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A turning point for the Maltese islands was when, in 1530, Hapsburg Emperor Charles V of Spain granted Malta to the Knights Hospitalers. An agreement was made by the grandmaster of the Order, Philippe Villiers de L'Isle-Adam to the Emperor, which included the defence of the ports of Tripoli from Ottoman fleets and, a falcon which was to be presented annually to the Emperor on All Saints day. The initial reaction of the Order to this offer was that of reluctance, considering the fact that the Maltese islands lacked natural resources accept for a harbour. To add insult to injury, the ports of Tripoli were difficult to defend because of their strategic position close to the Magreb. Initially, the Order of St. John were unwilling to make Malta their permanent home and little did they know that they were to remain on the islands. till 1798, when the then grandmaster Hompesch surrendered Malta to Napoleon’s fleet. It is believed that the Great Siege of 1565 and the Hospitaler’s loss of Tripoli in 1556, contributed to their stay on the islands. The building of Valletta, the new capital city of Malta, was initiated by grandmaster Jean Parisot de la Valette on the design of Francesco Lapparelli. It was completed in 1570, two years after the death of La Vallette which happened in 1568.
Napoleon seized control of Malta in 1798, which only lasted two years
and, were ousted by popular revolt by the Maltese with the help of a
British fleet. In 1800 the British remained in Malta and, it was decided
in the Treaty of Amien in 1802 that the islands were to be returned to
the Order. The Maltese protested about this decision and, it was in
1814, in the Treaty of Paris, that the Maltese acknowledged British
sovereignty. In 1921, Malta was granted self-government but, reverted to
a colonial regime in 1936. During World War II, Malta was heavily bombed
by the Germans and, was given the Goerge Cross for “heroism and
devotion” in 1942. In 1964 Malta gained independence within the
Commonwealth, and it became a republic in 1974. When its alliance with
Britain ended in 1979, Malta proclaimed its neutral status. In 2004 it
joined the European Union.
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