siege malta siege malta known siege year siege blockade french garrison largest city main port mediterranean island malta captured french expeditionary force mediterranean campaign garrisoned men command destroyed battle august british_royal_navy able initiate blockade malta assisted uprising native population french rule forced retreat french garrison faced severe food shortages exacerbated effectiveness british blockade small quantities supplies arrived early traffic early time starvation disease having disastrous effect health morale combat capability french troops february significant convoy admiral sent toulon determined effort resupply garrison blockade squadron rear admiral lord nelson intercepted convoy sight troops malta ensuing brief battle killed flagship captured following month ship line tell set sail toulon laden soldiers intercepted hard fought battle forced surrender larger british squadron defeats rendered french position surrender inevitable held months eventually surrendered september time garrison mortality reached men day malta retained britain control island factor outbreak napoleonic wars ultimately remained british government years gaining independence french invasion malta french fleet sailed toulon escorting expeditionary force men general force destined egypt seeking expand french influence asia force britain peace french revolutionary wars begun sailing southeast convoy collected additional transports italian ports june arrived heavily fortified port city island malta time malta neighbouring islands ruled old influential feudal order weakened loss revenue french revolution order composed men europe including significant proportion ruled majority population islands head government grand master refused demand entire convoy allowed enter supplies insisting malta neutrality meant ships enter time receiving reply immediately ordered fleet bombard june general directed amphibious operation thousand soldiers landed seven strategic sites island french knights deserted order remaining knights failed mount meaningful resistance approximately native militia resisted hours retreating city fell general strong hold lengthy siege negotiated surrender agreed turn malta resources french exchange estates france knights established french garrison islands leaving men rest expeditionary force sailed eastwards alexandria june battle convoy pursued mediterranean british fleet ships sir learned invasion malta anchored sicily subsequently attempted intercept french passage egypt nelson force overtook french fleet night june dark discovering presence arrived alexandria june ahead believing french different objective nelson turned northwards following day investigate coast missed arrival june hours unopposed landed army marched alexandria capturing city turning inland fleet ordered anchor nearby bay await instructions august nelson returned egyptian coast discovered french fleet anchor attacking immediately nelson ships managed capture french ships line destroy including flagship orient moderate damage destruction french mediterranean fleet granted control sea royal_navy soon joined navies portugal naples russian_empire ottoman_empire hastily organised france uprising malta french rapidly dismantled institutions including roman_catholic_church church property looted seized pay expedition egypt act generated considerable anger deeply religious population september anger erupted popular uprising auction church property days thousands driven french garrison surrounded approximately irregular soldiers led armed cannon small squadron coastal intermittent garrison fortress strong assault mid september squadron portuguese ships arrived island included real cannons captain captain mitchell captain brig captain duncan captains british command addition british ship captain captain attached squadron portuguese government sent force augment nelson fleet brief stay malta squadron continued alexandria nelson sent squadron blockade malta late september british convoy consisting battered ships captain sir appeared island survivors battle urgent need repair unable directly assist siege met representatives september sent offer truce behalf replied des place sort des sic les point style forgotten french hold place fate inhabitants concern ultimatum french soldiers accustomed tone unable persuade french instead provided forces muskets continue siege unable delay repairs longer sailed gibraltar end month october british ships line hms alexander captain hms captain hms captain joined ships malta marking formal start blockade day withdrew soldiers fortified new city accompanied approximately nationals joined french forces garrison numbered men initially supplied harbour lay ships line frigate ships newly arrived tell frigates justice survivors rear admiral reached malta end september october day passage naples nelson joined blockade squadron hms vanguard accompanied hms october ball successfully completed negotiations french garrison small island french soldiers agreeing surrender fight transferring island fortifications cannon large quantity ammunition sacks flour british island formally claimed naples administered british representatives action distribute captured food supplies island inhabitants malta surrounding islands self sufficient quickly challenge feeding population strain islands resources particularly men arms formally command islands refused assist supplies responsibility left ball captains arrange transport supplies italy end year number troops field fallen supported british portuguese marines blockade squadron blockade fleet consisting british portuguese ships operated island malta blockade frustrating year british forces deployed malta efforts secure sufficient forces prosecute siege repeatedly denied major general