British Imperialism in Cyprus, 1878-1915

This book explores the tensions underlying British imperialism in Cyprus. Much has been written about the British empire's construction outside Europe, yet there is little on the same themes in Britain's tiny empire in 'Europe'. This study explores whether the assumptions and findings made about imperial rule outside Europe hold true in a 'European space'. Varnava follows Cyprus's progress from a perceived imperial asset to an expendable backwater by explaining how the Union Jack came to fly over the island and why after thirty-five years the British wanted it lowered. Cyprus's importance was always more imagined than real and was enmeshed within widely held cultural signifiers and myths. Cyprus was an 'inconsequential possession'. Examining the inconsequential possession reveals much about reasons of state, construction of policy and the contingencies of imperial governance. Governments do not always make decisions through evidence-based reasoning; decisions are often wrong; reasons for bad decisions are often changed to justify them differently; there is a great reluctance to admit a mistake let alone to reverse it; and cultural signifiers and perceptions play a great part in decision-making. The book fills a gap in the existing literature on the early British period in Cyprus and challenges the received and monolithic view that British imperial policy was based primarily or exclusively on strategic military considerations. The combination of archival research, cultural analysis and visual narrative is a great bonus that makes for an enjoyable read for academics and students of imperialism, British and European history.