How the Maltese Watched the Knights Surrender to Napoleon
In June 1798, the Mediterranean stage was set for a dramatic power shift that would end 268 years of Hospitaller rule on the Maltese archipelago. The relationship between the Maltese people and the Knights of St. John in the days leading up to the French takeover was not one of unified resistance, but rather one of deep-seated distrust, simmering resentment, and ultimately, stunned disappointment.
A Kingdom Divided
Contrary to the image of a united front against the French invasion, the social and political landscape of Malta in 1798 was fractured. The Order of St. John, once a formidable maritime power, had fallen into a state of decline exacerbated by the French Revolution, which had seized their assets in France. The Knights, predominantly French aristocrats, ruled with an “aristocratic style of government” that bred resentment among the native population.
The relationship between the Knights and the Maltese was characterized by a strict social hierarchy that excluded locals from power. No Maltese was allowed to become a Knight of St. John—a deliberate policy to prevent the formation of a native faction within the Order. Instead, the clergy had become the natural leaders of the people, serving as their voice against a government that was increasingly seen as foreign and out-of-touch.
When Napoleon Bonaparte’s fleet of over 30,000 men arrived off Valletta on 9 June 1798, this internal weakness became immediately apparent. Grand Master Ferdinand von Hompesch, who had only been elected a year prior, refused Napoleon’s request for his entire convoy to enter the harbor for supplies, citing Malta’s neutrality. But when the French launched amphibious operations across the island, the Knights’ resistance crumbled rapidly.
Betrayal from Within
The French invasion succeeded not merely due to Napoleon’s military genius, but because of active collaboration from within. “Many Maltese nobles and a few of the
The Knights themselves had actively supported the French invasion”. The French Knights, living up to their nationality, deserted the Order in droves and made their escape instantly.
This betrayal was the culmination of years of decay. The Order had lost most of their revenue during the French Revolution, and the remaining Knights—many elderly and financially strained—lacked the will to defend their stronghold. Grand Master Hompesch, seeing no path to victory, negotiated a surrender with Napoleon, exchanging the islands and all their resources “for a secure retirement in France”.
The Knights who deserted to Napoleon weren’t just traitors to the Order; many had secretly corresponded with Revolutionary France for years. Hompesch, a German, was deeply suspicious of his own French brethren but could do little to stop them.
These Knights betrayed the Maltese militia that they were duty bound to lead. Approximately 2,000 men had actually attempted to resist the French invasion for about 24 hours, retreating to Valletta only after Mdina fell. Their efforts were in vain as General Vaubois was already in the city. They had not been informed that 24 hours earlier Hompesch had signed the capitulation But their efforts When they discovered that their Grand Master had surrendered despite Valletta’s formidable defenses being strong enough to hold out, the fury of betrayal boiled over.
The People’s Verdict
The initial Maltese reaction to the French arrival was not one of immediate hostility. In fact, Napoleon and his troops were “initially welcomed” by the Maltese. However, this welcome was “prompted more by a growing dislike of the incumbent rulers, the Order of St. John, than by any real affection for the revolutionary ideals of France”.
The Knights’ dishonorable capitulation confirmed what the Maltese had long suspected: their rulers were ineffective, self-interested, and ultimately unworthy of loyalty. The Order’s tenure on the island had met an “ignominious end”. Within the walls of Valletta, as rumors spread of the island’s surrender, chaos erupted.
From Acquiescence to Rebellion
The story, however, does not end with the French takeover. The Maltese quickly discovered that they had traded one set of masters for another—and arguably worse—ones. The French rapidly dismantled the institutions of the Knights and the Catholic Church, imposing radical reforms that were “excessive in the eyes of the locals who were still largely dominated by two institutions—the aristocracy and the Church”.
Though they initially welcomed the French as liberators, the Maltese quickly proved that their loyalty was not to any foreign master—whether Knight or Emperor—but to their faith and their traditional way of life. The uprising of September 1798 demonstrated that while the Maltes might accept a change of rulers, they would fiercely resist any attack on their identity. The Knights had lost Malta not because Napoleon was unbeatable, but because they had long since lost the trust and loyalty of the people they claimed to protect.
Maybe the real tragedy is Valletta’s fortifications built to defend the island. When the French arrived they were still fully intact and well-garrisoned. The city could have withstood a long siege. Hompesch surrendered not because he had to, but because he lost his nerve. Many historians believe that had he held out for even a week, Napoleon—urgently needing to reach Egypt before the British—might have sailed on.
An Enduring Legacy
The Knights of St. John had ruled Malta for 268 years, surviving the Great Siege of 1565 and building some of the most formidable fortifications in Europe. Yet, in June 1798, their rule ended not with a heroic last stand, but with a whimper of negotiation and self-preservation. The Maltese people, excluded from power and increasingly resentful of their foreign rulers, watched without tears as the Knights surrendered
Agoraios
Key References
Primary & Secondary Historical Sources
Hardman. W. (19090 A History of Malta during the Period of the French and British Occupations, 1798–1815. London: Longmans, Green & Co..
Bonnici. A (1975) The French Occupation of Malta (1798–1800) Melita Historica, Vol. 6, No. 4 pp. 336–367.
Frendo. H. (2019) Malta: A Millennium of History. Malta: Publishers Enterprises Group (PEG) Ltd.,
Gregory. D (1996). Malta, Britain, and the European Powers, 1793–1815. Madison, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press.
Cremona. J. (1998) The French Occupation of Malta: 1798–1800. Malta: Midsea Books.
“The French in Malta: 1798–1800.” Malta Uncovered. Available at: https://www.maltauncovered.com/malta-history/french-in-malta/
Knights of Malta Official Website. The Surrender of the Knights of St. John to Napoleon. Historical Archives. Available at: https://www.orderofmalta.int/history.
Historical Section. “The Maltese Uprising of 1798.” Times of Malta –Available at: https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/the-maltese-uprising-of-1798. (Archived)
