Napoleon's Invasion of Malta 

I misspoke, and listed the date of the surrender of the french garrison as 1780. In fact, the surrender was in September of 1800. I apologize for the error.

This is why knowing history is important. The outcomes of even small events have repercussions for hundreds of years and shape the future.

Malta: Help Britain: Ummmm... Malta: It's against the French Britain: Hold my beer! ;-) I had the pleasure of visiting Malta a couple of years ago. It's an amazing island, and the natives are certainly friendly towards the English. Their flag features a George cross, awarded to the island in 1942 for their stubborn resistance against the Germans and Italians. The actual medal is proudly displayed in their war museum. A curious side effect of the cannon arms race can be seen along the sea front of Valletta, older, replaced cannon were set into the rocks muzzle down and now act as mooring posts. Not a totally uncommon practise at the time (there are some on the London docks), but Malta takes it to a whole new level! If you like your history I can thoroughly recommend the Islands. I would recommend early spring to visit unless you are happy with the heat. As an Englishman I was happy walking about in Feb in a T-shirt. The natives had coats on. I was told than summer gets above 40c (100f), which would have me spending the entire time inside caves or catacombs (of which there are many!).

Regarding the destruction of Napoleon's navy, if the Battle of Trafalgar hadn't happened, Nelson would still be remembered for the Battle of the Nile.

Malta is one of the best islands nations you can ever hope to visit. Rich history, many invasions and yet the people maintain their own identity.

I accompanied my wife to a medical conference in Malta some years ago where I heard this story, I have no idea if it is true but you may find it interesting. When the French expeditionary force to Egypt landed in Malta in 1798 it re-provisioned itself (by looting) and were exposed to an illness called "Malta Fever", it has been suggested that the French soldiers then took "Malta Fever" with them to Egypt. There has been a suspicion in some medical circles that "Malta Fever" was a contributory factor in the weakening of the Napoleonic Army in Egypt particularly during the of Siege of Alexandria in 1801 which was the final action of the campaign. "Malta Fever" is the old name for Brucellosis, a highly unpleasant bacteriological disease usually transmitted to humans through the consumption of contaminated meat or dairy products, the bacteria was endemic in the Maltese archipelago until the late 20th century (it has now been eradicated). Napoleon's expeditionary army may have unwittingly helped bring about its own demise by looting the island's dodgy milk and meat, perhaps the Maltese got their revenge in the end! :-) Has there been a History Guy short about how the whole population of Malta was awarded one of Britain's highest honours, The George Cross?

Malta was a key position during WW2 for the Allies to blockade supplies to Rommel in Africa. That little chunk of rock has been very important in world history.

My god, this was packed with information. Like trying to take a drink from an open fire hydrant !!!

So much history clearly explained in such a short time. I learned more in 15minutes than I did in many years of history classes!

WOW ! Just WOW ! How does this channel not have 25M subscribers? RU-vid needs to highlight this channel to show the value of their platform. Thank You History Guy.

I’m surprised that after years of watching your videos almost daily I can still dip in and find ones I have never watched before! You Sir, have made quite a few and I will watch and re-watch them for many years to come!

Been a fan of the History Guy for a while now and as an individual of Maltese descent I am truly delighted that you covered this story Malta is only a speck on the map but it's history has sent ripples right across the Mediterranean thanks History Guy!!

Great video. :) As stated, there were knights who supported the revolutionary cause, as well as Maltese. Not all Maltese were content with the administration of the Maltese archipelago under the Order of St John and hence some were inspired by the revolutionary spirit on mainland Europe, with some adopting a jacobin attitude, looking negatively on the Prince (the Grand Master) of Malta. Hence there were different and conflicting views in Malta. Interestingly, nowadays we have the word, ' ġakbin ', which comes from the word jacobin, and which refers to a person who does something behind your back (back-stab you) or speaks against you with others. Cheers, from a Maltese native. :)

Sometimes I'm convinced you record the openings after you've ground your coffee but are still waiting for it to finish brewing :P

my Granddad helped protect Malta in WW2 on a destroyer hms ledbury

Great video love this channel keep it up

It's amazing how how one event leads to a series of dominoes across continents.

