National Congress Battalions
| National Congress Battalions | |
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Battaglioni del Congresso Nazionale Battaljuni tal-Kungress Nazzjonali Participant in the Siege of Malta (1798–1800) |
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Flag of Malta
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| Active | September 1798 – 11 September 1800 |
| Leaders |
Emmanuele Vitale Vincenzo Borg Francesco Saverio Caruana |
| Headquarters | Casa Leoni, Santa Venera |
| Area of operations | Malta |
| Strength | 10,000 men |
| Allies |
 Kingdom of Great Britain Kingdom of Naples Kingdom of Portugal Russian Empire
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| Opponents |
 French Republic
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The National Congress Battalions (Italian: Battaglioni del Congresso Nazionale, Maltese: Battaljuni tal-Kungress Nazzjonali), also known as the Truppe di Campagna, was an irregular military set up in Malta just after the Maltese rebellion against French rule in September 1798. It existed for two years before being disbanded on 11 September 1800.
The battalions were also referred to as the Maltese Army or the Maltese insurgents.
From 1530, Malta had been administered by the Order of Saint John. The islands were occupied by French forces in June 1798, when Napoleon ousted the Order during the Mediterranean campaign of 1798.
On 2 September 1798, while the French were looting artifacts from a church in Rabat, the Maltese rebelled and opened fire on them. The French retreated to the fortified city of Mdina, but on 3 September, the rebels managed to enter the city from a sally port and the French force surrendered. Most of the towns and villages fell into rebel hands over the next few days, but the French held on to the fortified positions in the Grand Harbour area (including the capital Valletta) and various other forts in Malta and Gozo.
On 4 September, the Maltese formed a National Assembly, and its first task was to create an armed force to blockade the remaining French forces. The force, which was known as the Battaglioni del Congresso Nazionale or the Truppe di Campagna, came into existence in the following days, and it consisted of a number of village battalions, which had their origins in the Order's militia setup prior to the French occupation. Notary Emmanuele Vitale, who had led the attack on Mdina, was appointed Generale Commandante of the army. The first battalions to be set up were those of Birkirkara and Żebbuġ, which were led by Vincenzo Borg and Francesco Saverio Caruana. Vitale, Borg and Caruana became the three main leaders of the insurrection.
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