Causes of the 1919 Sette Giugno Riots
In June 1919, riots in Valletta led to British troops firing on a crowd; four Maltese were killed. A student's essay claims: 'The riots were caused by the increase in the price of bread.' The evidence includes a bread price rise from 1.5 to 2.5 soldi per loaf; a British governor's report blaming 'a mob incited by agitators'; a nationalist newspaper citing unemployment among dockyard workers, the return of emigrants from Egypt, and demands for self-government; and a police log recording a meeting on 7 June about the cost of living, followed by a march to the governor's palace. The student also notes that the bread price had risen gradually over two years, while the riot was triggered by a rumour that a meeting would be banned. The essay must explain causes, not just describe events.
1. To what extent was the rise in bread prices the main cause of the riots? Distinguish between long-term, short-term, and trigger causes.
Read the worked answer
Bread prices were an important short-term cause but not the main cause on their own. The long-term background includes unemployment in the dockyard, the return of emigrants who increased demand for jobs and food, and a political demand for self-government. The bread price rise from 1.5 to 2.5 soldi was gradual over two years, so it created hardship but did not by itself produce a riot. The trigger was the rumour that a meeting would be banned, which turned a cost-of-living protest into a march on the governor's palace. The police log shows the meeting was about the cost of living, but the destination of the march shows a political target. A better explanation is multi-causal: economic grievance provided fuel, political exclusion provided direction, and the rumour provided the spark. The governor's 'agitators' explanation is too narrow, but the bread-price explanation is also too narrow.
2. How would you use the governor's report and the nationalist newspaper differently in a causal explanation? What are the dangers of each?
Read the worked answer
Use the governor's report for chronology, troop movements, and official decisions, but not for motivation. It is written by a responsible official who may have limited knowledge of crowd intentions and who has an interest in blaming outside agitators rather than British policy. Treat its causal claims as one interpretation to be tested. Use the nationalist newspaper for the grievances and language of the protesters, but recognise its agenda: it wants to mobilise opinion and may exaggerate hardship or omit crowd violence. Corroborate its claims with police logs, wage records, and import prices. The two sources are not equally reliable for all questions: the governor is better for what the state did; the newspaper is better for what opponents said. A causal explanation should combine them critically, asking who produced each source, for whom, and with what interest.