Hey The History Guy, first of all, I enjoy your videos very much. And the way you present it really helps to understand en grasp the topic. During this video I noticed a golden cannon on a wooden mount right in front of your U-Boat model, I happen to own the same cannon and was hoping if you could find the time to tell me something about it. I would appreciate that tremendously. Thank you, and best of luck with the future content!

Being a member, once active, now more passive because of job reasons, of the german "Die Johanniter" or St.John's Ambulance I am proud of the history and deeds the first members stood for. As history goes there is always a crooked path that steps off the path of the founding members, but that is right for every human organization. Not everything the knights did was something to take pride in, but when it comes to helping the needy, treating the sick and wounded and provide help to the seeking, I am proud to be a member of this institution. Thank you for providing this short snippet of history. I am eager to learn more about the parts of history that tend to be omitted by curricula and books.

Malta my home countrey my families`s stories , small, forgotten,beautiful land and Napolian himself one of the bigges leaders and battle stratigest said that if we didnt meet of an agriment he wouldnt have had a chance of capturing this country. Never forgett malta and its stories.

Every morning History guy and cereal

Very interesting as I am a member of St John Ambulance ( providing emergency first aid) and we learn a bit about the Knights of St John and if I so chose I could becomes member of the Order of the Knights of St John which it’s main aim is providing a service to humanity.

thank you sir, for your eloquent and concise history lesson.

Thanks for starting my day off right History Guy!

This is a really good episode of your series! Plenty of pictures I had never seen before and an explanation of the importance of Malta and the Knights of St John and their modern legacy! Well presented and very informative. Thanks History Guy!

Amazing how seemingly unrelated areas of the world, and seemingly unrelated events, connect with one another. It reminds me of "the foot bone's connected to the leg bone" song.

Take a look at Forgotten Weapons video about Malta's fortifications. The largest black powder cannons still existing are something to see. Thanks Ian! I honestly can't choose between this(F.G.) or T.H.G.since I enjoy historic info, especially presented in this manner. I have some nitpicks with details but overall there are no others to come close to either of these scholars. Thanks for coming out with the best (in my opinion) presentations.

I live in Malta, come visit before it gets completely covered over with concrete

Always worth watching and always worth a thumbs up.

I have been to Malta and its amazing! Rich in history and rocks lol. They mostly survive on potato export, tourism and government subsidies. Most locals speak perfect English.

Interesting story about Malta and some of it's history. Also another point that Napoleon really made a mess of Europe while he was around. Thanks

Well thaat was worth every minute. Well done and many thanks.

I've been to Malta. Very interesting country filled with different histories.

That was fascinating. I'm no wartime history expert, but the first time I went to Malta, [doing environmental research] especially the capital Valletta, I quickly realised what a historic strategic position it had had in the Mediterranean. 👍

Wow, another great show ! You're the man H. G.

Did my senior English thesis on the Teutonic Knights. So much of what you dig up on these Orders is shrouded in mystery and legend we'll never know the whole story. I guess that's why Indiana Jones will remain one of my all time favorites. In researching history, we are all chasing some form of Grail. In some way it makes us feel, well, legendary 😉

Another great video historyguy! If you are still looking for new material you might want to consider the following: the turfschip of breda also known as the Dutch Trojan horse. Or maybe the Kettle war one of the shortest conflicts in european history.

my 8 x gggggggg grandmother was born Malta on a British Ship that ended up at Gaspe Bay at the head of the St. Lawrence River in Canada her son Mortimer Carter was the Viceroy of Gaspe Canada . please keep these great videos comming!!!

I love this channel so much.

