History Declassified
History Declassified goes beyond the headlines and into the overlooked chapters of the past. From forgotten operations to untold decisions that shaped the modern world, we uncover the stories left out of the textbooks — thoughtfully, factually, and in full context.
A podcast from Option 3 Media.
History Declassified
Malta 1565 - The Siege That Bled the Ottoman Empire
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In 1565 the Ottoman Empire launched a massive invasion of Malta, sending nearly 200 ships and up to 40,000 soldiers to eliminate the Knights Hospitaller and secure control of the central Mediterranean.
Standing against them were fewer than 8,000 defenders.
What followed was one of the most brutal sieges of the sixteenth century. Fort St Elmo was destroyed after weeks of bombardment, the towns of Birgu and Senglea were shattered by artillery, and repeated Ottoman assaults turned the island into a battlefield of attrition.
By the time the siege ended, tens of thousands had been killed or wounded.
This episode examines the strategy, numbers and turning points behind the Great Siege of Malta — and how a small island held against one of the most powerful empires of its time.
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