1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:27,960 Speaker 1: Ridiculous Histories, a production of iHeartRadio. Welcome back to the show, 2 00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:31,880 Speaker 1: Ridiculous Historians. Thank you, as always so much for tuning in. 3 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:33,840 Speaker 1: Let's hear it from the man the myth Legend, mister 4 00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:39,560 Speaker 1: Max Williams. Hello, Hello, Hello, sir, I am Ben Bullen. 5 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 1: That's mister Noel Brown here as well. It is time, gentlemen, 6 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:51,159 Speaker 1: for us to explore once again micro nations or micro states. 7 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 1: Noel off Air, Max and I were talking a bit 8 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:58,800 Speaker 1: about this concept. I have an old professor who's been 9 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:01,840 Speaker 1: off the grid for some time who wrote to me 10 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 1: and said hey, and I hadn't heard from for years. 11 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:10,199 Speaker 1: He said, Hey, there's a difference between a micro nation 12 00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 1: and a micro state. 13 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:14,480 Speaker 2: What's the difference. 14 00:01:14,959 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 1: The difference is international recognition. So a micro state is 15 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:28,120 Speaker 1: recognized by other countries and international bodies. A micro nation 16 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 1: may not have the same international credibility, so that's a difference. 17 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:37,479 Speaker 2: Got it, Got it? Well, you know I mentioned off 18 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:41,480 Speaker 2: Air as well. In the original, well not the original, 19 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:44,840 Speaker 2: but the first Tim Burton Batman movie, there's a scene 20 00:01:45,240 --> 00:01:48,920 Speaker 2: where Vicky Vale is at a party at Bruce Wayne's house, 21 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:52,920 Speaker 2: walking around with her buddy from the newspaper looking at 22 00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:57,280 Speaker 2: his like Bruce Wayne's collection of artifacts from around the world, 23 00:01:57,360 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 2: and there's like this, you know, kind of tribal outfit 24 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:04,520 Speaker 2: that's on display, and he says something about the wicker Man, 25 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:07,080 Speaker 2: and then Bruce Wayne shows up and says, yeah, I 26 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:10,639 Speaker 2: like it. I bought it, and he points out to 27 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 2: Vicky Vale that he enjoyed her photojournalism from the Quarto Maltese. 28 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:18,960 Speaker 2: And for the longest time I thought this had something 29 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 2: to do with the micro nation of Malta, but in fact, 30 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:26,880 Speaker 2: upon a curstory Google, the Quarto Maltese is a fictional 31 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:33,400 Speaker 2: South American country that exists exclusively within the DC Extended Universe, 32 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:37,240 Speaker 2: so no connection at all. But that word Maltese is 33 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:41,320 Speaker 2: what's used to describe things relating to the culture of Malta. 34 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:48,000 Speaker 1: Yes, yeah, exactly. That's our exploration today. We are talking 35 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:52,400 Speaker 1: about Malta. This is also an episode for our pal 36 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:57,560 Speaker 1: Josh Clark, who a few years ago travel to Malta 37 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:02,240 Speaker 1: the country and from everything he told me, just had 38 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:05,639 Speaker 1: a wonderful, wonderful time. We're going to learn some more 39 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:10,680 Speaker 1: about this because it's a very old place. It has 40 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 1: some of the oldest megalithic sites in the world. This 41 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:18,800 Speaker 1: is from the CIA World Factbook, which we have a 42 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:23,040 Speaker 1: copy of here. I'm doing prop comedy now and of it. 43 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:26,280 Speaker 2: So it's coming back. It's coming back in a big way. 44 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:31,360 Speaker 1: Shout out, care top find him in Vegas. So Malta's islands, 45 00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:37,600 Speaker 1: because of their location, they've always been a strategic military possession. 46 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 1: They've been under the control of various civilizations throughout human history. Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, 47 00:03:47,760 --> 00:03:54,400 Speaker 1: the Normans, Sicilians, various specific orders of chivalry, the Knights 48 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 1: of Saint John, and most recently they've been a British colony. 49 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:03,840 Speaker 1: But they gained their independence in nineteen sixty four and 50 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 1: in nineteen seventy four they declared themselves a republic. So 51 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:15,720 Speaker 1: while it has ancient history, the modern version is relatively new. 52 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:19,159 Speaker 1: I don't know, you know. Let's say we get into 53 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:23,640 Speaker 1: the we get into the nuts and bolts of Malta's 54 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:28,080 Speaker 1: origin story with some help from our research associate, mister 55 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:29,479 Speaker 1: Max Williams Oh. 56 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:41,600 Speaker 2: Mister Max. Malta, which exists south of Sicily, north of 57 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:45,640 Speaker 2: Tripoli and Libya, has been around for, as you said, Ben, 58 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:48,960 Speaker 2: quite some time. How do we know this well. It 59 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:54,680 Speaker 2: has some of the most extensive World Heritage sites known. 