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| − | '''The Great Siege of Malta''' began in 1565 when the [[Turk]]ish [[Ottoman]] [[Sultan]] [[Suleiman the Magnificent]] sent a naval force with 40,000 soldiers to capture the Island of [[Malta]] from the Christian [[Knights of St. John]](now known as [[The Order of Malta]]).
| + | Page Corrected by Anon. Anon is legion. Anon does not forgive. Anon does not forget. |
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| − | When the Turks landed they first attacked the small fort of St. Elmo. They beheaded and crucified some of the Christian defenders. The Christian leader, [[Jean Parisot De La Vallette]], ordered all Turkish prisoners to be beheaded and their heads used as cannonballs. Thus he ensured that there would be no surrender to the Turks.
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| − | After four months of extremely savage fighting, the siege ended when [[Spanish]] forces landed in September, 1565. The Turks retreated, having suffered heavy losses. A few years later, the Turks suffered a further defeat at the naval [[Battle of Lepanto]].[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09047a.htm] The Knights held Malta until 1798 when they were forced to surrender by [[Napoleon Bonaparte]].
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| − | [[Category:Military History]]
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