The French occupation of Gozo : 10th June - 28th October 1798

Abstract

Napoleon Bonaparte, General of the French Army, had long dreamt of conquering Egypt, which would serve him as a stepping stone to the Far East. However, he realised that his dream could not come true unless he first of all captured the Maltese Islands. With a mighty fleet following him, Napoleon left Toulon on board the "Orient" on 19th May, 1798. The Gozo people sighted the warships on the horizon on the afternoon of June 9th. T'he spectacle of a forest of masts struck terror in their hearts. That evening Bonaparte gave orders to General Reynier on board the Alceste to land two half-brigades of the 85th and 9th Regiments in Gozo. Obeying his master's instructions, Reynier, after spending the whole morning 'racking his brains where and how to disembark his men, ordered these to go ashore at Ramla Bay at one o'clock on 10th June, since he believed that the natives were not likely to come to Rdum ii-Kbir to watch the movements of the invading army. The first to land was the Third Company of the Grenadiers and the Captain of Engineers Sebatier and Geoffroy. [excerpt]