60 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:58,920 Speaker 2: According to our pals over at Britannica, the earliest archaeological 61 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:03,240 Speaker 2: remains in malt said date back from about five thousand BCE. 62 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:08,800 Speaker 2: Neolithic farmers lived in caves a lot like those at 63 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:14,560 Speaker 2: the Agar Delam near Birzobuga, or villages like Scorba, which 64 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:18,320 Speaker 2: is near Zebiegi. They are wonderful words that I'm probably 65 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:20,680 Speaker 2: butchering the pronunciations I've been doing my very best. They 66 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:29,360 Speaker 2: sound weirdly scientological. We've cut Zebug and Zemziza and yeah, 67 00:05:29,440 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 2: fun fun stuff to try to say. But they produced 68 00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:38,479 Speaker 2: pottery similar to that of contemporary Eastern Sicily. A very 69 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:43,159 Speaker 2: elaborate religious order, dare we say a cult of the 70 00:05:43,279 --> 00:05:49,279 Speaker 2: dead worshiping of ancestors evolved around four thousand BCE. Initially 71 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:53,960 Speaker 2: we saw some rock cut tombs that culminated in the 72 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:59,960 Speaker 2: unique underground burial chambers at Hal softly Any in power 73 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:06,000 Speaker 2: oh La, known locally as Rahal Jadid very batmany like 74 00:06:06,120 --> 00:06:10,359 Speaker 2: racial ghoul kind of vibes, which was designated by UNESCO 75 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:13,360 Speaker 2: as a World Heritage Site in nineteen eighty. 76 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:18,560 Speaker 1: M Yeah, we know this culture. This ancient culture you 77 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:22,960 Speaker 1: just described came to a sudden screeching halt max if 78 00:06:22,960 --> 00:06:28,000 Speaker 1: we could get a screeching halt perfect. Around two thousand 79 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:31,880 Speaker 1: BCE it was replaced with what we call the Tarxian 80 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:37,440 Speaker 1: cemetery culture. We know about this civilization because they practice 81 00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:42,560 Speaker 1: certain burial rights and they used metal. The best guess 82 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:47,080 Speaker 1: the historians have today is an interloper showed up to 83 00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:51,760 Speaker 1: someone changed the way the culture went. And that makes 84 00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:55,680 Speaker 1: sense because if you're looking at the ancient world as 85 00:06:55,720 --> 00:07:00,000 Speaker 1: you describe, bit north of Libya, bit south of Sicily, 86 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:04,440 Speaker 1: right there at the crossroads between the African and European continents, 87 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:10,080 Speaker 1: Malta is a liminal space for a lot of communities 88 00:07:10,120 --> 00:07:15,640 Speaker 1: and cultures, and around the eighth and sixth centuries BCE 89 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:21,520 Speaker 1: it had involvement with the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, you know, trade war, 90 00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:25,040 Speaker 1: the Classics, all the good slow jazz. We don't know 91 00:07:25,200 --> 00:07:30,080 Speaker 1: to what degree these things had a lasting impact on 92 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 1: what we will call Malta today because the Romans came in. 93 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:35,720 Speaker 2: Oh as they do, they tend to sweep in and 94 00:07:35,760 --> 00:07:39,240 Speaker 2: also change things as they do in their image. During 95 00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:43,840 Speaker 2: the first two centuries of Roman occupation. These islands were 96 00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:48,920 Speaker 2: allowed to mint their own currency, also send their own 97 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:53,480 Speaker 2: delegates to Rome, and have some nominal control of their 98 00:07:53,520 --> 00:08:00,240 Speaker 2: own domestic politics policies. They're domestic affairs. They were given 99 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:04,280 Speaker 2: the status of what's called a Roman municipium, which I 100 00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:07,679 Speaker 2: suppose is equivalent to what we consider a municipality today. 101 00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:12,640 Speaker 2: Saint Paul the Apostle actually got shipwrecked in Malta in 102 00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:17,720 Speaker 2: sixty CE, and he's believed to have converted the local 103 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:23,200 Speaker 2: folks to Christianity. There were these collectives that practiced this 104 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:26,640 Speaker 2: underground burial that dated back to the fourth end to 105 00:08:26,760 --> 00:08:29,760 Speaker 2: the eighth century CE, that represented some of the first 106 00:08:30,120 --> 00:08:35,360 Speaker 2: archaeological evidence of this Christian belief flourishing there in Malta. 107 00:08:36,800 --> 00:08:43,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, and as we know spoiler alert, the Roman Empire 108 00:08:43,160 --> 00:08:46,000 Speaker 1: didn't last forever. It's current iteration. 109 00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:48,880 Speaker 2: I was really betting on them just being around. 110 00:08:49,240 --> 00:08:51,719 Speaker 1: All right, we'll call the bookie, see if you can 111 00:08:51,800 --> 00:08:55,320 Speaker 1: change it. Yeah, that's possible, get locked in. And we said. 112 00:08:55,400 --> 00:08:59,880 Speaker 1: There was this long chain of different controlling cultures over 113 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:03,439 Speaker 1: the geographical space of Malta, which is to date, by 114 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:07,160 Speaker 1: the way, the smallest country officially in the European Union. 115 00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:11,680 Speaker 1: But in fifteen thirty there was still a vestige of 116 00:09:12,040 --> 00:09:16,720 Speaker 1: the Roman Empire of old, the Holy Roman Empire. The 117 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:21,199 Speaker 1: emperor thereof Charles the fifth seated Malta and gave it 118 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:25,160 Speaker 1: over to an order of knights in Order of Chivalry, 119 00:09:25,360 --> 00:09:30,160 Speaker 1: the Knights of Rhodes. And they were, you know, they 120 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:33,400 Speaker 1: were high muckety MUCKs with the Roman Catholic Church, and 121 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:36,679 Speaker 1: they turned Malta into a fortress. 122 00:09:37,040 --> 00:09:39,800 Speaker 3: And you just jump in here. These Knights of Roads 123 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:41,520 Speaker 3: were looking for a new place to live because they 124 00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:42,920 Speaker 3: were not in Roads anymore. 125 00:09:43,240 --> 00:09:47,520 Speaker 1: Yes, they had gotten the boot from Rhodes in Greece 126 00:09:47,640 --> 00:09:48,400 Speaker 1: at some point. 