Great Britain and Malta, 1789-1798 : a lost opportunity?

Abstract

The object of this paper is to show that, during the 1790's the Order of St. John and Great Britain moved towards a very close relationship with each other. The negotiations proved abortive; in 1797 the Order reached an understanding with Paul I of Russia and a year later Napoleon expelled the Knights from Malta. After 1798, Britain's policy in the Mediterranean was dominated by a determination not to repeat her earlier mistake; it was essential to occupy or at least to neutralize the tiny, but strategically invaluable Maltese Islands. It is arguable that had Britain come to an agreement with the Order, the Knights' will to resist the French would have been much stronger and the capture of Malta that much more difficult. Napoleon might even have refused to risk assaulting the strongest fortifications in Europe.