The paths to independence transitions & transformations (1914–64) : proceedings of history week 2023

Abstract

The ebb and flow of events leading towards Malta’s nation-state status continue to provide opportunities to further enhance the narrative leading towards Malta’s momentous historical turning point in 1964.

From Enrico Mizzi’s anti-colonial stand until Giorgio Borg Olivier’s signature on Malta’s Independence document, the Maltese experienced several transitions and transformations. Beyond the emotional and partisan distortions, several vectors that came to shape Malta’s national identity were a product of this dynamic period.

Henry Frendo argues, ‘The British presence both restrained and assisted the slow crystallization of a national identity and of a consciousness of it.’ The theme “The Paths to Independence” offers an opportunity to uncover those dynamics that have shaped the island beyond its ‘saints and fireworks’. The process of state-making provided unprecedented opportunities towards Maltese nation- and identity-making. As Malta’s social nation came to life, the pajjiż [country] became a nazzjon-stat [nation-state]. What are those qualities that make Malta so unique from other Mediterranean islands? What developments, political but not only, were experienced in the build-up towards Malta’s unfettered Independence status? What transitions and transformations were experienced during this journey?