127 00:09:48,800 --> 00:09:50,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, and I believe the Colossus of Rhodes is a 128 00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:54,400 Speaker 2: statue there in Greece erected in honor of the sun 129 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:57,600 Speaker 2: god Helos. Yeah. 130 00:09:57,679 --> 00:10:02,959 Speaker 1: And they were right to build this fortress because the 131 00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:06,960 Speaker 1: Ottoman Empire was a big thing. And in fifteen sixty 132 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:11,600 Speaker 1: five the Ottomans, which we'll talk about in a future episode. 133 00:10:12,400 --> 00:10:17,440 Speaker 1: The Ottomans attempted to take the fortress and land against 134 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:22,240 Speaker 1: strategically valuable land of Malta, but they got fought off. 135 00:10:22,280 --> 00:10:27,400 Speaker 1: The Knights of Rhodes withstood the siege. This founded a 136 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:32,319 Speaker 1: pattern because just ten years later the capital city, Valletta, 137 00:10:32,520 --> 00:10:36,080 Speaker 1: which was named after the grand Master of the Knights Roads, 138 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:40,200 Speaker 1: it became a town of It became a town that 139 00:10:40,320 --> 00:10:43,280 Speaker 1: was super nice once you got past the walls, but 140 00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:45,560 Speaker 1: it was very much a gated community. 141 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:48,520 Speaker 3: We could call it just to jump in here and 142 00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:51,520 Speaker 3: be a little silly. We were talking about Civilization six 143 00:10:51,559 --> 00:10:54,120 Speaker 3: before the recording. Today, because I'm always some video games, 144 00:10:54,320 --> 00:10:58,200 Speaker 3: Valletta is my favorite city state to be suzerain of. 145 00:10:58,400 --> 00:10:59,160 Speaker 3: I will say that right now. 146 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:01,520 Speaker 1: I don't like this the city states. I feel like 147 00:11:01,559 --> 00:11:03,200 Speaker 1: they overly complicate the game. 148 00:11:03,400 --> 00:11:06,840 Speaker 3: They can, it's sometimes it's just like you know, also, 149 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:09,480 Speaker 3: especially we're playing against ais as, easy to win them all. 150 00:11:09,520 --> 00:11:11,760 Speaker 3: But like the cool thing they do in SIV six 151 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:14,960 Speaker 3: is each city state that you are Susan enough, you 152 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:18,920 Speaker 3: get a special ability, and Valletta's you can buy stuff 153 00:11:18,920 --> 00:11:22,760 Speaker 3: in your city center and encampments with religion, which is like, okay, 154 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:24,400 Speaker 3: that's a that's elite. 155 00:11:24,559 --> 00:11:30,000 Speaker 1: And it depends upon the predisposition of the city states, 156 00:11:30,120 --> 00:11:32,319 Speaker 1: right some want you to have science, some want you 157 00:11:32,360 --> 00:11:35,120 Speaker 1: to have more city states, creating a feedback loop, et cetera, 158 00:11:35,160 --> 00:11:39,200 Speaker 1: et cetera, and it's based on real world situations, just 159 00:11:39,280 --> 00:11:43,280 Speaker 1: like what we're describing with Malta. Because these knights are 160 00:11:43,360 --> 00:11:46,040 Speaker 1: kind of this happened. 161 00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:46,440 Speaker 2: A lot in Europe. 162 00:11:46,600 --> 00:11:52,120 Speaker 1: They were aristocratic at this point. They considered themselves above 163 00:11:52,400 --> 00:11:55,880 Speaker 1: the common people, and they didn't have a lot of 164 00:11:55,920 --> 00:12:01,840 Speaker 1: social contact with the actual residents of Malta who had 165 00:12:01,880 --> 00:12:05,120 Speaker 1: been living there for centuries and centuries, or their families 166 00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:07,800 Speaker 1: had they lived and died like normal people. 167 00:12:08,640 --> 00:12:14,520 Speaker 2: Became quite a resplendent place, didn't it. The capital city 168 00:12:14,559 --> 00:12:20,679 Speaker 2: of Valletta, with magnificent palaces right and opulence on display 169 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:21,800 Speaker 2: all around. 170 00:12:23,440 --> 00:12:28,480 Speaker 1: And the knights did leave despite their elitist nature, they 171 00:12:28,520 --> 00:12:33,839 Speaker 1: did leave the island this tremendous architectural, artistic legacy. If 172 00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:38,000 Speaker 1: we fast forward, we see that people still recognize the 173 00:12:38,160 --> 00:12:43,680 Speaker 1: geopolitical importance of Malta. In seventeen ninety eight, there's a 174 00:12:43,720 --> 00:12:49,120 Speaker 1: guy in the French army. His name is Napoleon Bonaparte. 175 00:12:49,280 --> 00:12:52,679 Speaker 1: He is perhaps most famous for being kind of a 176 00:12:52,679 --> 00:12:57,040 Speaker 1: pill about ice cream in the documentary adventures Bill and 177 00:12:57,080 --> 00:13:02,000 Speaker 1: Ted's Excellent Adventures. Anyway, this guy seventeen ninety eight, he 178 00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:05,480 Speaker 1: captures the island of Malta, but he's not able to 179 00:13:05,559 --> 00:13:08,000 Speaker 1: hold it for a long time. Just a few years later, 180 00:13:08,520 --> 00:13:12,680 Speaker 1: the middle of eighteen hundred or so, British troops are 181 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:16,760 Speaker 1: called in to assist the Maltese people, who say, why 182 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:21,040 Speaker 1: is this French guy in charge of us? The French 183 00:13:21,120 --> 00:13:25,439 Speaker 1: hold out for three months. They eventually surrender the islands 184 00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:29,120 Speaker 1: and it's not until I mean, the British don't hold 185 00:13:29,160 --> 00:13:32,720 Speaker 1: it that long either. The Treaty of Amends returns the 186 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:35,840 Speaker 1: island to the Knights of Rhodes in eighteen oh two. 187 00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:42,600 Speaker 1: The Maltese say, look, treaties aside. We want to be 188 00:13:42,679 --> 00:13:45,920 Speaker 1: our own government. We are the Maltese, we have lived here. 189 00:13:46,520 --> 00:13:48,920 Speaker 1: Get rid of these rich people that you said are 190 00:13:48,960 --> 00:13:52,000 Speaker 1: in charge of us. And then Britain said. 191 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:56,880 Speaker 2: No, that's right. And Malta's political system under the Bridge 192 00:13:57,200 --> 00:14:01,320 Speaker 2: went through some significant evolution let's call them. They were 193 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:07,679 Speaker 2: granted constitutions which were then suspended and or revoked, and 194 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:11,440 Speaker 2: they were the victims of some significant exploitation at the 195 00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:13,880 Speaker 2: hands of the Brits. That doesn't sound right. The Brits 196 00:14:13,920 --> 00:14:15,319 Speaker 2: wouldn't do that, would they. 197 00:14:15,559 --> 00:14:17,920 Speaker 1: Have you ever been to a town in the United 198 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:22,520 Speaker 1: States where the primary employer is a military base, I 199 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:25,200 Speaker 1: sure have. That's what happened to Malta. That was the 200 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:31,080 Speaker 1: same thing. The economy became dependent upon the British dockyard. 