Cypriot National Guard: Difference between revisions

 

After [[1965]], and until [[1974]], the civilian Government of [[Archbishop Makarios]] became increasingly alienated by the relationship between the National Guard leadership and the ruling military Government of Greece. Few funds were made available to secure other armaments of technical support, and the National Guard was forced to develop alternative means to armament and self-sustainment. A Technical Corps was established to produce and retrofit a series of improvised armoured vehicles from unneeded ATS-712 Soviet tractors, resulting in 10 locally produced "TS" armoured personnel carriers. A lack of spare parts meant that by the time of the 1974 military coup against Archbishop Makarios, the National Guard was experiencing severe technical difficulties with its T-34 tanks. The problem for the National Guard was further compounded by the refusal of Makarios' loyalist paramilitary force to hand over some 3500 Czech automatic rifles, along with 4 armoured vehicles, and a variety of other weapons which had been hidden at a warehouse near [[Nicosia Airport]], or were otherwise being used by the loyalists.

 

=== Coup and Invasion in 1974 ===