In the troubled island of Cyprus, the national interests and rivalries of Greece and Turkey still collide, the population remains divided between the Greek and Turkish communities and the country is a cat's paw of outside powers. This book portrays Cyprus as a continuing source of international tension in the Mediterranean and beyond.
The narrative explores the involvement of CIA agents in Greece and the complex political maneuvers of the Greek junta under Demetrios Ioannides, aimed at toppling the influential Archbishop Makarios of Cyprus. Makarios was a key figure advocating for an independent and non-aligned Cyprus, making the struggle for control a pivotal moment in the region's history. The book delves into the interplay of international espionage and local political dynamics during a tumultuous period.
Until the mid-twentieth century, the Dutch, with their overseas empire, had managed to stay aloof from the machinations of intra-European fighting. However, the beginning of the Cold War found them persuaded by Britain and the US to break with their independent past, and fit into the emerging Western security system. William Mallinson here considers how major post-war developments in Europe affected Dutch foreign policy, traditionally one of abstentionism, and studies the extent of Dutch influence in post-war Western co-operation. Important landmarks, including the Marshall Plan, Brussels Treaty Organisation, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, Council of Europe, Schuman Plan and Pleven Plan, so vital to an understanding of contemporary international relations, are all treated incisively. The book sheds light on defence, foreign and economic policy, treating European developments from a previously neglected angle. In so doing, it provides vital insights into the history of European recovery after World War II and into the development of a postwar international order.