201 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:37,360 Speaker 1: The British run military facilities on the island, where the 202 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:45,280 Speaker 1: spine of the local the local job sources. Basically, it's 203 00:14:45,320 --> 00:14:48,840 Speaker 1: similar again to when a military base opens in a 204 00:14:48,880 --> 00:14:52,280 Speaker 1: small town here in the US or in any number 205 00:14:52,280 --> 00:14:56,000 Speaker 1: of other countries, if we're being honest. Malta has this 206 00:14:56,120 --> 00:15:02,760 Speaker 1: huge impact in various conflicts across the span of European history, 207 00:15:02,800 --> 00:15:07,280 Speaker 1: the Crimean War, the First World War. We also see 208 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:11,240 Speaker 1: that when the Suez Canal opens in eighteen sixty nine, 209 00:15:12,040 --> 00:15:15,520 Speaker 1: they get into commerce in a big way because Malta 210 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:19,800 Speaker 1: becomes an easy shipping point or transit point, a hub 211 00:15:20,680 --> 00:15:26,040 Speaker 1: for trade. Then, and we shall also say Malta is 212 00:15:26,080 --> 00:15:28,840 Speaker 1: technically an archipelago, it's a collection of island, it's not 213 00:15:28,880 --> 00:15:33,400 Speaker 1: a single island. Then it becomes a huge deal in 214 00:15:33,640 --> 00:15:37,360 Speaker 1: World War Two. It's still a British colony at this point, 215 00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:40,640 Speaker 1: and so the British are using it as a foothold 216 00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:45,120 Speaker 1: in the Mediterranean. And Hitler is super peeved about that. 217 00:15:46,360 --> 00:15:50,440 Speaker 1: Adolf Hitler, Oh yeah, guys, They're just a specify, real alarmists, 218 00:15:51,680 --> 00:15:55,520 Speaker 1: real reactionary type of cat hot take. And I've said 219 00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:57,680 Speaker 1: this on other shows. I don't think he was a 220 00:15:57,680 --> 00:15:58,440 Speaker 1: good dude. 221 00:15:58,320 --> 00:16:03,920 Speaker 2: Not a good guy. No man. Hitler showed absolutely no 222 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:09,000 Speaker 2: quota to Malta, and it was. It became one of 223 00:16:09,040 --> 00:16:14,000 Speaker 2: the most intensely bombed places in the entire war, more 224 00:16:14,080 --> 00:16:19,680 Speaker 2: than some much larger and more maybe militarily significant cities 225 00:16:19,720 --> 00:16:30,520 Speaker 2: like Coventry. Coventry got its own blitz Blitz named after it. 226 00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:33,760 Speaker 1: Right, Yes, this episode brought to you by the Tourism 227 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:37,320 Speaker 1: Board of Coventry. 228 00:16:38,360 --> 00:16:40,640 Speaker 4: We still exist post blitz. 229 00:16:40,720 --> 00:16:46,120 Speaker 1: Post blitz Coventry. The population of Malta at this point 230 00:16:46,600 --> 00:16:51,200 Speaker 1: it's only about two hundred and seventy thousand people, which 231 00:16:51,240 --> 00:16:53,320 Speaker 1: is a lot of people for a concert, but not 232 00:16:53,440 --> 00:16:57,200 Speaker 1: a lot of people for a country. And Malta also 233 00:16:57,440 --> 00:17:01,680 Speaker 1: hosts a bunch of airfields, or multiple airfields, and it's 234 00:17:01,760 --> 00:17:08,320 Speaker 1: the only British harbor between Gibraltar and Egypt. It also 235 00:17:09,040 --> 00:17:13,879 Speaker 1: helps become a place to disrupt the supply convoys of 236 00:17:13,920 --> 00:17:16,800 Speaker 1: the Axis powers, who at this time are still trying 237 00:17:16,840 --> 00:17:21,560 Speaker 1: to bring Northern Africa into their sphere of influence. I'm 238 00:17:21,560 --> 00:17:26,439 Speaker 1: thinking about Ethiopia and Italy for instance, and of course 239 00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:32,399 Speaker 1: several notable historical figures involved in that. The first attack 240 00:17:32,720 --> 00:17:38,240 Speaker 1: that Malta hits is June eleventh, nineteen forty and if 241 00:17:38,240 --> 00:17:41,840 Speaker 1: you fast forward a year nineteen forty one, the German 242 00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:47,800 Speaker 1: Luftwaffe arrive in Sicily and the attacks turn up to eleven. 243 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:50,800 Speaker 1: Just like that amp on a spinal tap. 244 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:53,080 Speaker 2: It's one louder, it's one louder. 245 00:17:53,240 --> 00:17:55,760 Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah. 246 00:17:55,840 --> 00:17:58,080 Speaker 2: Then during nineteen forty one and forty two we have 247 00:17:58,119 --> 00:18:01,320 Speaker 2: more than three thousand air raids going down. In the 248 00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:03,800 Speaker 2: first six months of forty two there was only a 249 00:18:03,840 --> 00:18:09,719 Speaker 2: single twenty four hour period sans air raids. The folks 250 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:13,560 Speaker 2: living there were forced to once again go underground, kind 251 00:18:13,600 --> 00:18:16,520 Speaker 2: of joining the legacy of their predecessors. 252 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:24,359 Speaker 1: Right like that ben Folds five song Brick Underground Ground. 253 00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:27,840 Speaker 2: There's no brick drowning slowly. What does that even mean? 254 00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:31,159 Speaker 2: Ben Folds five is a pretty great music. Oh yeah, no, 255 00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:35,480 Speaker 2: we're very great, bad, fabulous musician. Dear friend of the 256 00:18:35,520 --> 00:18:39,120 Speaker 2: show and friend personally both of us. Jordan Runta has 257 00:18:39,160 --> 00:18:44,159 Speaker 2: a key from one of ben folds pianos framed on 258 00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:45,480 Speaker 2: his wall in his apartment. 259 00:18:46,880 --> 00:18:49,760 Speaker 1: Congratulations, Jordan, we should have him on the show too. 260 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:54,400 Speaker 1: He's got some great ideas, great pitches, Jordan. That is 261 00:18:54,440 --> 00:18:57,800 Speaker 1: not necessarily Ben Folds. But Ben, if you're listening, come 262 00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:00,679 Speaker 1: on down. You know what I mean. We're basically the 263 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:05,080 Speaker 1: post s Blitz Coventry of podcasts. 264 00:19:03,560 --> 00:19:03,840 Speaker 2: In the. 265 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:13,640 Speaker 1: Case of this subterranean survival, we see that it was necessary, 266 00:19:13,720 --> 00:19:16,960 Speaker 1: but it led to a very high blood price. A 267 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:21,000 Speaker 1: lot of people had health problems. Being squeezed into this 268 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:25,679 Speaker 1: environment without proper hygiene led to an epidemic of typhoid. 