THE CYPRUS UPRISING OF 1931 IN THE GREAT BRITAIN’S IMPERIAL POLICY

Abstract

The paper is devoted to the Cyprus uprising of 1931. The comprehensive study of the rebellion was conducted in the article. The disintegrating processes of the British Empire, economical and religious factors, domestic and external policy were analyzed as the main reasons of the uprising. The paper focuses on the similar features of the Greece and Turkish policy towards the Cyprus problem at that period. An attention was paid to the external influence on the home policy in Cyprus. The British colonial administration and its policy were in the focus of view in the paper. The main idea of the article is the system connection between the Cyprus uprising of 1931 and imperial and regional processes before and after the mentioned events.The October rebellion, the Greek Cypriots raised in 1931, was an integrate problem of the British Empire from the one hand and the local problem of Greek and Turkish nationalism from another. The matter requires to take into account both cases. The Cyprus uprising of 1931 took place against a background of the anti-colonial trends in Ireland, India and Canada at that period. This fact allows us to conclude that the Cyprus events have general imperial features.Objective economic reasons also underlay the rebellion in Cyprus. Great Depression of 1929-1933 decreased deeply living standard on the island by reducing consumption of Cyprus export goods and travel service all over Europe. The Greek and Turkish home policy caused Cyprus negative processes as well. That’s why the beginnings of the Cyprus uprising of 1931 was accompanied by Orthodox religious and Greek nationalistic slogans.The political conflict in Cyprus turned into the riot’s preconditions. During the first stage of the riot British colonial authorities showed their inability to settle the problem in time. Incoherence of the army and police activity led the Governor’s residence to be burned down. That accident was called the most shameful humiliation British Empire ever obtained at the interwar period. Riot’s scales demonstrated the general Greek-community orientation. The Turkish-Cypriot’s reaction and their role in the uprising’s suppression provided a basis to the future inter-communal conflict.The events of the Cyprus uprising of 1931 were an integral part of the imperial and regional processes. The main causes of the rebellion demonstrated its general empire character. Political processes in Greece and Turkey influenced the Cyprus problem. That was reflected at slogans and ideas of the rebels. This accident, in addition, worsened Greek-Turkish relations. Mentioned facts argued that the Cyprus uprising of 1931 intensified anti-colonial attitudes and interethnic tensions between Greeks and Turks on the island for decades ahead.