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by Joe Scicluna (Author)
Bosredon de Ransijat spent more than 30 years living among the Maltese, first as a Knight of the Order and later as President of the Government Commission during the French occupation. In his latter role he was blockaded with the French garrison within the city walls of Valletta. In his diary he describes just how determined they were to keep Malta in French hands and the hardships they endured during this two-year standoff with the Maltese country folk and the English Navy. Ransijat also gives his own in-depth analysis as to why the Maltese were glad to see the end the Order's rule and also why they turned so quickly against their new French rulers.In determining the causes of the Maltese uprising, Ransijat analyses the relationship between the Maltese and the knights and goes back to the days when the Order first arrived in Malta. Interestingly enough he also analyses the role played by the English who ran the naval blockade, and that of the Maltese who blockaded from land. Who played the decisive role between the two is still debated to this very day within Maltese circles. Ransijat's diary reveals a number of disturbing facts about the blockade not only about the deep suffering it caused but also about the divisions that existed between the Maltese village folk and the rest of the population. While it is important to commemorate the bravery shown by the Maltese one cannot ignore the tragic reality that a number of Maltese who sympathized with the French were taken to the island of Comino and executed by their fellow countrymen. Ransijat's memoirs are undoubtedly among the most important historic documents concerning the French occupation of Malta, for one very simple reason: he was there.Could the French have kept possession of Malta? Could the English have ousted the French garrison without the help of the Maltese? Conversely, could the Maltese have succeeded without the English? Many questions and many opinions depending on who you ask. With over ten thousand lives lost due to hunger and malnutrition the Maltese paid a heavy price to hand over the island to yet another foreign power. Ten thousand Maltese lives that regrettably have never been commemorated to this very day like they were some form of minor collateral damage. It is also clear that the French perspective of Maltese history has been blatantly overlooked for over two centuries giving rise to many biased perceptions that have been perpetuated across generations. This book is not only about the French occupation, it is also about Maltese society in the late 18th century and above all it is the story of an extraordinary man who was bold enough to defend his deepest personal convictions.