269 00:19:26,440 --> 00:19:31,399 Speaker 1: One thousand, four hundred and ninety three civilians died. North 270 00:19:31,480 --> 00:19:36,040 Speaker 1: of three thousand people were wounded. Children had at the worst, 271 00:19:36,240 --> 00:19:39,159 Speaker 1: probably the elderly as well. That's how war works the 272 00:19:39,160 --> 00:19:43,960 Speaker 1: most vulnerable in the population. Thankfully, German military turns out 273 00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:46,680 Speaker 1: not super great at a lot of things, and thank 274 00:19:46,680 --> 00:19:53,080 Speaker 1: goodness for that. They also underestimated how difficult it would 275 00:19:53,119 --> 00:19:57,760 Speaker 1: be to acquire and control Malta. They thought they had 276 00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:01,280 Speaker 1: the people whooped and they moved move their aircraft. Because 277 00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:05,800 Speaker 1: they were already in a dwindling resource space. They moved 278 00:20:05,840 --> 00:20:10,080 Speaker 1: their aircraft to other initiatives and this gave the British 279 00:20:10,119 --> 00:20:15,920 Speaker 1: military the window that they needed to bring new planes 280 00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:20,200 Speaker 1: to Malta to defend this location and also to resupply 281 00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:25,400 Speaker 1: the people and their own military. So raids, decrease defenses, 282 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:32,160 Speaker 1: improve A convoy travels from Alexandria Egypt and they bring 283 00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:36,399 Speaker 1: food to the people of Malta who were riddled with typhoid. 284 00:20:36,840 --> 00:20:39,480 Speaker 1: You know, many are starving or in what we would 285 00:20:39,480 --> 00:20:45,159 Speaker 1: call a food insecurity situation. If those planes, those supplies 286 00:20:45,520 --> 00:20:49,720 Speaker 1: and that sustenance had not arrived, Malta probably would have 287 00:20:49,760 --> 00:20:54,080 Speaker 1: gone to the Germans and the Lufwaffa would have controlled it. 288 00:20:54,520 --> 00:20:57,760 Speaker 1: German supply lines would have moved in, and the future 289 00:20:57,800 --> 00:21:00,720 Speaker 1: of North Africa in World War two would have been 290 00:21:00,760 --> 00:21:01,719 Speaker 1: markedly different. 291 00:21:02,200 --> 00:21:05,320 Speaker 2: Can I just say that the phrase and bombs fell 292 00:21:05,359 --> 00:21:08,080 Speaker 2: on Malta seems like a great name for like a 293 00:21:08,119 --> 00:21:09,399 Speaker 2: heavy emo band. 294 00:21:10,119 --> 00:21:11,600 Speaker 1: Or like a Phoenix song. 295 00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:14,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, Like, oh going do I'm want to see 296 00:21:14,600 --> 00:21:17,719 Speaker 2: Phoenix a couple of days. I'm so excited in Spain 297 00:21:18,119 --> 00:21:20,240 Speaker 2: they're playing the first night or the first to opening 298 00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:22,320 Speaker 2: day of prima Vera Sound and they're one of my 299 00:21:22,720 --> 00:21:25,840 Speaker 2: favorite bands in the whole wide world. So the Luftwaffa 300 00:21:25,920 --> 00:21:29,840 Speaker 2: did realize they had aired and unfortunately for the Germans, 301 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:34,000 Speaker 2: fortunately for Malta, Malta caught a reup on their supplies 302 00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:39,160 Speaker 2: and along with Allied victories in North Africa, Malta did 303 00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:44,399 Speaker 2: not fall and according to ciay dot gov, the people 304 00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:46,560 Speaker 2: of Malta had just a quote. People of Malta had 305 00:21:46,560 --> 00:21:49,680 Speaker 2: shown extreme bravery in the face of severe threat and hardship. 306 00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:53,600 Speaker 2: To acknowledge such bravery, King George the sixth made a 307 00:21:53,640 --> 00:21:57,920 Speaker 2: gesture unique in history. On fifteen April nineteen forty two, 308 00:21:58,240 --> 00:22:02,080 Speaker 2: he awarded the George Craws to the Maltese nation, an 309 00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:06,400 Speaker 2: honor still born by the Maltese, on their flag. It's 310 00:22:06,440 --> 00:22:07,440 Speaker 2: a big, big deal. 311 00:22:07,600 --> 00:22:10,840 Speaker 1: It makes sense for the vexillologists in the crowd that 312 00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:13,600 Speaker 1: they would have this on their flag. The George Cross 313 00:22:14,240 --> 00:22:18,560 Speaker 1: is the highest award the British government can give to 314 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:24,879 Speaker 1: anyone for bravery, not in the direct presence of an enemy. 315 00:22:25,720 --> 00:22:28,959 Speaker 1: They call it gallantry. So they said, Malta, you are 316 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:32,480 Speaker 1: a gallant people, and they said we're fixing up the. 317 00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:36,960 Speaker 2: Flag well again, once again in line with their history 318 00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:40,120 Speaker 2: of chivalry, right and nightly orders. 319 00:22:41,119 --> 00:22:44,960 Speaker 1: After World War Two, Malta, which is still a British colony. 320 00:22:45,359 --> 00:22:49,720 Speaker 1: While all this is going down, they start getting a 321 00:22:49,840 --> 00:22:54,240 Speaker 1: dare I say, American yearning for independence and autonomy. It's 322 00:22:54,880 --> 00:22:59,080 Speaker 1: nineteen forty seven where they get again like our vicissitudes, 323 00:22:59,119 --> 00:23:05,480 Speaker 1: we're talking about our changeable, ephemeral status here. Malta becomes 324 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:09,440 Speaker 1: a self governing body in forty seven, but that gets 325 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:13,400 Speaker 1: revoked in nineteen fifty nine. Just three years later, they 326 00:23:13,560 --> 00:23:17,800 Speaker 1: get self government governance again in nineteen sixty two. It's 327 00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:21,960 Speaker 1: not until September of nineteen sixty four, September twenty first 328 00:23:22,480 --> 00:23:27,760 Speaker 1: that Malta becomes independent. It becomes a member of the Commonwealth, 329 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:30,760 Speaker 1: and then it becomes a member of the Council of Europe. 330 00:23:31,400 --> 00:23:35,480 Speaker 1: It's not until like nineteen seventy nine that Britain or 331 00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:40,400 Speaker 1: the United Kingdom fully removes all of their forces. They're 332 00:23:40,480 --> 00:23:44,040 Speaker 1: finally they're getting out of Malta and they close down 333 00:23:44,080 --> 00:23:49,440 Speaker 1: their base. The Maltese government marks this as their genuine 334 00:23:49,920 --> 00:23:54,000 Speaker 1: independence after thousands of years, to be clear, and they 335 00:23:54,080 --> 00:23:58,560 Speaker 1: become a republic on December thirteenth, nineteen seventy four. In 336 00:23:58,600 --> 00:24:01,560 Speaker 1: case who want to call off work, folks just say like, 337 00:24:01,640 --> 00:24:05,360 Speaker 1: I can't come in today. It's Maltese Independence Day, and 338 00:24:05,400 --> 00:24:07,200 Speaker 1: you can pick like two or three of those dates. 