The British Period is a very significant
era in Maltese history. World Wars and
Maltese Independence are the most historic
dates of the period. The British legacy
lives on in many aspects of daily life:
English is an official language of the
Islands; there are strong mutual trade
and tourism links to Britain; and you
can still see old-fashioned British letter
and phone boxes on the streets.
After assisting the Maltese to expel
the French, the British found themselves
sovereign of the Islands, but were at
first uncertain as to whether they should
retain the territory. The Treaty of
Amiens in 1802 established that Malta
would be passed back to the Order of
St. John, but some locals were not keen
to return to their former rulers and
requested to remain under British protection.
As it happened, the Peace of Amiens
was short lived and the Napoleonic wars
resumed. The British were thus committed
to defend Malta and would eventually
gain full sovereignty of the Maltese
Islands by the provisions of the Treaty
of Paris in 1814. From then on, Malta
became an important part of the British
Empire, a strategic stronghold in the
region and a stepping stone for Britain's
expansion to the East.
Through cycles of war and peace, Malta's
fortunes were inextricably linked to
those of Britain. This was never more
evident than during World War II when
the islands played a pivotal role in
the Mediterranean theatre of war.
The role of the Maltese Islands during
the First World War as a supply station
and as a base for the recovery of the
injured earned the Islands the title,'Nurse
of the Mediterranean'.
The bravery of the Maltese people during
the World War II was acknowledged by
King George V who awarded the whole
population of Malta his George Cross
for valour.
After the war, the movement for self-determination
grew stronger and finally Malta was
granted Independence on September 21st,
1964. British forces retained a presence
in Malta until March 31st 1979 when
their military bases on the island were
closed. The Islands became part of the
British Commonwealth.
