The French revolution, encouraged by the Enlightenment gained popularity also in Malta. On the 11th day of June, 1798, the French army led by the formidable General Napoleon Bonaparte took hold of the Maltese Islands. In a few hours, the French troops had swept over Malta.
The Knights of Saint John, who in the preceding century had defeated their Turkish enemy, were now spiritless, exhausted, overwhelmed, and offered no resistance to the French force. For this and other reasons, the Knights surrendered immediately and on the 17th of June Grandmaster Hompesch was compelled to leave the island.
Napoleon Bonaparte, conqueror of the Knights, entered the City of Valletta with triumphant pomp, arriving at the Banca Giuratale in the Grandmaster’s own carriage. He thereupon embarked on a series of reforms in the administration of the island.General Vaubois was assigned the military command of Malta. After only 7 days, Napoleon left the island.
Even though Napoleon Bonaparte’s stay in Malta was short-lived, he
single-handedly tried to draw the country away from its medieval
moorings and pave the way forward to cement its place into the modern
era.
He issued a series of decrees, aiming to bring about a thorough
reorganisation of the government and society in Malta, and tirelessly
sought to review the country’s laws and regulations. He tried to rid the
stagnation of Malta under the influence of the Knights of St John, whom
he felt had outstayed their welcome, and strived hard to make the
country on a par with other influential countries at the time.
The abolition of noble titles and privileges and the removal of slavery
were the first things Napoleon implemented. He later ordered the
expulsion of the Inquisitor and voiced his surprise that fundamental
subjects such as astronomy, physics and maths were, by the time of his
arrival, still not being taught at the University of Malta.
He was against adhering to any forms of tradition, superstition and
other dogmas, which characterised society at the time, and was a
different type of leader in the sense that he was not a warrior or a
rebel, but more of an intellectual strategist and philosopher when
commanding the fleet.
On Saturday the 14th of July the French in Malta celebrated Liberty Day, marking the day with a great feast at Palace Square. As part of these celebrations, Maltese nobles were ordered to publicly burn all documents relating to their nobility, since their significance was now worthless to the French. As a matter of fact, Napoleon implemented drastic reforms as he ended the Inquisition, the use of judicial torture, and privilege based on birth.
Shortly after arriving, he showed his chivalry and didn’t ask for the
island to be surrendered, but asked for a convention. In the end, both
he and the Church in Malta felt that the Knights of St John were no
longer keeping abreast with the times, but unfortunately he did not have
much time to exercise his authority,” added Mr Sammut, who added that
the French leader had also campaigned for the release of political
prisoners like Mikiel Anton Vassalli, who had first suggested that
Maltese should form part of the government, something which was
completely unheard of at the time, and whom Napoleon classified as being
“the most ingenious prisoner that ever lived.
But the French quickly fell out of favour with the Maltese because they stripped the churches of relics, paintings, gold, and silver. Napoleon wanted to ship the riches of Malta to finance his campaigns in Egypt.
Furthermore, the French refused to pay the Knights' debts and pensions to the islanders. This has increased interest rates, created new taxes, altered leases, and caused the loss of jobs. The Maltese became angry with the new regime's religious insensitivity and economic exploitation.
The Maltese were enraged and, as a matter of fact, by early August some writings against the new occupiers had already appeared in the Cottonera region. The French officer Luis Masson was murdered by the Maltese in the 2nd September when French soldiers attempted to sell precious objects stolen from Rabat and Mdina churches. When the news traveled to Valletta, the French were alarmed and barricaded themselves inside the city together with some Maltese who just happened to be there. This was the start of the Blockade that went on for two whole years.
An uprising was planned for 11th January 1799 by Dun Mikiel Xerri, Gilliermu Lorenzi and a few other Maltese men. On his way from the Manoel Theatre after an evening commemorating the French victory at Sardegna, Lieutenant Roussel heard some noises coming from the quarantine-storerooms. This led to the discovery of the conspiracy and the subsequent arrest and execution of Dun Mikiel Xerri and his accomplices at Palace Square.
Terribly incensed, the Maltese sought the help of Great Britain and Portugal, both great military powers at the time. Assistance finally came and the French, only two years after their arrival, were expelled from Malta. On the 4th September 1800, another exciting chapter in the history of these islands was closed.
