Malta Definitives 1926 to 1930

Britain gained possession of Malta in 1814 at the end of the French occupation. The islanders preferred British rule to the return of the Knights of Malta, who had been in charge for over 200 years.

A century later, the relationship had soured and grown fractious. The Maltese wanted a greater role in government and there were riots in June 1919, during which four protesters died. This resulted in a new constitution giving a degree of self-government to the island – but it ushered in what Britannica calls a time of ‘vicissitudes’, when a number of constitutions were granted, suspended and then revoked.

From 1922, this unrest was given an extra stir