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In 1565, hearing of a massive build-up of troops in Constantinople, the Order sent out urgent appeals to Christian rulers for help in what they sensed would shortly become a do-or-die combat; at this time Grand Master de Valette had only eight war galleys and 8,000 men at his command. THE GREAT SIEGE OF MALTA 1565 is a docu-drama in two 45 minute episodes released for worldwide televisionto coincide with the 900th Anniversary of the foundation of the Hospitalier Order of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta siegemalta.com/ The siege at Rhodes had taught the Knights to leave the countryside bare of people, animals and crops, and turn the fortifiable points into war cities, fully stocked with food, water and ammunition. As the inland capital of Mdinaseemed vulnerable, Malta's defence rested defence rested ultimately on the Grand Harbour complex, particularly St Elmo fort at the seaward end of Mount Sceberras (now Valletta), St Angelo fort at the tip of Birgu (now Vittoriosa), and St Michael's fort on the Senglea promontory. Arms of the order of the hospital of the Knights of Saint John On may 18th, 1565, a Turkish fleet of 138 galleys approached the island. About 38,000 men disembarked at Marsaxlokk and eleven days later, another 3,000 men from another 38 ships joined them. The men were led by Dragut and the Bey of Algiers. The siege started with an attack on Fort St. Elmo. It is said that over sixty thousand cannon-balls were fired during the attack. Dragut was killed during the assault on the Fort. Facing them on Malta were no more than 8000, of whom 700 were Knights and the rest were Maltese or mercenaries. They took refuge in Mdina and Birgu. The First Great Siege of Malta had begun. The siege of Malta, quite as famous as that of Rhodes, lasted for four months. The Turks had already taken possession of a part of the island, destroying nearly the whole of the old city, slaying half the knights and almost 8000 soldiers, when Malta was delivered by an army of relief from Spain. Never was Malta's unique position more important. All Europe realized what was at stake. As Queen Elizabeth of England said, "If the Turks should prevail against the Isle of Malta, it is uncertain what further peril might follow to the rest of Christendom." Italy, France and Spain would be open to Turkish invasion... The advance force from Sicily arrived despite the fate of St Elmo. It numbered only 600 men but, achieving surprise, it made a vital difference. The Knights, their luck holding out, were warned by a Turkish deserter about a plan for Senglea to be attacked from the south, and this gave the Order time to build a line of defensive stakes which successfully repulsed the attack. Requests for assistance were smuggled repeatedly out of the island. The Maltese were one with the Knights, determined, whatever the cost, to be rid of the Turkish invader-though of the nobles there is barely a word in contemporary records; presumably they sat it out in their palaces in Mdina. The main relief force set out at last from Syracuse with 8,000 Spanish and Italian soldiers, the dispirited Turks sailed home with only a quarter of their army intact, leaving Malta to its tattered peace. Malta had lost 219 Knights and 9,000 inhabitants, yet de Valette's genius quickly rekindled the islanders' spirit with a massive peacetime project; the building of a fortified city. Throughout our Order, the birthday of Madonna on Mount Phileremos is kept with great solemnity in thanksgiving for the raising of the Turkish siege of Malta on 8 September 1565. A new capital of Malta had to be built, Valletta was named in honor of the Grand Master Jean Parisot de la Valetta under whose inspired guidance the Knights and the Maltese had defied the Turkish onslaught. Malta, however, was not rid of its most dangerous adversary until the battle of Lepanto (1571) which dealt the Ottoman fleet a fatal blow. The Knights quickly improved trade and commerce on the islands, built new hospitals and, most importantly, erected new strong fortifications. This spurred Grand Master de la Valette to build the City of Valletta and its now historic bastions and palaces. Valletta has been declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations. The Knights of St. John had successfully protected Southern Europe and Christendom. After their victory against the Turks, the Knights turned enthusiastically to the further development of Malta and Gozo. A golden era in culture, architecture and the arts followed. Many of Malta's most attractive building were built during this period. The new remarkable fortress city, Valletta, was built. Valletta is one of the earliest examples of a planned city built on the grid system. The Knights of St. John, coming as they did from the richest families in Europe, could afford to hire the best talent available and the buildings of Valletta, its fortifications and the art treasures in its museums and churches, are the work of the best European engineers and artists of the time. It was the magnificence of is palaces and other treasures that led Sir Walter Scott to describe Valletta as "The city built by gentlemen for gentlemen." The Order was governed by the Grand Master (the Prince of Rhodes) and the Council, minted its own money and maintained diplomatic relations with other States. The high offices of the Order were given to representatives of different Langues; and the seat of the Order, the Convent, was composed of various nationalities. The fall of the Ottoman Empire marked the beginning of the end of the military vocation of the Order. However, the absence of a serious military threat to the Order's existence, and their increasing wealth, arrogance, lack of discipline and debauchery, ate into the moral fabric of the Order. Eventually, serious problems undermined the Knights' position; tensions grew between the Church and the Knights. The poorer Maltese became resentful. For their part, the Knights became complacent and insular. When Muslim shipping targets became harder to find, and when revolution broke out in France removing a valuable source of income by the confiscation of the Order's property, funds became a problem. Grand Master Emmanuel de Rohan (1775-97) provided money for Louis XVI's doomed attempt to escape from Pair. By the late 18th century around 75% of the Order's income came from the Knights of the French langue, so when the revolutionary authorities confiscated all o the Order's properties and estates in France, the Order was left in dire financial straits. French 1798-1800 On June 12th, Napoleon entered Valletta bringing to an end 268 years of rule by the Knights of St. John. As a ruse, Napoleon had asked for safe harbor to resupply his ships then enroute to Egypt, and then turned against his hosts once safely inside Valetta. Grand Master Ferdinand von Hompesch failed to anticipate or prepare for this threat, provided no effective leadership, and readily capitulated to Napoleon. The Knights, because of the Rule of the Order that prohibited them to raise weapons against other Christians, were forced to leave Malta. FRENCH CONNECTION Napoleon was a Freemason as were most French members of the Knights of St. John and many others although this was a well-kept secret. In fact rumor has it that Napoleon was "made" in Malta although evidence is scant, it is established that Napoleon appointed his 4 brothers to high rank in the Masonic Brotherhood Napoleon spent six eventful days in Malta during which, through numerous edicts, he tried to transform the island into a typical "Department" of France. It is also considered the most likely time for his initiation into Freemasonry. In 1800 the British occupied Malta, but although the sovereign rights of the Order in the island of Malta had been recognized with the Treaty of Amiens (1802), the Order was never allowed to return to Malta, although the French knights were allowed to remain German Grand Master Ferdinand von Hompesch (1797-98) was given three days to gather belongings and vacate the island. The Order continued to exist in a diminished form and negotiated with European governments for a return to power. The Emperor of Russia gave the largest number of Knights shelter in St Petersburg and this gave rise to the Russian tradition of the Knights Hospitaller and recognition within the Russian Imperial Orders.

Malta History 1000 AD - present