In 1800, Europeans governed about one-third of the world's land surface; by the start of World War I in 1914, Europeans had imposed some form of political or economic ascendancy on over 80 percent of the globe. The basic structure of global and European politics in the twentieth century was fashioned in the previous century out of the clash of competing imperial interests and the effects, both beneficial and harmful, of the imperial powers on the societies they dominated. This encyclopedia offers current, detailed information on the major world powers and their global empires, as well as on the people, events, ideas, and movements, both European and non-European, that shaped the Age of Imperialism.

This book provides a detailed constitutional history of Malta during the first part of British rule, from initial occupation in 1800 to 1914, with an Epilogue bringing the story to Independence in 1964.

A handy reference that provides an introduction to the history of the strategic archipelago of Malta. The entries cover the political, economic, and social situation in the country since its independence from Britain in 1964. Invaluable to those in the scholarly professions, many laypersons, and even casual tourists.

British Malta, 1798–1835 explores the incorporation and early administration of Malta as a British protectorate, and later as a Crown colony. Few connections existed between Great Britain and Malta before 1798, but Napoleon’s Mediterranean ambitions forged a link that remained even after the expulsion of the French. Malta’s incorporation into the British Empire encountered numerous and varied challenges: a deadly plague, diplomatic rows, economic rebuilding, continual food supply obstacles, and the unique challenge of governing a long-subjugated population. The Maltese people spent the previous 228 years ruled by an anachronistic crusading order that they were barred from joining. While most sought the protection of the British government, many also strove for more Maltese autonomy and agency. This tension helped define the first three and a half decades of British rule in Malta. Reaching beyond the traditional periodization of the Napoleonic era, this book provides a broader context of the fitful growth of the British Empire. Scholars and general readers drawn to the history of Malta, the British Mediterranean, and the expansion of the British Empire will find value in this narrative history.

Note: this is an abridged version of the book with references removed. The complete edition of the book is also available on this website. This study aims at revising past and current emphasis on central and official British imperial establishments in the metropolis. The focus, rather, incorporates both central and peripheral manning techniques in London and in overseas territories. By using archival and published sources for the military, technical, medical and other professional cadres, plus the manpower enslaved, indentured or employed in executive categories, the study is intended to broaden our understanding of the base and middle strata of the imperial "pyramid". This book is an essential revaluation of British imperial methods that has a place in university and public libraries alongside works on Africa, Southeast Asia, India, Ceylon, the Pacific, and British North America.

This book describes how the island of Malta became a protectorate of the British Crown during the wars against Napoleon after the failures of the Knights of Saint John, republican France, the Two Sicilies, and finally imperial Russia to fill the role of its best defender. Author Desmond Gregory also explains why most, though not all, Maltese people welcomed the protection of Britain, the supreme naval power in the Mediterranean after the battle of Aboukir Bay.

This book provides the first wide-ranging account of the Maltese economy in the modern era, from colonialism to European Union membership. It sets arguments about growth and development, and the impact and legacy of colonization, against detailed histories of agriculture, manufacturing and trade, and different economic policy regimes. It is based on volumes of newly collected archival evidence and the latest thinking in economic history. By extending coverage up to the present, the book explains how one of the world's smallest nation-states achieved lasting economic development, quintupling its per capita income level since 1970, when many other postcolonial and advanced economies stagnated.