commander british_army forces mediterranean considered ongoing war second coalition italy defence higher priorities ball siege defeated continued refuse assistance russian squadron admiral briefly appeared island january immediately ordered join russian turkish forces besieging island addition difficulties allies faced obtaining food population french succeeded bringing supplies blockade early year january schooner reached february frigate evaded blockade entered port supplies toulon major french expedition admiral entered forcing nelson recall scattered fleet region temporarily raising blockade malta operation number french supply ships took advantage absence british squadron enter despite occasional supply ships french garrison rapidly running food conserve resources french forced civilian population city civilian population dropped nelson took nominal command blockade ball president liaison military civilian commanders directed distribution supplies population beginning suffer disease brought food shortages replaced alexander lieutenant november nelson offered terms surrender rebuffed reply nation keen deserve esteem nation seek resolved defend fortress end point nelson conducting blockade distance based court gambling social engagements closer closer emma wife ambassador sir behaviour heavily criticised commanding officer vice admiral lord keith recently replaced old friends wrote knew friends feel sure cut nocturnal parties leave december replaced lieutenant general immediately troops garrison malta brigadier general troops filled gap left withdrawal portuguese forces ordered return lisbon disease began spread city rations arrival january news events france prompted brief respite public statement city surrendered conditions continued deteriorate starvation relief convoy battles beginning february government reinstated naples expelled year finally agreed participate siege troops embarked squadron led vice admiral lord keith flagship hms queen charlotte landed malta time keith nelson remained blockade squadron consisted ships line ships line british frigates february message arrived squadron frigate stationed sicily watch french reinforcements captain reported squadron seven french ships sailing direction malta vessels relief squadron sent toulon extensive food supplies additional troops admiral ships line escaped years earlier february convoy sighted alexander ensuing chase success captured french transport attacked larger frigate damaged exchange success second broadside mortally wounded delayed ship line long lord nelson join battle heavily outnumbered surrendered shortly capture keith returned italian coast flagship lost fire killed crew keith ashore time departing keith issued strict instructions nelson return shore leave sicily syracuse nelson ignored order late march conducting open love affair absence took command blockade temporarily captain led squadron march tell attempted break spotted frigate hms captain chased northwards engaged driving ships suffering severe damage eventually arrival powerful captain sir proved continued fighting hours forced surrender battered ship engagement lost men killed wounded nelson cruise aftermath defeats sea food supply british sent demand capitulation refused reply place est état men place good situation conscious service country honour listen proposals reality situation dire february prices basic stood rabbit egg rat pound fish civilian patients food available horse flesh soup april nelson departed sir william board guests party visited syracuse travelled took close harbour ship came fire french batteries hits scored nelson furious emma taken danger immediately ordered withdraw anger exacerbated emma refusal retire quarterdeck brief exchange anchored nelson emma lived openly hosted graham sir prominent antiquarian diplomat spent time exploring island early june nelson party returned beginning lengthy overland journey europe britain nelson detached alexander blockade defiance keith explicit orders assist royal family passage enraged nelson keith publicly remarked command fleet long returned britain replaced command captain graham superseded surrender british blockade continued prevent french efforts resupply early summer august situation desperate horses pack animals dogs cats rabbits lived city emptied short supply desperate need wood frigate trapped blockade broken fuel garrison defeat inevitable gave orders frigates justice attempt breakout toulon frigates given minimal crews approximately men august wind favourable night dark obscure movements frigates sea immediately sighted captain gave chase followed northumberland captain slow soon overhauled strength french ship surrendered brief exchange shot frigate later justice captain faster eventually making toulon ship malta siege september men dying starvation disease rate day called council officers unanimously decided surrender day envoys sent british afternoon general captain martin signed agreed terms excluded negotiations entirely commander subsequently civil commissioner malta terms surrender absolute island fortifications military supplies turned british control included ships line frigate french ships previously captured order sufficient standard incorporated royal_navy ships broken merchant ships variety smaller warships taken capture malta returned control central mediterranean britain important step invasion liberation egypt french rule essential condition treaty year brought end french revolutionary war british leave malta long standing claim island titular head demanded turned russian control agreeing alliance britain prime minister younger refused napoleonic wars france began soon failure britain comply clause treaty island subsequently remained british hands independence
Siege of Malta (1798–1800)