A materialist revision of Maltese history: 1919-1979 (Ebook, PDF Version) – Mark Camilleri

Description

A materialist revision of Maltese history: 1919-1979 (Ebook Version, PDF Version)

ISBN: 978-99932-17-56-5

This is the second volume in the series “A Materialist Revision of Maltese History”. Through his series Camilleri tries to study Maltese history from a materialistic perspective using Hegel and Marx as his fundamental reading to his methodology. Amongst the main themes of this volume are Malta’s process of decolonisation, 20th century ideology, the history of the economy and politics.

Malta’s most significant historic process took place in the 20^th century when it underwent a paradigmatic change from a vulnerable and dependent society, into an independent country both economically and politically. The seeds of this process were sown in 1919, but it was the Second World War which unleashed the working class movement. Malta’s paradigm shift into a fully-fledged independent country reached its pinnacle mark in 1979 when Malta’s naval base was closed down and the World Bank described Malta as one of the richest of small island states. The march to 1979 and the ideal it represented was fulfilled through an arduous struggle by the working class and the Labour Party led by Dom Mintoff. This was an ideal which people dreamed of when work was scarce and tens of thousands emigrated away, when the Church still dominated politics and conditioned the future of the country and when Malta was still economically dependent on Britain. It is an astonishing tale of a poor and miserable people which rose up against all odds to achieve political freedom and social justice.