THE CYPRIOT LEFT IN THE EARLY PERIOD OF BRITISH COLONIAL RULE: EMERGENCE, FORMATION, DEVELOPMENT, CLASS STRUCTURE

The publication consists of papers presented at the scientific conference organized by the Promitheas Research Institute on April 24-25, 2012, entitled: The Cypriot Left in the Early Period of British Colonialism: Emergence, Formation, Evolution. The history and evolution of the Cypriot Left, as we know it today in Cyprus, has not been the subject of systematic scientific analysis to an extent that corresponds to its strong social, political, and electoral presence. The institutionalized political presence of the Left in Cyprus is directly linked to its party representatives: the Communist Party of Cyprus (CPC) (1926-41) and AKEL (1941). The analysis and content of the announcements focus, among other things, on: the social and political context of the time, the attitude of the British and the social establishment towards the emergence of new ideas, the first steps towards organizing into trade unions, the founding of the Communist Party of Cyprus, the key figures, the publications and methods of organization, participation in elections, the role of the first communists in organizing and leading the trade union movement, the presence of Cypriot communists in the Spanish Civil War (an unsurpassed act of internationalist solidarity), the anti-colonial discourse of the newly formed party, the first leadership group, the participation of Cypriot women in the party, etc.