Breadways and black-market intrigues in 1942 Malta

Abstract

When Italy declared war on the Allies on June 10, 1940, Malta’s state of readiness was almost nonexistent. Largely dependent on food imports, the blockaded archipelago struggled to provide the most important item in the Maltese diet: bread. The hand-to-mouth improvisation of the British colonial government until the end of 1941 left Malta precariously exposed to the possibility of an imminent surrender. Uninformed pricing regulations, inadequate administrative staff and lack of finances significantly reduced the powers of the government to enforce regulatory measures. This study explores how the government had to temporarily shelve antiblack-market enforcement to eke out any undeclared foodstuffs, especially grain and flour. Although heavily criticized for its passive attitude towards black-market intrigues, the government’s moral compass temporarily permitted a “new” business order.