339 00:24:07,280 --> 00:24:08,959 Speaker 2: Yeah, no one will call you on that. No one 340 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:10,640 Speaker 2: will check you on that. They don't know about your 341 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:13,600 Speaker 2: heritage or your history, or your allegiances, you know, or 342 00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:15,400 Speaker 2: your family crest a bank. 343 00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:17,160 Speaker 4: Can I have December thirteenth office year? 344 00:24:17,359 --> 00:24:19,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's Multese Independence Day? 345 00:24:19,400 --> 00:24:21,159 Speaker 2: You guys, you you know if you guys are, of 346 00:24:21,200 --> 00:24:27,200 Speaker 2: course familiar with the malted confection known as whoppers. Yeah, 347 00:24:27,480 --> 00:24:31,120 Speaker 2: I'm getting some nods. Okay, we got some? Yeah, you got, 348 00:24:31,119 --> 00:24:31,880 Speaker 2: you got, you got, you got. 349 00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:33,320 Speaker 4: Put on favorite candy. 350 00:24:33,359 --> 00:24:35,720 Speaker 2: It's a good candy, and occasionally you'll get one that's 351 00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:37,560 Speaker 2: sort of chewy. I like it when you find an 352 00:24:37,600 --> 00:24:41,320 Speaker 2: occasional chewy one. But there is a whoppers equivalent, you 353 00:24:41,320 --> 00:24:44,040 Speaker 2: guys know what, They're called Maltesers. 354 00:24:44,480 --> 00:24:48,639 Speaker 1: Malteser, that's right there in Europe, that's right. Also, Max, 355 00:24:48,720 --> 00:24:52,159 Speaker 1: your dad's still an absolute madman for cereal, right. 356 00:24:52,480 --> 00:24:54,360 Speaker 2: Grape nuts? You love grape nuts. 357 00:24:54,560 --> 00:24:56,120 Speaker 4: Alex is a grape nuts fan too. 358 00:24:55,920 --> 00:24:58,160 Speaker 1: Which is Alex Williams. Who could post our. 359 00:24:58,119 --> 00:24:59,960 Speaker 4: Try Alex and my dad are very thick. 360 00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:02,399 Speaker 1: Did they puts in the cereal? 361 00:25:02,800 --> 00:25:04,800 Speaker 3: They probably what I mean, yeah, my dad is you 362 00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:09,520 Speaker 3: know whoppers necho wayfirst candy corn. I think he's just 363 00:25:09,560 --> 00:25:11,800 Speaker 3: a contrarian. I think my contrarian ism. 364 00:25:12,600 --> 00:25:15,080 Speaker 2: Do grape nuts even snap? Crackle and or pop? 365 00:25:15,760 --> 00:25:16,879 Speaker 4: Did you snap your teeth? 366 00:25:17,520 --> 00:25:20,560 Speaker 2: They just kind of sit there getting softy. This episode 367 00:25:20,560 --> 00:25:23,320 Speaker 2: brought to you by Coventry and grape nuts. 368 00:25:23,200 --> 00:25:25,360 Speaker 4: Which we already have a headpiece on. Grape nuts, which 369 00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:26,160 Speaker 4: we already do. 370 00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:29,800 Speaker 2: Tis either a grape nor a nut. It's its own thing, 371 00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:30,840 Speaker 2: grape nuts. 372 00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:32,919 Speaker 4: They titled it that just to make it sounded go 373 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:33,439 Speaker 4: is healthy. 374 00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:35,320 Speaker 2: Sure, Yeah, I don't get it. 375 00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:38,200 Speaker 4: Yeah, listen to our sterial episode. 376 00:25:38,280 --> 00:25:42,439 Speaker 1: Yeah, please do. Uh this country. If we learn about 377 00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:45,320 Speaker 1: the geography of Malta, it's always been the same for 378 00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:50,239 Speaker 1: human civilization, which is still kind of a fad. Malta is, 379 00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:54,080 Speaker 1: as we mentioned earlier, not a single island. It is 380 00:25:54,119 --> 00:25:57,439 Speaker 1: instead a chain of islands and archipelago one of my 381 00:25:57,480 --> 00:26:01,480 Speaker 1: favorite words in this language. Uh. The islands are five. 382 00:26:01,560 --> 00:26:06,280 Speaker 1: There's Malta the largest one, there's Gozo, Camino, and then 383 00:26:06,320 --> 00:26:11,280 Speaker 1: there are two you know additional like also rands. They 384 00:26:11,320 --> 00:26:16,480 Speaker 1: are largely uninhabited or not permanently inhabited by a sizable population. 385 00:26:17,040 --> 00:26:23,000 Speaker 1: Those are Kiminette or Cominoto and phil Fla fild Fla, 386 00:26:23,320 --> 00:26:28,560 Speaker 1: which sounds like an Italian word for something you know, 387 00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:31,640 Speaker 1: for like lint, right, like belly button lint. 388 00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:35,920 Speaker 2: It also sounds like an Ikea product for like a 389 00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:39,520 Speaker 2: like a hand towel or something. Yeah, the fild Fla. 390 00:26:39,640 --> 00:26:43,160 Speaker 2: It's roughly fifty eight miles south of a Sicily and 391 00:26:43,200 --> 00:26:46,080 Speaker 2: one hundred and eighty miles north of Libya. As we 392 00:26:46,119 --> 00:26:50,480 Speaker 2: mentioned earlier, Valletta, you know of of Ciev six Fame 393 00:26:51,480 --> 00:26:55,639 Speaker 2: is the capital and it is located on the northeast 394 00:26:55,680 --> 00:27:00,240 Speaker 2: coast of Malta. But Malta has a number of even 395 00:27:00,359 --> 00:27:04,920 Speaker 2: larger cities, like Zibar and previously referred to Zibug with 396 00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:09,800 Speaker 2: some very interesting accent marks over both the Z and 397 00:27:09,880 --> 00:27:12,000 Speaker 2: the G. It's like a little dot. I'm not even 398 00:27:12,040 --> 00:27:14,560 Speaker 2: sure what that one implies in terms of how you're 399 00:27:14,600 --> 00:27:16,160 Speaker 2: supposed to say the letters. 400 00:27:17,240 --> 00:27:24,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, those are tricky diacritics. It's also Mediterranean typically the climate, 401 00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:27,920 Speaker 1: and I guess we should mention those cities are big 402 00:27:27,960 --> 00:27:31,719 Speaker 1: for Malta, but that's much that's much smaller than your 403 00:27:31,760 --> 00:27:35,840 Speaker 1: average city in most other countries. Mediterranean climate means the 404 00:27:35,840 --> 00:27:41,040 Speaker 1: summers are hot and dry, the autumn is or the 405 00:27:41,080 --> 00:27:45,720 Speaker 1: falls gonna be warm. It's gonna maybe rain in the fall. 406 00:27:46,080 --> 00:27:50,119 Speaker 1: The winters are pretty short given their location along the 407 00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:54,240 Speaker 1: equator urban relation to the Equator, the winters are cool, 408 00:27:55,160 --> 00:27:57,359 Speaker 1: not a ton of snow, but it does have it 409 00:27:57,400 --> 00:28:00,399 Speaker 1: does rain. It's usually between like the fifth D's in 410 00:28:00,440 --> 00:28:03,000 Speaker 1: the eighties fahrenheit. For the rest of the world, that's 411 00:28:03,040 --> 00:28:07,080 Speaker 1: between twelve degrees celsius up to twenty nine degrees celsius. 412 00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:11,040 Speaker 1: That will change, of course, within your lifetime if you 413 00:28:11,080 --> 00:28:13,000 Speaker 1: wait a couple of years and you listen to this 414 00:28:13,080 --> 00:28:16,280 Speaker 1: episode again tell us about the weather in Malta and 415 00:28:16,440 --> 00:28:25,040 Speaker 1: other geographically vulnerable countries. The population is primarily people who 416 00:28:25,080 --> 00:28:30,360 Speaker 1: would describe themselves as ethnically Maltese. Their families been there, 417 00:28:30,440 --> 00:28:34,560 Speaker 1: They've always been there. There will be parts of the 418 00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:41,480 Speaker 1: population who are descended from Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Italians, other Mediterranean peoples. 