Starvation and defiance: How a two-year blockade forced the French out of Malta

Countries & Cities · Published 15 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Between 1798 and 1800, a desperate siege transformed Malta into a crucible of survival. As the British Royal Navy choked off supplies, the French garrison in Valletta faced extreme famine, eventually consuming pets and rats. This brutal standoff ultimately shifted control of the central Mediterranean for over a century.

In 1798, Napoleon Bonaparte captured Malta from the Knights of St. John, leaving behind a 3,000-man garrison under General Claude-Henri Belgrand de Vaubois. The islanders, enraged by the looting of church property, launched an uprising that drove the French into the fortified city of Valletta. By October 1798, the British Royal Navy established a formal blockade, ensuring that the French were cut off from the outside world. The struggle became a test of endurance, as the British and Maltese forces sought to starve the garrison into submission while preventing French relief convoys from reaching the port.

The situation inside Valletta grew increasingly dire as the blockade tightened. By 1800, the civilian population had plummeted from 45,000 to 9,000, and the garrison was decimated by disease and starvation. Desperate for sustenance, the French resorted to eating horses, dogs, cats, and even rats, while basic food items reached exorbitant prices. The garrison's resolve remained unshaken for months, with Vaubois repeatedly rejecting surrender demands, insisting that his troops were committed to defending the fortress to the bitter end. Even as the city ran out of fuel, forcing the dismantling of a frigate for firewood, the French held their ground.

The end came on 4 September 1800, when, with soldiers dying at a rate of over 100 per day, Vaubois finally agreed to surrender. The British took control of the island, including its fortifications and remaining naval vessels. This victory was a strategic masterstroke, securing the central Mediterranean for Britain and serving as a vital staging point for the liberation of Egypt. Despite the Treaty of Amiens later requiring a British withdrawal, the island remained under British administration until its independence in 1964, marking a permanent shift in regional power.

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