Editing Malta (section)

===British Empire and the Second World War===
{{Main|Malta Protectorate|Crown Colony of Malta|Siege of Malta (World War II)}}

[[File:BombDamageMalta.jpg|thumb|The heavily bomb-damaged Kingsway (now Republic Street) in Valletta during the [[Siege of Malta (World War II)|siege of Malta]], 1942]]
In 1814, as part of the [[Treaty of Paris (1814)|Treaty of Paris]],<ref name="stbenedict" /><ref name="DIC_11">{{Harvnb|Rudolf|Berg|2010|p=11}}</ref> Malta officially became a part of the British Empire and was used as a shipping way-station and fleet headquarters. After the [[Suez Canal]] opened in 1869, Malta's position halfway between the [[Strait of Gibraltar]] and Egypt proved to be its main asset, and it was considered an important stop on the way to India, a central trade route for the British. A [[Turkish Military Cemetery]] was commissioned by [[Sultan Abdul Aziz]] and built between 1873 and 1874 for the fallen Ottoman soldiers of the [[Great Siege of Malta]].

Between 1915 and 1918, during the [[First World War]], Malta became known as ''the Nurse of the Mediterranean'' due to the large number of wounded soldiers who were accommodated there.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Galea |first=Michael |date=16 November 2014 |title=Malta earns the title 'nurse of the Mediterranean' |work=[[The Times (Malta)|The Times]] |url=http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20141116/life-features/Malta-earns-the-title-nurse-of-the-Mediterranean-.544455 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160206134215/http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20141116/life-features/Malta-earns-the-title-nurse-of-the-Mediterranean-.544455 |archive-date=6 February 2016}}</ref> On 7 June 1919, the Maltese public rioted in response to a [[cost-of-living crisis]]; British troops eventually managed to suppress the riots, killing four in the process. The event, known as [[Sette Giugno]] ("7 June"), is commemorated every year and is one of five National Days.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Malta definition of Malta in the Free Online Encyclopedia. |encyclopedia=Free Online Encyclopedia – List of Legal Holidays |url=http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Malta |access-date=8 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130617220624/http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Malta |archive-date=17 June 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=SETTE GIUGNO |url=http://www.visitmalta.com/en/event-details/2013-06/sette-giugno-6533  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140130231035/http://www.visitmalta.com/en/event-details/2013-06/sette-giugno-6533 |archive-date=30 January 2014 |access-date=8 July 2013 |website=Visitmalta – The official tourism website for Malta, Gozo and Comino }}</ref> Until the [[Second World War]], Maltese politics was dominated by the [[Language Question (Malta)|Language Question]] fought out by [[Italophone]] and [[Anglophone]] parties.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Independence |url=http://www.maltavoyager.com/history_independence.html  |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120906002153/http://www.maltavoyager.com/history_independence.html |archive-date=6 September 2012}}</ref>

Before the Second World War, Valletta was the location of the Royal Navy's Mediterranean fleet headquarters; however, despite [[Winston Churchill]]'s objections,<ref name="BJandCS-p36">{{Cite book |last1=Bierman, John |url=https://archive.org/details/battleofalameint00bier/page/36 |title=The Battle of Alamein: Turning Point, World War II |last2=Smith, Colin |publisher=Viking |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-670-03040-8 |page=[https://archive.org/details/battleofalameint00bier/page/36 36]}}</ref> the command was moved to [[Alexandria]], Egypt, in 1937 out of fear that it was too susceptible to air attacks from Europe.<ref name=BJandCS-p36/><ref>{{Cite book |last=Titterton, G. A. |title=The Royal Navy and the Mediterranean, Volume 2 |publisher=Psychology Press |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-7146-5179-8 |page=xiii}}</ref><ref name="ElliottP--pxx">{{Cite book |last=Elliott, Peter |title=The Cross and the Ensign: A Naval History of Malta, 1798–1979 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |year=1980 |isbn=978-0-87021-926-9}}</ref> During the war Malta played an important role for the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]]; being a British colony, situated close to Sicily and the [[Axis Powers|Axis]] shipping lanes, Malta was bombarded by the Italian and German air forces. Malta was used by the British to launch attacks on the Italian Navy and had a submarine base. It was also used as a listening post, intercepting German radio messages including [[Enigma (machine)|Enigma]] traffic.<ref name="CP-p42-44">{{Cite book |last=Calvocoressi, Peter |title=Top Secret Ultra – Volume 10 of Ballantine Espionage Intelligence Library |publisher=Ballantine Books |year=1981 |isbn=978-0-345-30069-0 |edition=reprint |pages=42, 44}}</ref> The bravery of the Maltese people during the second [[Siege of Malta (World War II)|siege of Malta]] moved [[King George VI]] to [[Award of the George Cross to Malta|award the George Cross to Malta]] on a collective basis on 15 April 1942. Some historians argue that the award caused Britain to incur disproportionate losses in defending Malta, as British credibility would have suffered if Malta had surrendered, [[Battle of Singapore|as British forces in Singapore had done]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Siege of Malta in World War Two |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/siege_malta_06.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071229015847/http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/siege_malta_06.shtml |archive-date=29 December 2007 |access-date=15 April 2007}}</ref> A depiction of the George Cross now appears on the [[Flag of Malta]] and the country's [[Coat of arms of Malta|arms]].