The British

Once the French were expelled from the Island, the British were not so much interested in keeping Malta, as keeping the French out. In fact, at the Treaty of Amiens (1802), that brought hostilities between Britain and France to an end, it was decided that Malta was to be returned to a reformed Order of St.John under the protection of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and that her neutrality was to be guaranteed by the all Great Powers. The Maltese, in the majority, were thoroughly opposed to such an arrangement. If Britain refused sovereignty over the Island, it was up to the Islanders themselves to decide what was to be their fate.
Italian continued to be the language of culture and learning as it had been for centuries before, and official proclamations were phrased in the Italian tongue.
With the British in command in the sea, all mercantile shipping was obliged to call at the Valletta Harbour for clearance by the British Navy, and before long, the Maltese Islands became the most important centre of trade in the Mediterranean.
Under the Treaty of Paris (1814) the Island was confirmed as a British Possession.
With the cessation of hostilities, Malta lost its favoured position under the protection of the British Navy and as plague epidemic carried away thousands, an era of wealth and prosperity for the Maltese people came to an end.
As steam replaced sail, Malta became an important coaling station, all the more so after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. The dockyards were expanded and provided work for a sizeable section of the population. Agriculture was encouraged to make the Island Fortress as self-sufficient as possible and the growing of potatoes, now major agricultural export, was introduced. the ever present problem of the water supply also received urgent attention.
Prosperity brought about a rapid rise in the population and emigration was actively encouraged to ease the burden on the Fortress economy. Various Maltese settled in Egypt and the Barbary Coast (Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Marocco) where they prospered, though some did return. Italian political refugees of the Risorgimento sought refuge in Malta and the example of these Italian patriots had the effect of further fanning the flames of Maltese Nationalism.
At the insistence of the Maltese a Council of Government was set up in 1835.
The military worth of Malta and its islands was to be demonstrated during the Crimean War (1854-56) when the Island fortress became a rear base for the departure of troops and a receiving station for casualties.
Imperial policy dictated that Britain  take Malta under its wing and anglicize,as far as possible, the local population. An "upstart", educated in an English university, or an English military academy, was looked down upon by an upper-class intellectual brought up and schooled in the Italian language. Before long, the Language Question, as it come to be called, lost its shibboleth value and the fight resolved itself on which of the two languages, English or Italian, were to be taught in Government schools. The Maltese tongue, the language of the people, was to receive a welcome boost from the pro-British faction which promoted the vernacular in favour of Italian as a second language.
In the meantime the question of proper represantation was inching slowly towards self-determination.
The First World War placed Malta on a war footing and, as happened in the Crimean War sixty years earlier, Malta was to provide harbour and dockyard facilities to the Allied Navies, and her contribution in the cause of sick and wounded soldiers hospitalized on the Island earned Malta the title "Nurse of the Mediterranean".
When peace has been restored hundreds of docyard and other workers and servicemen were made redundant and unemployment was widespread.
A National Assembly was set up to make proposals for a new constitution. During one of the public meetings of this Assembly, held on the 7th June 1919, the crowd grew hostile and the troops were called out to restore order.When the troops opened fire on the rioters, three of them were killed while another died of his wounds later. With the new Constitution, that of 1921, Malta was, at last, to be granted Self-Government with responsability for all internal affairs. The British Government retained control on Defence; Foreign Affairs; and Immigration.

The Path to Indipendence

For the Maltese People the path to indipendence was neither smooth nor straight.
By the time Malta was granted Self-Government in 1921 the political factions could be classified into three main groups: the pro-British group that broadly opted for the advancement of the English language and culture, as well as the dissemination of the Maltese language. The pro-Italian group stood for the use of Italian and English but also for the propagation of italian culture.
Anew comer to the political scene was the Labour Party, then in its infancy, its programme being compulsary education, the promotion of the English and Maltese languages and, as it to be expected, the improvement of working and social conditions.
In the troubles that followed elections were suspended and the Constitution was withdrawn in 1930.
In the following elections the pro-Italian party with the support of the Church won at the polls with a great majority. In the political storm that followed the Constitution was again suspended and, one year later, Malta reverted back to colonial rule. the British Government, now in sole control of the Island and unfettered by local political opinion, made Maltese and English the two official languages of the Island, which, in fact, they still are, while the use of Italian was eliminated from administrative circles.
By the time the next constitution was granted World War II had started. When Italy allied herself to Germany Malta was thrown into the front line. The first attack, by Italian bombers, took place on the 11th June 1940. The exodus from the towns into the countryside started afterwards.

