The military revolution : the case of early modern Malta

Abstract

The Military Revolution thesis, a concept briefly introduced to me during a study unit on Early Modern history, quickly grabbed my attention. The Military Revolution is essentially a transitory period in military history, a slice of time where innovation, change and tradition coalesce, bringing into being a new chapter in humanity’s history. Despite the title ‘Revolution’ one must not fall for the false premise that what emerged after this ‘Military Revolution’ was a complete break from the past. There is no such thing as a clear definitive break in history. Just like the Renaissance, the Military Revolution was subject to just as many continuations from the preceding years. The timeframe for the Military Revolution roughly coincides with the Order’s sojourn on Malta, providing the perfect opportunity to test the Hospitaller military complex against the propositions advanced by the Military Revolution. Research on Hospitaller military historiography quickly revealed the existence of numerous excellent technical, studies, which often refrained from grounding their findings in a wider European framework. The aim of this dissertation is to fill this gap by analysing Hospitaller Malta through the lens of the Military Revolution. While ambitious for such a short study, the whole phase of Hospitaller Malta (1530 – 1798) is scrutinised as this facilitates the visualisation of long term changes. This dissertation cannot be possible without a short yet comprehensive synopsis of the historiography behind the Military Revolution thesis (Chapter 1) from which this study departs and delves deeper into specific arguments. Chapter 2 analyses the development of Malta’s bastioned fortifications and traces parallels with the military architectural trends within Europe, while assessing the implications these new fortification systems had on statehood and armies, as proposed by the Military Revolution thesis. Chapter 3 concerns the offensive capabilities of the Order, that is, its naval forces. Once again the Order’s navy was tested against the Military Revolution thesis. The concluding chapter synthesized the observations outlined in the previous chapters and attempts to offer an explanation of how Hospitaller Malta fits within the Military Revolution debate.