Keeping the Peace in the Cyprus Crisis of 1963–64

List of Maps given me by Britain's Economic and Social Research Council. It enabled me to visit the various far-flung archives and libraries containing material which I needed to consult, and to conduct many interviews. "During the Cold War the small state of Cyprus was of great strategic importance to the West. Britain, the United States and Nato all had valuable installations there; and any armed conflict between Greek and Turkish Cypriots could easily suck two nearby Nato members - Greece and Turkey - into war. When, therefore, intercommunal fighting broke out in Cyprus in December 1963, the West was deeply embarrassed. Britain was catapulted into a peacekeeping role but from the first was anxious to find partners. A scheme for a Nato-linked force came to naught, so the United Nations was turned to, eventually despatching a peacekeeping force. For six months, while the internal and international crisis bubbled, it had a very difficult time." "On the basis of national, UN and other archives from four countries, and numerous interviews with people who were politically and militarily involved, this book analyses the efforts to contain the crisis. It is an original and fascinating story."--Jacket Front Matter....Pages i-xxi Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Problem....Pages 3-11 Settlement....Pages 12-28 Collapse....Pages 29-37 Front Matter....Pages 39-39 The West’s Interest in a Peaceful Cyprus....Pages 41-58 Containing the Crisis: I The British Period....Pages 59-75 Britain’s Search for Partners: I Nato....Pages 76-86 Britain’s Search for Partners: II The UN....Pages 87-99 Recruiting the UN Force....Pages 100-116 Organizing the UN Force....Pages 117-127 The Operational Methods of the UN Force....Pages 128-137 Containing the Crisis: II The UN Period....Pages 138-158 The Quest for a Better Settlement....Pages 159-169 Postscript....Pages 170-174 Back Matter....Pages 175-241 During the Cold War the small state of Cyprus was of great strategic importance to the West. Britain, the United States, and Nato all had valuable installations there; and any armed conflict between Greek and Turkish Cypriots could easily suck two nearby Nato members - Greece and Turkey - into war. When therefore, intercommunal fighting broke out in Cyprus in December 1963, the West was deeply embarrassed. This book examines the consequential efforts of, first Britain, and then the UN, to keep the peace. The adage that geography is the mother of history can have few better exemplars than Cyprus.