Using ancient catacombs and a disused railway tunnel as shelters against air-raids, other tunnels where excavated in the living rock for the same purpose. War in the Mediterranean theatre was predictable, yet when it did come the island was poorly equipped  defend itself: the only fighter planes were four antiquated Gloster Gladiators. These planes were augmented with a few Hurricanes some weeks later.Against these, the Italian Regia Aeronautica could count on two hundred aircraft stationed in Sicily, a mere hundred kilometres from Malta. The Axis (the Germans and the Italians) were clearly anxious to occupy Malta to make sure that their supply line between Sicily and North Africa was not cut and when the German moved the Luftwaffe into Sicily the bombing was intensified.
As a result many buildings, especially those in the harbour area and near the airfields were flattened or badly damaged.In June 1941 Hitler attacked Russia and the Luftwaffe in Sicily diverted most of its planes to that front. The air-raids on Malta eased, but did not cease entirely; at the same time having received reinforcements, Malta took to the offensive and submarines and aircraft based on the Island attacked Axis shipping as well as ground targets in Sardinia, Sicily and even Tripoli; further more, by intercepting supplies from Scily to North Africa, Rommel was deprived of many essential supplies.

On 26th July 1941 the only seaborne attack, that directed against the Grand Harbour by Italian E-boats, was brave and dashing, but unsuccessful. It was radar that had alerted the Maltese gunners and foiled the E-boat attack.
When the Luftwaffe was again in Sicily in full complement the bombing commenced once more and Malta was, once again, thrown on the defensive. Munitions, fuel and other stores were running low and food was in short supply.
Throughout this ordeal, despite continuous air-raids, lack of practically all necessities, and an acute food shortage, the Maltese soldiered on. A third of the anti-aircraft crews were Maltese and they soon made a name for themselves for their bravery and efficiency.
On the 15th of April 1942 King George VI awarded the George Cross Medal to "... the brave people of the Island Fortress of Malta".
In the morale of Malta's defenders was high, the material resourcesof the Island were low; with supply ships being intercepted and destroyed by Axis aircraft and submarines the situation was desperate; by July 1942 the supply of vital provisions was calculated to last two weeks. Although badly mauled, the "Santa Maria Convoy" limped into the Grand Harbour on the 15th August of that year and the situation was saved.
With replenished stores and the arrival of some hundred Spit-fires, the tables, at last, were being turned.
Although Malta was still under attack, by June 1943, it was considered sufficiently safe for King George to visit the Island to a huge welcome by the Maltese people whom he had so singularly honoured.
A month later, using Malta as an advance base, the Allies invaded Sicily and the war moved away from the Island.
True to their promise made during the War, the British restored Self-Government.
Fresh elections were held ant the pro-Italian exiles were repatriated. With most of the inhabitants being homeless, reconstruction was the first priority of the newly elected Labour Goverment but social conditions were also improved.
Three years later, following a split in Labour Party, the Nationalist Party headed a Coalition Government; this party now strove to obtain a Dominion Status for the Island. The Nationalists were formerly the pro-Italian party but, since the post-war years, the image of this party was to change gradually and in the end they were even accused of being pro-British! Originally being the party being the party of intelligentsia, the party now attracted numerous workers within its ranks. On the return of the Labour Party to office, a request for integration was made to the British Government with Maltese representation at Westminster. When the British cooled to the idea after evincing an initial interest the Labour Party went to the other extreme and insisted on Independence, and the Church was accused of having undermined the Integration plan by insisting that its ancient privileges be safeguarded; the acrimonies that followed were to cost the Labour Party many votes.
The Constitutional Party, the original pro-British party, died a natural death, its mission having been accomplished.
In the wake of fresh elections and confirmed by a referendum, Malta achieved Independence within the Commonwealth on 21st September1964 with the Queen of England as the nominal Queen of Malta.
Under the next Labour Government, Malta was declared a Republic with Sir Anthony Mamo as it's first President.
On the 31st March 1979, at the termination of the Military Base Agreement, the last British serviceman left the Island of Malta entered into its self-imposed state of neutrality.
Tourism remains one of the key pillars of Malta's earnings although local manufacturing largely with foreign investors also plays an important role in the Maltese economy.