Siege of Malta (1798–1800)

Background. Malta was captured in 1798 by a French expeditionary force during the Mediterranean campaign of 1798 and garrisoned with 3,000 soldiers under Claude-Henri Belgrand de Vaubois. After the Royal Navy destroyed the French Mediterranean Fleet at the Battle of the Nile on 1 August 1798, Britain initiated a blockade, aided by a Maltese uprising against French rule.

Course of the Siege. The blockade formally began on 12 October 1798 when British ships of the line joined Niza's ships off Malta. The garrison, over 3,000 men, suffered severe food shortages; small supply shipments arrived in early 1799, but by early 1800 starvation and disease were destroying the troops' health, morale, and combat capability. In February 1800 a convoy under Contre-Admiral Jean-Baptiste Perrée was intercepted within sight of the starving garrison, and the following month the Guillaume Tell was captured while attempting to reach Toulon.

Surrender and Aftermath. These defeats rendered the French position in Valletta untenable and its surrender inevitable. Although Vaubois held out for another five months, he surrendered on 4 September 1800 and Malta was taken by Britain. The capture gave Britain control of the central Mediterranean and was an important step in the 1801 invasion and liberation of Egypt from French rule.