This chapter aims to present the early history of the Republic of Cyprus. Created through a sui generis process (independence had not been among the objectives of the armed struggle and the rules governing its existence had been produced outside Cyprus), the new state was born and operated in a strange environment. The international stage (the Cold War was in full swing) was also an important factor in internal developments. All this together in the context of the events described in previous chapters created an unstable political scene. A number of challenges to the new state from home and abroad (and often simultaneously from both) came almost immediately to the fore. Structural weaknesses compounded the local problems. The efforts of the international community added another factor, sometimes stabilising, sometimes not.