The nurse of the Mediterranean

Abstract

During the First World War Malta did not take an active part in the fighting. Britain was joined in an 鈥榚ntente鈥� a friendship agreement with France since 1904 and later with Russia in 1907. On the other hand Germany was allied to the Austrian- Hungerian Empire, hence when the Great War started in July 1914 there were France, Britain and Russia on one side and Germany and Austria-Hungary on the other. The British fleet 鈥渞uled the waves鈥�, hence with France and Britain as allies, to be joined later by Italy, the Mediterranean was more or less an allied lake, with Malta in the centre.