The Dispatch that Ushered the Winds of Change

It all starts with Mikiel Anton Vassalli, author of the first Maltese dictionary, and considered to be the father of the Maltese language. Vassalli at the time was in Rome living in the same house as the exiled Maltese Jacobin lawyer Elia Pace. Vassalli soon escaped from Rome, fearing for his life. His dictionary was printed in so much haste that no index was ever printed as the tricolor was seen advancing towards the bastions of St Peter. When Vassalli arrived in Malta, he found an island in fear. Soldiers who sang the Ça Ira were arrested, a lady who wore a tricolor head band was exiled. Vassalli himself was embroiled in a coup d’état, arrested and imprisoned for life. In France, these rumblings about Malta were duly noted. Vassalli was provided help to escape from Ricasoli and found himself in Paris. The capital of liberty was awash with plans to destroy the British Empire — invasion of Britain and Ireland was on the agenda.

In Malta, families with close ties to France sent money for this great enterprise. Napoleon would dream of this initiative for years. Still a general, Bonaparte calculated his risk and he knew that the invasion of Britain was close to impossible. Thus, he turned his gaze eastwards: destroy British ambitions in the east by capturing Egypt, a plan that had captured the imagination of France for many years. France was being led by great generals: Kleber, Bonaparte and Desaix. They all inspired their troops to achieve the impossible.

Most believed theirs to be a sacred mission. ‘No king should reign if man was to be free’ exclaimed a Sicilian Captain in Malta in 1790. General Bonaparte, along with Barras (whose sibling was a knight of Malta), believed that the solution to their problem and their next mission was the conquest of the Orient: capturing Egypt, civilizing its people and liberating them from Ottoman rule. In the shadow of the pyramids, the new republic would re-ignite a long lost glorious civilization. On paper, it was a plan to inspire the masses. In reality, it was a logistical nightmare.

General Bonaparte electrified all those he met and now needed to rally his troops to follow him on his new adventure. He wrote: ‘You have made war in the mountains, on the plains and have besieged cities; you have yet to make war on the seas’. He was comparing the army of Egypt with the Roman legions that had fought at Carthage. A huge army was assembled to be transported on the largest fleet Europe had ever seen since Lepanto, 1571. Soldiers, engineers and military personnel prepared for the great operation, and General Bonaparte added to the list a number of scientists, artists and philosophers. His was a scientific mission as well. Among them was the future director of the Louvre, Bertholet, and Monge. His new found friends from the Italian campaign had convinced Napoleon to remind the public that he was not just a conqueror, but a man of science. In fact, all his correspondence bore the heading ‘Bonaparte, member of the National Institute, General-in-chief’.

He showed his obvious preference to the former. Bonaparte wanted all to know he was off on a civilizing mission. Across the western Mediterranean, news was spreading that France was on the move. In Rome, General Desaix received word from the commander in-chief. Bonaparte instructed Desaix to gather the remnants of the papal fleet and make haste for the seas round Syracuse, or any ideal area that would make the invasion of Malta possible. And this is precisely the letter we have here. This is a letter that gave the signal for invasion. This was the long journey to modernity for Malta. And what better way to start it than with an order by General Bonaparte himself?

Enlightened Maltese men believed in a new dawn for civilization, and the general was to be the trigger. The French knew that the Royal Navy was on the hunt for the French expedition and time was of the essence. Ships were impounded left and right. Amongst them was a Maltese ship. A battle was to be expected at any time. General Bonaparte instructed his fellow general to have portable fire trays onboard his vessels that could be used for hot shot. If the Royal Navy did find them, the French were prepared for the fight. But they were ill-equipped. Suffice it to say, the expedition to the east had failed to take into consideration the basic issue of water canteens for all the men.

General Desaix, at the head of 70 ships, arrived off Malta on Wednesday, the 6th of June. He arrived ahead of Napoleon’s fleet, and to put the Order’s mind at rest, Desaix wrote to Caruson, the French consul at Malta. He explained that Grand Master Hompesch need not fear the French. The fleet was on its way to Egypt. Three days passed by and suddenly a forest of masts encircled Malta. The medusa effect gripped all the knights in Malta. Over 280 ships filled the horizon, among which were 13 ships of the line, boasting 1,026 cannon between them. Aboard these ships, 54,000 men were ready to disembark. The Order was faced with an impossible task.

However, Malta was considered the strongest harbour in the Mediterranean. No fleet had ever conquered the mighty fortifications. Aboard the flagship of the French fleet, the generals questioned Bonaparte and put forward their worries about the formidable task at hand. General Bonaparte had planted a number of spies and collaborators within the walls, many of whom were in charge of key points in Malta. The insurmountable task was about to get much easier. Within a few hours Malta was overwhelmed. Desaix, in command of invading the south of the island, gained beachheads in various areas, but resistance was encountered at a number of locations and a number of Maltese troops fell on those fateful few days. Malta had finally embraced the ideals of revolution. Liberty, fraternity and equality had liberated the chains around Malta. General Bonaparte set about wrapping Malta into the robes of revolution. The plan was daunting, yet admirable. No one man ever put into effect so many enlightened laws in such a short time. The island fortress of Malta was a key cog in the great eastern plan. The island bristling with ancient riches, weapons, and splendid harbours now flew the tricolor.

Having free rein on the island, he confiscated some of the most prized treasures the Order of St. John had in Malta. On the fastest ship the French fleet possessed, Napoleon added a unique bronze cannon along with its magnificently carved wooden carriage, a model of galley made of silver and gold, captured battle banners and a fine Chinese tablecloth, amongst others. The Sensible, the ship that had transported the Veronese from Venice, was now to swiftly transport the Maltese treasures. The hastily written orders for her to add more shot for her defense just in case she encountered enemy ships was signed off once again by Bonaparte himself. His words would prove prophetic. The Sensible would never reach France. However, in the meantime Napoleon admired his conquests. And with Malta in his hands, he was now one step closer to controlling the Mediterranean. All that was left was to conquer Egypt and strangle British ambitions in India.