Just wanted to say great job. I am really enjoying these shorts. It really reminds me of watching Pierre Burton on tv with my dad in the 70's. Well done.

I’m grateful that captain Darby survived the Battle of the Nile. Captain Darby sailed HMS Bellophon into Abikir bay behind Nelson and parked alongside the French flagship LeOrient. When LeOrient caught fire all officers had been killed or disabled and the ship was now being controlled by a 14? year old midshipman. He ordered the anchor cables cut and HMS Bellerophon escaped the explosion of LeOrient. Captain Darby survived his head wound and later bore children who of course bore children and two of these later descendants are my grandchildren! (The midshipman later became the first Governor General of Australia.)

I love history and your channel is excellent. Although I've read the biography of Diamond Jim Brady it would be nice for others to see a piece on him done. Not just because of his effect on the railroad industry but his gastronomical appetite would take 10 minutes minimum.

I remember hearing a story about how Nelson was being chased by 2 French frigates, (each one outclassed his own ship in literally every regard), when a sailor happened to fall overboard. he refused to leave the man behind, & ultimately dropped anchor. I don't wanna spoil the story, but The History Guy, it's a most riveting tale, & I'd love it if you could do an episode on this

You should really do the Great siege it's an amazing story that more people should hear of .

You score yet another hit. Best said, "Those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it."

I love your very concise detailed history of the events that took place on Malta and how they impacted the rest of the world thank you again.

Another great presentation... :-)

Thanks ...very , very interesting as usual.

Is this the best channel on you tube ? YES

In Australia the 'St John Ambulance' society is a huge provider of first aid training as well as providing volunteer first aid (first responders) personal at any large community event or natural disasters. A very well respected organisation.

On the topic of Malta,.the story of Operation Pedestal in WW2 involving an American tanker SS Ohio is a gripping yarn that may have been a turning point in that conflict.

Love your show the world needs more men and women teaching history wee can't learn from the future it hasn't happened yet. Thank you sir

I listened intently from Port Barton, Palawan, Philippines.

Mr H.G., you know I love all the naval subjects you do. Now that you have "touched" on Nelson, I was wondering if we could invite Ms.H.G. to a few comments(or her whole ordeal) on Lady Hamilton?

This really sows the seeds for more on the history of Malta and its' ever changing relationship with the UK.

The Maltese Cross of the order is worn today by all Firefighters who like the Knights are also medics,the knights in shining armor replaced by knights in the modern armor of bunker gear

Thank you for clarifying this bit of history up for me, it has long been a bit of confusion.

You should do a story about Sir Nicolas Winton. The man who saved 669 children just before the outbreak of the second world war. That is history worth remembering

I love history. It's shameful, arrogant and delicious. Never boring. Great channel.

Hi, great channel, im also a history buff with a degree in the subject. How about a quick video on Jimmy Stewart the actor but not for his screen roles but rather for his service in the American Air force?

I love history and your video came up in my recommendation and I've absolutely fallen in love with your channel. Thank you for bringing such insightful snippets of history. I believe in your ability and knowledge and hence would like to request you a video of the Nagas of Nagaland a small Northeastern statea of India as their history is almost forgotten. A brief insights comes from the Treaty of Yandaboo in 1886 where it all seems to have started. If you could make a video on it, I'll be so very greatful to you and I'm sure I'll learn a lot more.

The first half of this episode was certainly a flurry! Gonna have to re watch several times to gather the names and understand who is who.

The Knights of Malta weren't loafing around when Napolean arrived. They maintained a navy to fight the Barbary pirates.This menace revived during French Revolutionary Wars. The Maltese navy captured eight prizes between 1793 and 1798, almost as many as in the previous thirty years.

The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller) still exist and still administer to the needy in various places around the world. I know this because I was once one of the needy and they helped me. :-))

I just spent a fantastic 2 and half weeks in Malta being a complete history nerd. I highly recommended a visit... Tiny place but soooo much history. The Great siege of 1565 is a hell of a yarn and Malta was the most bombed place in the world in ww2.

