The Battle That Saved Europe

In the spring of 1565, one of the most dramatic sieges in history began. The Ottoman Empire, at the height of its power, launched a massive invasion of Malta, a small island fortress held by the Knights of St. John. The world expected Malta to fall. Instead, the island became the graveyard of the Ottoman navy and one of the most decisive victories for Christendom.

By the mid-16th century, the Ottoman Empire was an unmatched superpower, controlling vast territories across Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. Under Suleiman the Magnificent, the Ottomans had conquered Belgrade (1521), Rhodes (1522), and most of Hungary (1526). Their navy, commanded by formidable leaders like Barbarossa and later Dragut, dominated the Mediterranean.

The Knights of St. John, a Catholic military order, had been expelled from Rhodes in 1522 after a brutal siege. Suleiman had allowed them to retreat, but their resilience remained a thorn in the empire’s side. In 1530, Charles V granted the knights Malta, a strategic island that sat between Ottoman North Africa and Italy. From this base, the knights harassed Muslim shipping, disrupted Ottoman supply lines, and resisted Ottoman expansion in the western Mediterranean.

Suleiman decided to crush them once and for all. If Malta fell, the Ottomans could use it as a launching pad to invade Sicily and Italy, potentially opening the way to Rome itself.

Suleiman assembled a huge invasion force:

40,000 men, including 6,000 elite Janissaries

A fleet of 193 ships, one of the largest assembled in the 16th century

Experienced commanders: Mustafa Pasha, Piali Pasha, and the legendary Dragut, known as the "Sword of Islam."

Facing them were:

700 Knights of St. John

2,000 professional soldiers (Spanish, Italian, and other mercenaries)

5,000 Maltese militia and civilians who fought to protect their island

Their leader: Jean de Valette, a 70-year-old veteran who had spent decades fighting the Ottomans

The Ottomans landed on May 18, 1565, and immediately targeted Fort St. Elmo, a small but crucial fortress guarding the entrance to Grand Harbor. Mustafa Pasha believed it would fall within days. Instead, it held out for over a month.

For 31 days, the knights and their allies endured constant bombardment. The Ottomans fired more than 65,000 cannonballs, reducing St. Elmo to rubble. Every night, the defenders repaired the walls under fire. The Maltese, including civilians, brought food and water to the knights, keeping them alive.

The Ottomans launched assault after assault, but the defenders fought with unmatched tenacity. Even as the fort was being torn apart, the knights refused to surrender.

Finally, on June 23, the last remaining knights fought to the death. Every single defender was killed. The Ottomans, furious at the resistance, mutilated the bodies and crucified them on rafts, sending them across the harbor as a warning to the other forts.

But the cost of taking St. Elmo was enormous—over 6,000 Ottoman troops were dead, including Dragut, who was killed by a cannonball. The Ottomans had won a pyrrhic victory.

With St. Elmo gone, the Ottomans turned their full attention to the main strongholds: Fort St. Angelo and Fort St. Michael.

For weeks, they bombarded the fortresses. The defenders, heavily outnumbered, held firm. Valette personally led counterattacks, fighting alongside his men. The Maltese civilians played a critical role, carrying supplies, treating the wounded, and even taking up arms.

The Ottomans tried new tactics: mining tunnels under the forts to collapse their walls. The defenders countermined, leading to brutal underground battles in the dark.

Despite constant assaults, the knights held the line. By August, the Ottoman army was exhausted. They had lost thousands of men, supplies were running low, and disease was spreading.

On September 7, 1565, a relief force of 8,000 Spanish and Italian troops landed in Malta. The exhausted Ottomans, realizing they could not hold their ground, broke ranks and retreated.

By September 11, after nearly four months of siege, the Ottoman army abandoned Malta. It was their greatest defeat in the Mediterranean.

The victory at Malta shattered the myth of Ottoman invincibility. For the first time, a small Christian force had defeated a massive Ottoman invasion. The siege marked the beginning of the Ottoman navy’s decline, leading to their later defeat at Lepanto (1571).

Jean de Valette became a legend. In honor of his leadership, the knights built a new capital city on Malta: Valletta, named after him. He died in 1568, but his legacy lived on.

Had the Ottomans taken Malta, they could have used it to invade Sicily and mainland Italy. Rome itself could have been threatened, and the balance of power in the Mediterranean might have shifted in favor of the Ottomans. Instead, the Siege of Malta ensured that the Mediterranean remained contested, and it gave Christendom hope.

The Siege of Malta was more than just a battle. It was a test of endurance, faith, and sheer willpower. A few thousand men stood against an empire—and won.

Even today, Malta honors its defenders. The victory is a reminder of how a determined force, no matter how small, can change the course of history.

The Ottomans never tried to take Malta again. And the Knights of St. John, though small in number, had shown the world that some battles are won not by numbers, but by courage and conviction.

P.S. You made it to the end—thank you! If you enjoyed this edition of The Athenaeum, why not subscribe to my X account? You'll be the first to access future issues before they’re released to the public, plus you’ll be supporting the work that goes into every piece.