The 1565 Great Siege of Malta began a legendary struggle for the Mediterranean
The fate of Western Europe hung in the balance as the Knights of Malta faced a massive Ottoman invasion force in a brutal siege that became a defining struggle for Mediterranean control.
The Great Siege of Malta began in May 1565 when the Ottoman Empire launched a massive fleet to capture the small, strategic island. Despite being outnumbered nearly five to one, the Knights Hospitaller and the local Maltese population held out through four months of harrowing combat and starvation.
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