450 Years Since the End of the Great Siege
Last week Malta was celebrating the end of the Great Siege of Malta that took place in 1565. During this time Malta was ruled by the Knights of Malta, also known as the Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta. Many historians describe the siege as the climax of an escalating battle between the Ottoman Empire and a Christian Alliance for control of the Mediterranean Sea and Malta's location right in the middle of the Mediterranean meant that it was an important strategic position for both sides. The history books tell us that the Ottomans had hundreds of ships and an army that was made up of around 40,000 soldiers. While the Order only had an army of 700 knights and around 8000 regular troops mostly made up of peasant soldiers. Being so greatly outnumbered meant that Grandmaster Jean Parisot De La Vallette had to keep his troops motivated because despite the odds, he refused to accept the Ottoman's terms of surrender. This battles is said to be...