French invasion of Malta
The French invasion of Malta (Maltese: Invażjoni Franċiża ta' Malta, French: Débarquement Français à Malte) was the successful invasion of the islands of Malta and Gozo, then ruled by the Order of St. John, by the French First Republic led by Napoleon Bonaparte in June 1798 as part of the Mediterranean campaign of the French Revolutionary Wars.
| French invasion of Malta | |||||||||
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| Part of the Mediterranean campaign of 1798 | |||||||||
Engraving depicting Malta's capitulation to Napoleon | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| France |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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Napoleon Bonaparte Jean-Andoche Junot Louis Desaix Louis Baraguey d'Hilliers Claude-Henri Belgrand de Vaubois Jean Louis Ebénézer Reynier | Ferdinand von Hompesch | ||||||||
Egypt and Syria
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 as well as 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 it 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.