419 00:28:42,200 --> 00:28:49,200 Speaker 1: There are of course, small communities of British nationals, Greeks, Palestinians, Sindes. 420 00:28:51,440 --> 00:28:57,880 Speaker 1: There has been a growing influx of modern immigration from 421 00:28:57,960 --> 00:29:02,240 Speaker 1: North Africa. Obviously, it's super close the Balkans and then 422 00:29:02,320 --> 00:29:05,920 Speaker 1: some sub African countries. Good news if you are an 423 00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:10,200 Speaker 1: American traveling to Malta. Shout out Josh Clark. Malta has 424 00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:14,680 Speaker 1: two official languages. The first is Maltese and the second 425 00:29:14,760 --> 00:29:17,520 Speaker 1: is English, so you can go there in order a whopper. 426 00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:20,560 Speaker 2: So is there a I mean Maltese? Is there a 427 00:29:20,600 --> 00:29:24,080 Speaker 2: connection to another language that we're familiar with that might 428 00:29:24,120 --> 00:29:26,920 Speaker 2: have some analogs or like, I guess I've never even 429 00:29:26,920 --> 00:29:29,440 Speaker 2: thought of Maltese as its own language. 430 00:29:29,920 --> 00:29:33,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, it comes from uh Sicilian Arabic. 431 00:29:34,440 --> 00:29:37,920 Speaker 2: Cool, totally clear. Now, jeez, Louise, I. 432 00:29:37,840 --> 00:29:39,200 Speaker 1: Feel like you asked one question. 433 00:29:39,280 --> 00:29:41,560 Speaker 2: I have four more questions a million. I mean, these 434 00:29:41,600 --> 00:29:44,200 Speaker 2: are all just remixes in the in the Internet of 435 00:29:44,240 --> 00:29:47,280 Speaker 2: the Game of Telephone, that is language. But I'm sorry 436 00:29:47,320 --> 00:29:55,560 Speaker 2: Arabic Sicilian, medieval media, gotcha, cat attack. 437 00:29:56,640 --> 00:30:00,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, we'll keep it in. Doctor Venkman has some opinion. 438 00:30:00,040 --> 00:30:12,479 Speaker 1: It's on Malta. So we also know that this is 439 00:30:12,560 --> 00:30:17,440 Speaker 1: a micronation episode. It's a micro state episode. So let's 440 00:30:17,520 --> 00:30:21,360 Speaker 1: go back to our palace of Britannica. Knowel how big 441 00:30:21,720 --> 00:30:22,680 Speaker 1: is Malta? 442 00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:27,800 Speaker 2: Pretty big for a micronation, right, According to Britannica. The 443 00:30:27,840 --> 00:30:31,280 Speaker 2: total area is one hundred and twenty two square miles, 444 00:30:31,280 --> 00:30:33,880 Speaker 2: with the population of a little more than half a 445 00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:38,680 Speaker 2: million souls. Land mass is seven hundred and seventeen point 446 00:30:38,720 --> 00:30:43,040 Speaker 2: sixty five times bigger than Vatican City. Again we're talking 447 00:30:43,080 --> 00:30:47,040 Speaker 2: about orders of tiny magnitude. One hundred and fifty two 448 00:30:47,080 --> 00:30:50,480 Speaker 2: point five times bigger than Monaco, which we know is tiny, 449 00:30:50,960 --> 00:30:54,640 Speaker 2: five point one times bigger than San Marino, and about 450 00:30:54,720 --> 00:30:59,120 Speaker 2: twice as big as good old Liechtenstein. So this really 451 00:30:59,160 --> 00:31:01,960 Speaker 2: is the kind of big brother of micronations, or at 452 00:31:02,040 --> 00:31:05,640 Speaker 2: least of these. So before you lest you go thinking 453 00:31:05,640 --> 00:31:07,400 Speaker 2: that this is some sort of massive country, it is 454 00:31:07,440 --> 00:31:11,640 Speaker 2: in fact fifty nine square miles smaller than Andorra, which 455 00:31:11,720 --> 00:31:16,280 Speaker 2: was our very first episode in this ongoing series on micronations. 456 00:31:17,040 --> 00:31:20,400 Speaker 2: And though five hundred and fifty one hundred people call 457 00:31:20,480 --> 00:31:23,920 Speaker 2: it home, that is not a lot of folks in 458 00:31:24,040 --> 00:31:28,000 Speaker 2: terms of a total population. Let's see, the total population 459 00:31:28,040 --> 00:31:31,680 Speaker 2: of the five previous micronations though, comes out to around 460 00:31:31,720 --> 00:31:34,440 Speaker 2: one hundred and ninety three thousand, five hundred and fifty 461 00:31:34,640 --> 00:31:37,600 Speaker 2: so it's more than two point five times as many 462 00:31:37,640 --> 00:31:41,960 Speaker 2: people than all of the previous micronations. But again, compared 463 00:31:42,000 --> 00:31:47,040 Speaker 2: to the population of a larger country, it's it's pretty 464 00:31:47,080 --> 00:31:47,880 Speaker 2: pretty dwarfed. 465 00:31:49,040 --> 00:31:54,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, and the population for American comparison, of Malta is 466 00:31:54,840 --> 00:32:00,320 Speaker 1: smaller than Wyoming, which is famously sparsely populated. Far as 467 00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:03,880 Speaker 1: US states go I was doing. I was looking into 468 00:32:03,920 --> 00:32:09,280 Speaker 1: this because I remember being surprised at how easy it 469 00:32:09,400 --> 00:32:15,560 Speaker 1: is to acquire residency in Malta. Interesting costile living is 470 00:32:15,880 --> 00:32:21,360 Speaker 1: surprisingly affordable. We want to hear about your Maltese adventures, 471 00:32:21,360 --> 00:32:24,959 Speaker 1: and we thought what better way to end this episode 472 00:32:25,760 --> 00:32:32,760 Speaker 1: than talking about some other linguistically or thematically related things. 473 00:32:33,240 --> 00:32:37,000 Speaker 1: I think particular to interest to us as animal lovers is, 474 00:32:37,080 --> 00:32:41,960 Speaker 1: of course, the Maltese dog breed. So what does that 475 00:32:42,120 --> 00:32:46,040 Speaker 1: look like? We know it's acknowledged by the American Kennel Club. 476 00:32:46,480 --> 00:32:50,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, little little lap dog type guys introduced by Malta 477 00:32:50,920 --> 00:32:54,720 Speaker 2: to the Phoenicians who ruled the Mediterranean before that rise 478 00:32:54,840 --> 00:32:57,800 Speaker 2: of Greece that we talked about. There are some historical 479 00:32:57,880 --> 00:33:02,720 Speaker 2: theories as to what les to the breeding of the 480 00:33:03,080 --> 00:33:09,080 Speaker 2: Maltese dog. Some set the Maltese's birthplace anywhere from Egypt 481 00:33:09,280 --> 00:33:13,920 Speaker 2: to the Alps, and a lot of the scholarship from 482 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:21,000 Speaker 2: Malta sites Terriers, Spaniels and Spitzes as the antecedent of 483 00:33:20,520 --> 00:33:21,960 Speaker 2: the Maltese. 484 00:33:22,920 --> 00:33:25,200 Speaker 1: But then a lot of people well, okay, so we're 485 00:33:25,240 --> 00:33:29,320 Speaker 1: pretty sure the Phoenicians brought the ancestors of the Maltese 486 00:33:29,320 --> 00:33:32,880 Speaker 1: dog to Malta where it got famous. And you might 487 00:33:32,880 --> 00:33:36,080 Speaker 1: be surprised to learn that a lot of canine enthusiasts, 488 00:33:36,520 --> 00:33:41,640 Speaker 1: especially Maltese fancias, will say, no, Malta has its own dog, 489 00:33:41,960 --> 00:33:44,680 Speaker 1: that's why it's called the Maltese. And a lot of 490 00:33:44,720 --> 00:33:48,040 Speaker 1: other dog breeds are based on our island or our 491 00:33:48,280 --> 00:33:53,960 Speaker 1: archipelago's original breed. So be very careful when you speak 492 00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:58,120 Speaker 1: to the Maltese about canines in general. Just be respectful, 493 00:33:58,560 --> 00:34:02,560 Speaker 1: and if they seem cool, the next time you're hanging 494 00:34:02,600 --> 00:34:05,960 Speaker 1: out with a Maltese person, if they seem cool, you 495 00:34:05,960 --> 00:34:09,719 Speaker 1: can ask them about the infamous Maltese falcon. 