The terms hospice and hospital come from the Latin word hospes which means guest and host simultaneously. The Knights Hospitler were originally to serve the purpose of caring for weary or wounded travelers.

You forgot to mention that, with the knights no longer holding the barbary powers in check, they had free reign to attack unprotected shipping, thus leading to the building of the Humphries frigates, and the foundations of the US Navy...

A fascinating look at the various connections Malta has in relatively recent world history. I had no idea of all the different tires to French, English, Russian, Middle Eastern, and even Indian subcontinent political actions.

I'm glad the History Guy noted Napoleon's desire to conquer India. Napoleon wanted to retrace the steps of his hero, Alexander the Great, and conquer all the Middle East and then India. The egomaniacal Napoleon thought the Indians new how to treat their great leader. After establishing himself as the new Maharaja of India, he believed the Indians would present him with a yearly tribute of his weight in precious gems. Napoleon's diamonds --- When things were not going well at the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon was the first to run away. He jumped into his jumped into his coach and sped away, only to get stuck in the mud. Napoleon then got onto a horse to flee from the Prussians and others, but he left behind a large number of diamonds. The Prussians recovered the diamonds, which were then incorporated into the Prussian Royal Crowns.

This is one of the History Guy's better efforts. I suggest a follow-up episode, telling the story of one of the offshoots: Saint John's Ambulance. For a quick overview, read the entry in Wikipedia for Saint John's Ambulance. They are a world-wide service organization, serving the sick and injured in every corner of the globe, and it would not have gotten started if the French had not dispossessed them of Malta.

I found this interesting as I have visited Malta and it is really so nice for Brits. It is like a Mediterranean version of Britain, I was there in December and the temoerature was 18-23 degrees Celcius. I came off the aircraft at Londn Heathrow to snow. If it had been under French influence during WW2 it would have fell to the Axis powers and would have been a great loss to the war in North Africa and the Med.

At 8:57 ....Nelson catches French in 1787 not 1878....otherwise good video

Thank you for everything you do!

Just watched this catching up with your videos...I may have missed this, but have you covered the rise of penicillin and other antibiotics thru the ages...in other words, what medications were used in the treatment of diseases, medical practices, military medicines, etc. thru history? I have seen the morphine usage in WW2 for wounded, was penicillin around then? Anyway, thanks for your series I am enjoying going WAY back and trying to catch up.

YES! Thank you! Do one one John Paul Jones? Super fascinating guy, incredible story.

An awesome plethora of historical events condensed expertly! Thank you for all the hard work.

France: "Nice island you have there Malta, be a shame if something happened to it." England: "Don't worry friends we have your back!" Russia: "That's not fair at all" England and France blows raspberries at Russia. Thanks HG, history is full of small but strategically located countries, glances over at Belgium.

I was a friend of Mary Pomeroy back in the days we lived on St. Croix.. She was claimed to be the last princess of the Knights of Malta.. and she had a famous history in her own right..

5 years in the future..... I learned more about Malta from this than from anywhere else, any time in my life.

You could do a video of the Northwest Rebellion in Saskatchewan

Love your videos! The Battle of the Nile at Alexandria took place on August 1st 1798, not 1878. I can't see nuttin' without my glasses either.

WOW ! So much information in such a brief 10-15 minute video. This one could have been a daily lecture for weeks. LOL

Love watching your stuff keeps it ups

You could do a series on the Napoleonic Wars. And preface with the French-Indian conflicts in the New World.

Great Channel as I said before! Could you do a video about the White Hurricane on the Great Lakes in 1913? It was one of the most devastating storms in US history and sank over a dozen ships on the Great Lakes. Thanks!

