{"product_id":"malt-12","title":"MALT-12 - Knight of St. John  | John Jenkins Designs","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMALT-12 - Knight of St. John | John Jenkins Designs\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis Knight of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem represents a member of the military and religious order that defended Malta during the Great Siege of 1565.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe figure depicts a knight thrusting forward with a halberd, illustrating the polearm weapons associated with the close fighting of the period.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Knights Hospitaller were one of the prominent military orders established during the medieval Crusades.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAfter losing their stronghold on Rhodes to the Ottoman Empire in 1522, the Knights eventually established their headquarters on Malta in 1530.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTheir presence on the island became an important obstacle to Ottoman ambitions in the central Mediterranean.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn May 1565, Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent ordered a major expedition against Malta, beginning a siege that continued for nearly four months.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe defenders, consisting of approximately 500 Knights supported by thousands of soldiers and local militia, resisted repeated Ottoman assaults.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe siege concluded in September 1565 with the withdrawal of the Ottoman army, a victory that became widely celebrated throughout Europe.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis halberd-armed knight complements the other Knights of St. John in the collection, making it particularly suitable for recreating defensive formations and close-combat scenes from the siege.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNow available from The Military Workshop.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"John Jenkins","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53279120556314,"sku":"MALT-12","price":86.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0958\/0154\/0890\/files\/MALT-12.jpg?v=1793524685","url":"https:\/\/themilitaryworkshop.com\/products\/malt-12","provider":"The Military Workshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}