496 00:34:09,840 --> 00:34:14,160 Speaker 2: Ah, the Maltese falcon I. Actually watched this film on 497 00:34:14,320 --> 00:34:20,080 Speaker 2: a flight not terribly long ago, really really cool noir 498 00:34:20,280 --> 00:34:26,080 Speaker 2: film starring Bogie Old Humphrey Bogart. So yeah, let's see. 499 00:34:26,760 --> 00:34:30,200 Speaker 2: According to The Hollywood Reporter, writer Andy Lewis at ranks 500 00:34:30,400 --> 00:34:33,920 Speaker 2: with the most expensive pieces of movie and TV memorabilia 501 00:34:34,040 --> 00:34:37,640 Speaker 2: ever sold at auction. It is also a classic example 502 00:34:37,719 --> 00:34:40,920 Speaker 2: of what is known in cinema and in fiction writing 503 00:34:40,960 --> 00:34:44,719 Speaker 2: as a mcguffin. It is an object that is the 504 00:34:45,239 --> 00:34:47,959 Speaker 2: driver of the action of a film or a piece 505 00:34:48,000 --> 00:34:50,960 Speaker 2: of work, but doesn't really have any meaning on its 506 00:34:50,960 --> 00:34:53,399 Speaker 2: own a good example. Another good example of that would 507 00:34:53,400 --> 00:34:56,359 Speaker 2: be the suitcase in pulp fiction. It's sort of this 508 00:34:56,440 --> 00:34:59,880 Speaker 2: thing that everyone's seeking but doesn't really mean anything out 509 00:34:59,880 --> 00:35:02,520 Speaker 2: the side of a reason for people to be doing 510 00:35:02,560 --> 00:35:05,040 Speaker 2: the things they're doing. But you don't really ever get 511 00:35:05,080 --> 00:35:07,920 Speaker 2: a sense of why it exists or the importance of 512 00:35:07,960 --> 00:35:11,800 Speaker 2: it outside of it being some sort of valued objects. 513 00:35:11,320 --> 00:35:16,319 Speaker 1: All right, something that compels and propels the plot. We 514 00:35:16,400 --> 00:35:23,200 Speaker 1: know that the Falcon statues have been sold in different iterations. 515 00:35:23,760 --> 00:35:27,200 Speaker 1: It is one of the most expensive pieces of memorabilia 516 00:35:27,320 --> 00:35:30,040 Speaker 1: ever sold at an auction. Check out our earlier episode 517 00:35:30,040 --> 00:35:36,840 Speaker 1: on auction houses, and I proposed the portmanteau soln like 518 00:35:37,200 --> 00:35:41,799 Speaker 1: stolen and sold because a lot of stuff in museums 519 00:35:41,920 --> 00:35:46,759 Speaker 1: at auction houses is sold anyway. The Falcon statue, as 520 00:35:46,760 --> 00:35:50,200 Speaker 1: we learn from Andy Lewis writing for Hollywood Reporter, that 521 00:35:50,440 --> 00:35:54,719 Speaker 1: was sold went for the price of four million and 522 00:35:54,840 --> 00:36:01,080 Speaker 1: eighty five thousand dollars, including an addition of over half 523 00:36:01,120 --> 00:36:04,919 Speaker 1: a million dollars. It was one of the two statues 524 00:36:04,960 --> 00:36:08,640 Speaker 1: made for the movie Maltese Falcon, but it's the only 525 00:36:08,719 --> 00:36:12,520 Speaker 1: one we know was actually on screen. And according to 526 00:36:12,600 --> 00:36:16,400 Speaker 1: the auction house that did the sale, the markings on 527 00:36:16,560 --> 00:36:21,000 Speaker 1: the statue can be matched to the statue on the 528 00:36:21,120 --> 00:36:24,960 Speaker 1: actual film, like in the final cut. And according to 529 00:36:25,719 --> 00:36:29,640 Speaker 1: Catherine Williamson, one of the directors at Bottoms, the auction 530 00:36:29,760 --> 00:36:33,480 Speaker 1: house in charge, quote, the Maltese Falcon is arguably the 531 00:36:33,520 --> 00:36:37,120 Speaker 1: most important movie prop ever. It is central to the 532 00:36:37,200 --> 00:36:41,839 Speaker 1: history of cinema. This is also a statement of someone 533 00:36:41,880 --> 00:36:44,760 Speaker 1: who makes a lot of money by auctioning the Maltese Falcon. 534 00:36:45,440 --> 00:36:48,520 Speaker 1: Just to be clear, and I think this shows us 535 00:36:49,440 --> 00:36:51,759 Speaker 1: that there is still a mystery of foot. There is 536 00:36:51,800 --> 00:36:56,239 Speaker 1: no proof right now as to whether or not there 537 00:36:56,320 --> 00:37:00,520 Speaker 1: is a real Maltese Falcon statue floating out there, or 538 00:37:00,640 --> 00:37:04,920 Speaker 1: whether it is one grand game of mcguffin. And thus 539 00:37:04,960 --> 00:37:10,680 Speaker 1: we conclude our episode the fascinating, fascinating country of Malta. 540 00:37:11,440 --> 00:37:13,560 Speaker 1: I'd love to go there one day. Oh I gotta 541 00:37:13,560 --> 00:37:17,600 Speaker 1: mention They've got the fanciest passports too, the Sovereign Order 542 00:37:17,640 --> 00:37:18,319 Speaker 1: of Malta. 543 00:37:18,400 --> 00:37:20,000 Speaker 2: What does that mean though? What does that get you? 544 00:37:20,120 --> 00:37:23,040 Speaker 2: Is it sort of like one of those diplomatic passes 545 00:37:23,239 --> 00:37:25,680 Speaker 2: or I'm a little confused as to what that means. 546 00:37:26,120 --> 00:37:29,680 Speaker 1: Oh, they don't have to pay for anything at Dave and. 547 00:37:29,719 --> 00:37:34,120 Speaker 2: Buster's cool, cool at all and they get the best 548 00:37:34,120 --> 00:37:36,840 Speaker 2: odds on the gambling. When once that gets rolled out. 549 00:37:37,360 --> 00:37:42,000 Speaker 1: Right, what's DMB does that? The Sovereign Military Order of 550 00:37:42,280 --> 00:37:47,800 Speaker 1: Malta issues a very very small amount of passports. The 551 00:37:47,880 --> 00:37:51,560 Speaker 1: issue diplomatic and service passports. The people who get the 552 00:37:51,600 --> 00:37:55,520 Speaker 1: diplomatic passports there are only three, the Grand Master, the 553 00:37:55,560 --> 00:37:58,480 Speaker 1: Grand Commander, the Grand Chancellor. It's just like it's the 554 00:37:58,520 --> 00:38:02,560 Speaker 1: best passport. I just want to have one for collector's purposes. 555 00:38:03,160 --> 00:38:05,719 Speaker 1: But that feels bad because if I did have one, 556 00:38:06,040 --> 00:38:09,480 Speaker 1: that would mean one of three very important people is 557 00:38:09,560 --> 00:38:12,360 Speaker 1: just sort of ass out at the airport. So we 558 00:38:12,440 --> 00:38:14,640 Speaker 1: got to think of the greater good. But anyway, this 559 00:38:14,680 --> 00:38:19,200 Speaker 1: is our Malta episode, thanks so much to our super 560 00:38:19,280 --> 00:38:23,040 Speaker 1: producer mister Max Williams also conducted the research as we 561 00:38:23,080 --> 00:38:25,520 Speaker 1: mentioned earlier, for this episode. 562 00:38:25,800 --> 00:38:32,640 Speaker 2: Indeed, Jonathan the Maltese Falcon, Strickland aka the Quizzler, aj Bahamas, Jacobs, 563 00:38:33,000 --> 00:38:37,360 Speaker 2: the Puzzler, Eves Jeff Coates here in spirit. Christopher Hasiotis 564 00:38:37,440 --> 00:38:38,200 Speaker 2: as well. 565 00:38:38,400 --> 00:38:41,319 Speaker 1: Alex Williams who composed this slap and bop at the 566 00:38:41,360 --> 00:38:45,880 Speaker 1: beginning end of every episode. We also want to thank 567 00:38:45,960 --> 00:38:49,960 Speaker 1: our pal doctor Rachel Big Spinach Lance who might be 568 00:38:50,040 --> 00:38:52,920 Speaker 1: making an appearance. And thanks to you all. 569 00:38:53,160 --> 00:38:55,560 Speaker 2: Let's get on the road, Let's do it. We'll see 570 00:38:55,560 --> 00:39:05,319 Speaker 2: you next time, folks. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit 571 00:39:05,400 --> 00:39:08,520 Speaker 2: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 572 00:39:08,560 --> 00:39:09,480 Speaker 2: your favorite shows.