Chapter 33: The Conquest of Malta

In summary, Napoleon wished to establish a Mediterranean empire for himself, which was not just about waging wars, but also involved the establishment of a nation and the grand plans for France. The conquest of Egypt and the restoration of French hegemony in India were extremely appealing to two aspects of Napoleon's personality, inspiring him to aspire to them. In world history, few individuals were as uniquely gifted as him, possessing grand and magnificent ideals while almost achieving them.

Napoleon's political vision was sometimes visionary and at other times keenly perceptive. On one hand, he planned combinations of massive forces, while on the other, he meticulously and prudently commanded every detail of their arrangement. In maintaining a perfect balance between imagination and practical ability, the ancient general Caesar might be comparable to Napoleon.

After obtaining the approval of the French government, Napoleon immediately immersed himself in the preparations for the expedition. He personally went to Toulon to inspect the naval ships, surveyed the coast, and selected soldiers. He meticulously chose soldiers who had fought with him in Italy, almost one by one.

Napoleon's memory was remarkable; he recognized many soldiers and knew which were brave, which were intelligent and agile, and which were strong. He also selected a group of competent commanders. To endure the scorching sun and march and fight in the endless arid deserts, he had to choose those who could withstand hardship.

At the same time, he actively prepared various materials and equipment, and he observed changes in the international political situation while also keeping an eye on the movements of the British Nelson's fleet. This was undoubtedly a huge challenge for him, but Napoleon was indefatigable in this regard.

Launching a war as a sovereign state was obviously not an easy task. For the declaration of war on Egypt, Napoleon only presented this pretext: the real rulers of Egypt, the Turkish officials, favored the British within Egypt and helped them persecute the French.

Meanwhile, Napoleon sent officials to Turkey, strenuously convincing the Sultan that France's invasion of Egypt was a friendly act towards Turkey, as it would overthrow the Mamluk influence in Egypt, with whom Turkey had strained relations.

This was the argument Napoleon presented to the Turkish officials. However, the Turks fundamentally misunderstood such arguments and found them difficult to fully grasp. Napoleon's main concern was to win the support of the diverse ethnic groups among the ruled populations.

The Mamluks, a formidable military group with a powerful cavalry famed for having once defeated the nearly world-conquering Mongol horsemen, weighed heavily upon the people. This formidable cavalry was led by two Egyptian officials who did not recognize the sovereignty of the Ottoman Turks over the land.

Fortunately, the two Egyptian rulers, Murad and Ibrahim, were not on good terms with each other. This discord within the ruling class led to endless conflicts, and their battles resulted in continuous plundering and extortion of the governed Arab and Coptic populations.

Therefore, it seemed possible to incite them against the ruling class, provided there was careful respect for the Islamic religious laws adhered to by the entire population. For this purpose, the commander-in-chief advised his troops to treat Muslims as they would "Jews and Italians"; and to respect their Muftis and Imams as they would "Jewish rabbis and Christian bishops."

Napoleon also declared to the Egyptians that while he intended to overthrow the Mamluk tyranny, he was determined to respect the Muslim faith.

"Did we French not defeat the Pope who called for war against the Muslims? Were not the foolish knights of Malta, who believed it God's will to fight Muslims, also defeated by us French?" The liberated Egyptian people fully understood the threatening words with which Napoleon concluded his proclamation, backed by an irresistible force.

Finally, on May 19, 1798, after all preparations were complete, Napoleon led an expedition with 30,000 troops and nearly 350 ships, carrying cannons and quietly advancing along the Mediterranean coast. Roland, Napoleon's most admired successor, was naturally among them.

"How is it, Roland? How does it feel to be on a ship for the first time?" Napoleon asked Roland on the deck of the flagship Orient of the French Mediterranean fleet.

"It's very nice, the scenery of the sea is beautiful. It makes me feel like I'm on a trip," Roland said casually, showing no signs of tension despite the fact that they were heading to foreign lands for combat.

Roland's composure clearly pleased Napoleon. As a military commander, one must never show nervousness at any time. Nervousness leads to mistakes, which can result in the failure of a war.

"Don't worry, it won't be long before we achieve victory. Once that time comes, we'll have plenty of time to enjoy the scenery," Napoleon said, patting Roland gently on the back with a relaxed expression.

After this exchange, Napoleon went below to his command center, a place where he spent almost all his time during this period.

Napoleon needed to safely lead this fleet to Egypt, while also guarding against attacks from the British fleet at sea. Commanding a fleet under such circumstances was challenging, especially one that consisted of 350 warships and nearly 30,000 people.

Finally, after nearly a month of sailing, on June 10th, the fleet reached the island of Malta.

Malta was one of Napoleon's targets, a tiny island that could barely be discerned on a map unless one looked closely. Yet, this small island lay in the center of the Mediterranean Sea, dividing it into eastern and western halves together with the coastlines of Italy and Libya.

The strategic military importance of such an island goes without saying.

Faced with such an island, how could Napoleon, an excellent commander, pass it up?

Upon arriving at Malta, Napoleon demanded the surrender of the Maltese military forces. The rulers of Malta were the Knights of Malta, a group whose origins could be traced back to the Crusades.

Despite their long and illustrious history, this military force could no longer keep pace with the times. Faced with Napoleon's army of 30,000, they had no power to resist.

Thus, without much difficulty, Napoleon achieved his goal; he forced Malta to surrender and declared it a territory of the French Republic.