Britain's central role in the search for an international peacekeeping force for Cyprus, 1963-1964

The British government, the dominant partner in the Joint Truce Force in Cyprus in 1963-64, tried with US support to create a new NATO-based peacekeeping force, despite consistent opposition from the Greek Cypriots. Britain initially opposed UN involvement in peacekeeping, fearing that this would lead to the loss of the British sovereign bases on the island, and also opposed the creation of a Commonwealth force. Britain eventually accepted the creation of a UN force as a final option allowing the British government to be relieved of the sole burden of peacekeeping in an increasingly hostile environment.