I enjoyed this vlog very much! Thanks

No surprise that the local Maltese army of ten thousand soldiers under General Vital is nowhere mentioned during this detail-packed video. It was the Maltese that finally defeated the French. Of course, Malta being so small, her heroes are never mentioned in the pages of history. In fact, in this war, which lasted 2 years, all that the British did was stay on their warships as they were under strict orders to remain with the royal fleet. The Maltese, alone, fought the war all the way and the British snatched victory in the final weeks when the besieged French were utterly beaten and ready to surrender. The same happened in other wars that took place in Malta that names of the local soldiers went unrecorded cos they were not significant enough for historical documentation. Take for example, the great siege of 1565, the year when the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire swore to bombard Malta into dust. To this day, the knights get all the glory during the four-month series of sieges, but forget not that the Order was composed of only about 500 knights against over 40,000 mixed troops! Without the 4000/5000 tough Maltese that fought on the walls the knight's resistance would have been impossible. However, regarding the so called-french blockade of 1798-1800 there are many documents and military roles on which are registered thousands of names of Maltese soldiers, a number of which formed part of the regiment of the Men of War, others in the local militia and yet others who served on the gallies of the Order in the barbary coast of Africa. The Maltese army during the war of 1798-1800 was comprised of twelve battalions numbering over 10,000 men. Besides these, Bonaparte took with him to Alexandria some 400 Maltese soldiers, (formerly part of the Order of Sanit John's army), and collectively called them the 'Legion Maltaise'.

Played as the knights in darthmod empire as a challange. It was the most fun ive had in that game took over the world with 3 years left to spare lmao XD

England kept all egyptian antiquities that 200 french scientists had collected for 2 years, but did nothing with them. Hieroglyphic scripture was indeed translated into modern languages by Champolion, a french scientist, who worked on a copy of the Rosetta stone that was brought back by french soldiers.

Awesome just what I needed!!!

Hello, Fantastic channel! I was wondering if you could do some videos about the 1st and 2nd Schleswig Wars and the Seven Weeks War of 1866? They are largely forgotten Now but had important implications for German unification later on.

Malta as a tiny island in the middle of the Mediterranean has a long and rich history that goes back to 500 BC more than 7 different rulers who took the island under their own siege to occupy the island as a strategic good position in the Mediterranean.

8:55 ERROR!! At 8:55, you said Nelson caught up with Napoleon's fleet in August, 1878

If you want an enthralling, indepth history of Napoleon's actual humiliation in Egypt, watch "Napoleon's Greatest Foe" by Lindybeige.

But one of several Chivalric Orders. Looking forward to more.

The Maltese Cross is the symbol that is used by the International Association off Professional Firefighters or thr IAFF in the U.S. and Canada. It is directly related bto the Knights of Malta.

I read that Napoleon took Malta because he heard that it was full of gold. He needed that gold to finance his campaigns. As for the printing press in Egypt, Napoleon had invaded Italy and precisely the Vatican, as the Vatican was the only place in Europe that had an Arabic printing machine. He needed it and took it to print "flyers" that would be given to the Egyptians, saying that he and his army are the liberators of Egypt and an end to the Mamluk terror.

I'm addicted to watching your well made history videos. Please do a video on the 1898 Wilmington, NC massacre. The "only coup d’état ever to take place on American soil." I lived in Wilmington for 10 years and walked by the history placard (Daily Record) describing the event everyday on my way to work. I have found it fascinating, tragic and not talked about enough. It was rumoured and sometimes talked about that some of the buildings and parks in town were named after some of the monsters who participated in it. I often wonder what could have been if it never happened because African Americans seemed to be intergrating into American society so well before it. I realize that the end of Reconstruction had a hand in the emboldened act of savagery. Very grateful for what you do. Thank you!

Did you say the Battle of the Nile was 1878 (8:55)? Actually 1-3 August 1798.

Whoops: the Battle of the Nile was not in 1878 as spoken around minute 15:20. Should be 1798. Thanks for great lessons.