While we celebrate Victory Day every year for the Maltese people’s bravery and valour, one must really ask what is communicated during such national events. The version of history we’re taught in school often shifts attention away from the real decision-makers of the time, choosing instead to frame events through a Maltese-centered lens of experiences and perspectives.

For the sake of keeping this argument rather brief, I’m choosing one of our victories celebrated today, that is, the second world war and the siege that Malta endured between 1940 and 1942. 

This argument aims to emphasise how the British choice from its highest rulers led to the sacrifices made by the Maltese people, not to minimise or dismiss their struggles and suffering. 

The Maltese people under British rule

When the Second World War broke out, Malta had the status of Crown Colony under the British Empire, a title which was bestowed upon it in 1813. The British took over from the French empire who governed Malta from 1798 to 1800. 

This was not unknown territory to Malta because the islands were passed from one foreign power to the other for centuries on end. Much like the Arabs and the Order of St John, the British left a strong mark on our history- one that will forever be a part of our lives through language, education and trade amongst other factors. 

One must always remember that when a territory is under a foreign power, it is the foreign powers that rule the domestic  affairs, no matter how many constitution amendments or improvements might have been introduced, in the sense that the final say is the foreigners’. In this case, it was the British calling all the shots and making the Maltese conform to British standards. 

The British had to keep a top-down control on our islands due to Italian influence that preceded the war. Let’s not forget that Malta was highly influenced by Italy through language, customs and geography, and the British worked very hard to form the national identity at that point in time to keep better control of their people. By conforming the people to their standards, laws and practices, the British could keep the Maltese operating the way they wanted. 

How different were the common Maltese and British people? 

Continuing with the above facts regarding the British standard that was introduced, the local context was not formed by the British empire prior to their arrival in 1800 and thus, were not treated in the same way that the British subjects were treated in the homeland. 

Since the British Empire’s inception in the late 16th century, the isles were controlled by a monarch who worked towards the glory of their empire. By expanding its territory, fighting against opposing empires across the continent and sending its people into battle, the British set a standard that was understood and obeyed by the British subjects. By the early 20th century, most adult men could vote in the general elections in the UK Parliament (House of Commons), especially since the property ownership restrictions were largely dissolved.   

The Maltese people at the start of the century had several terms and conditions which led to only a small percentage of the population at the time to participate in voting and to have a say in local matters. As a land that was an overseas territory of the British empire, the electorate was largely limited to men who were literate, held a degree from University, was a member of the nobility and was a citizen recognised by the Trade union Council or Chamber of Commerce. 

“Malta entered World War II having failed to establish internal self-government under the 1921 constitution,” wrote Brian Blouet in his paper “World War II: Colonial Consequences and Controversies.” This failure was brought about by a number of things including the great depression, the rising influence of Fascist Italy, an upper house representing special interests, church intervention in the political arena and two uncompromising individuals: Sir Gerald Strickland and Enrico Mizzi. 

How is this relevant one might ask? The fact that the Maltese people were still largely illiterate at the time meant that they could not vote. The common Maltese family was more focused on putting food on the table and surviving than to discuss politics and to try and instigate change. This means that the colonisers had a much higher power in the Maltese arena than that Maltese themselves. 

Despite these clear differences between the Maltese and British people on how they were perceived and treated by the empire, the monarch unified its people by the end goal, that is to uphold democracy and tradition in the continent against the emerging fascism of the newly formed German empire. 

Since the Maltese people were largely illiterate and did not participate in politics, they could not understand the significance of their entry into the Second World War. In fact, the perception is still very much relevant nowadays. If you had to ask a Maltese person about the first thing that comes to mind about the Second World War, I’m certain they’ll say “famine”, “disease” and “bombardment.” And so, when Britain told the world it was standing for democracy, Maltese families huddled in shelters were asked to sacrifice for principles that they themselves were denied. This is the colonial paradox: fighting to protect rights for others while not enjoying them at home.

Ultimately, the two different societies were unified by the monarch and their representatives in offshore territories as being subjects of the empire and the need to conform to the empire’s standards.