1878 Cyprus Convention
E863830
The 1878 Cyprus Convention was a secret agreement between Britain and the Ottoman Empire that transferred administrative control of Cyprus to Britain in exchange for British support against Russian expansion.
Statements (48)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
bilateral treaty
ⓘ
international convention ⓘ secret agreement ⓘ |
| alsoKnownAs |
Convention of Defensive Alliance
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Cyprus Convention NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| archivalLocation | British National Archives (text of the convention) NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| cameToLight | 1878 ⓘ |
| category |
1878 in international relations
ⓘ
History of Cyprus (Ottoman period) ⓘ Treaties involving the Ottoman Empire ⓘ Treaties involving the United Kingdom ⓘ |
| context |
Eastern Question
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) aftermath ⓘ |
| dateSigned | 1878-06-04 ⓘ |
| effectOnCyprus | beginning of British administration of Cyprus ⓘ |
| effectOnOttomanEmpire | loss of effective control over Cyprus while retaining nominal sovereignty ⓘ |
| geopoliticalAim |
to check Russian influence in the Eastern Mediterranean
ⓘ
to secure a strategic base for Britain near the Suez route ⓘ |
| granted | administrative control of Cyprus to Britain ⓘ |
| inForceUntil | 1914 ⓘ |
| involvedIssue |
Ottoman territorial integrity
ⓘ
Russian expansion in the Near East ⓘ |
| language |
English
ⓘ
Ottoman Turkish NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| legalNature | defensive alliance ⓘ |
| linkedEvent | Congress of Berlin (1878) NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| locationConcerned | Cyprus NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| negotiatedBy |
Austro-Hungarian and British diplomats in the lead-up to the Congress of Berlin
ⓘ
Benjamin Disraeli NERFINISHED ⓘ Count Gyula Andrássy (for the Ottoman side’s broader diplomatic context) NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| obligationOf |
Ottoman Empire to allow British occupation and administration of Cyprus
ⓘ
United Kingdom to support the Ottoman Empire against Russian aggression in Asia ⓘ |
| purpose |
to secure British support for the Ottoman Empire against Russian expansion
ⓘ
to transfer administrative control of Cyprus to Britain ⓘ |
| relatedPolicy | British policy of maintaining the balance of power in Europe ⓘ |
| relatedTo | Treaty of Berlin (1878) NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| resultedIn |
British occupation of Cyprus
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
establishment of British administration in Cyprus ⓘ |
| retainedBy |
Ottoman Empire
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Ottoman Empire sovereignty over Cyprus (nominal) ⓘ |
| secretStatus | initially secret ⓘ |
| securityClause | British guarantee to defend Asiatic Ottoman territories against Russia ⓘ |
| signatory |
Ottoman Empire
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| strategicSignificance | provided Britain with a naval and military base in the Eastern Mediterranean ⓘ |
| supersededBy | British annexation of Cyprus in 1914 ⓘ |
| typeOfControlTransferred | administrative control ⓘ |
| yearSigned | 1878 ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.