The evolution of Anglo-Maltese relations before and during the Second World War (1936-1942)

Abstract

The aim of this dissertation is to determine the reason why the Maltese nation answered the call to serve King and Country and suffered the tribulations of war, all in service to an Empire which had largely prioritised the maintenance of the military base on Malta over the wellbeing of the islanders. At face value, the British administration did not provide stable employment unless a ship was in harbour for mending, nor did it acknowledge the Maltese as equals, despite the island nation being acknowledged as a European nation with a deeply rooted Christian background. In the social hierarchy, British service personnel outranked their colonial counterparts, particularly in the Royal Navy where no Maltese was ever admitted as an officer despite possessing the qualifications. In the face of this reality, the emerging Italian Fascist state began campaigning for a united Mediterranean under the guise of its leadership. The Maltese scene had been dominated by the Language Question which saw the pro-Italian faction command much influence in local politics, society, and culture. It was therefore able to make quite a bit of noise in criticising the imperialists for their lack of consideration towards the ancient Italo-Maltese culture. Until the 1930s, the British did not see this group of people as a significant threat for the military base on Malta, however, they did see them as a nuisance which prevented the smooth execution of imperial interests. The Italian invasion of Abyssinia facilitated a change of approach in British colonial policy for Malta. Mussolini’s increased ambition in Africa and the Mediterranean facilitated the need for a change which necessitated absolute loyalty from the Maltese side. To ensure this loyalty, the British appointed the diplomatic yet stern Charles Bonham-Carter to govern Malta. BonhamCarter was tasked with going ahead with the anglicisation of the Maltese population and the removal of Italian cultural penetration. In his efforts, he paved the way for the creation of a colonial nation loyal towards the British war effort. The initial section of this written work consists of an introductory which gives the reader the historical context in terms of the diplomatic situation of the Mediterranean during the 1930s as well as that of the working of the Colonial Office during the period. The international situation both in terms of diplomacy and the decreasing popularity of imperialism convinced the British to change up their game as to how colonial policy should be conducted. The first chapter explains the methodology used to tackle the question as to how anglicisation was achieved in the years before and during the Second World War, and how it impacted the British perception of the Maltese. It goes over the primary sources used on which the research was based, namely government documentation, newspapers, autobiographies, memoirs, diaries, and testimonies. It also discusses some of the main secondary sources which supported my research. A small section is dedicated to the importance of digitising archival material as part of the evolution of historical research. The second chapter goes over the state of Anglo-Maltese interaction and the British perception of his Maltese counterparts throughout the colonial period until the 1930s. In this chapter the reader will become aware of the seclusion which existed between the British personnel and local Maltese, despite the two having inter-linked existence on Malta. The third chapter brings the reader to the Bonham-Carter administration during which time new policies were implemented to suppress Italian cultural penetration. It also establishes the means through which anglicisation took place, primarily in terms of education, language, social activities, the ideal of monarchy and civic duty, journalism and propaganda, and public relations. The fourth chapter covers the interim between the British declaration of war on Germany and Italy’s entry into the war. This chapter cover anglicisation in terms of getting the Maltese in the home front mentality and getting the colonial population to support the war effort by taking part in voluntary schemes and obeying new regulations. The last chapter focuses on the Siege of Malta between 1940 and 1942 during which time the main challenge for the colonial authorities was to keep up Maltese morale. This chapter goes over how the Maltese contribution to the war effort facilitated a sort of self-inflicted anglicisation which came about as part of the home front mentality.