In 1878 the British exchanged favors with the ottoman turks. A treaty was signed. The treaty was intended for Britain to help the ottomans slow down/stop the Russian advance into the Aegean (neither the turks nor the Brits wanted the Russians into the Aegean). In return the Brits got Cyprus as a "gift".
The British wasted no time as they fortified the island with troops and they imposed heavy taxes. Not long after demonstrations arose. The Cypriots wanted freedom and annexation to the newly established republic of Greece. The Brits denied this and by 1930 they closed down the Greek schools and Churches. The British Secretary of Colonial Affairs, Schills, on February 20, 1930 told the Cypriot people: "There isn't a possibility that Cyprus will be annexed with Greece."
On October 21, 1931 a revolt:"UNITY", "FREEDOM", "THE BRITISH MUST GO." Bloodshead with victory at hand, however, British aid arrived to supress the Cypriot revolt. 3000 Greeks imprisoned and leaders of the "majority" exiled.
WWII was at hand. Britain needed men and allies dearly so they made promises. Both Greece and the Cypriots were promised a unification, if Cypriots enlisted in the British forces and Greece joined in on the Allies' side. 35,000 Cypriots enlisted in the British forces and Greece joined the allies officially. The Allies won the war yet the British still remained in Cyprus.
Cypriots demonstrated and proposed free will elections that would allow the Cypriots to determine the status of the island. The Brits denied. The Cypriots , however, still held elections between January 15 - 22, 1950. The results , a landslide. 95.7% approved of the a free standing Cypriot state. Brits did not care. The Cypriot leaders went to the United Nations committe with the results. In 1951 Archbishop Makarios took his seat. Between August 10, 1953 until August 15, 1954, talks. Greece backed Cyprus 100% but it seemed to no advantage. On December 17, 1954 the U.N. voted against the Cypriot petition.
The Cypriots, however, did not give in and on February 19, 1959 an agreement was finally reached. Cyprus was to become an autonomous republic with a Cypriot Greek president and turkish Cypriot vice president (a turkish Cypriot vice president because there was a small minority of turks left behind from the ottoman turkish empire).
