bonaparte successfully invaded the islands of Malta and Gozo, then ruled by the Knights Hospitaller, in June 1798 as part of the Mediterranean campaign of the French Revolutionary Wars.
The initial landings were met with some resistance from both the Order and the Maltese militia, but in less than a day the French had taken control of the entire Maltese archipelago except for the well-fortified harbour area that included the capital Valletta. The Order had the means to withstand a siege, but a series of circumstances, including discontent among its own French members and the native Maltese population, led to a truce which ended with the capitulation of the Order.
The invasion therefore ended the 268-year-long Hospitaller rule in Malta, and resulted in the French occupation of Malta. A few months after the invasion, discontent due to reforms that were taking place led to an uprising, which evolved into a blockade of the French garrison by Maltese insurgents aided by the British, Neapolitans and Portuguese. The blockade lasted for two years, and ended with the French surrendering to the British in 1800, making Malta a protectorate and initiating 164 years of British rule.