Harbottle, Michael Neale (Oral history)

British officer served with 1st Bn Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, 50th Infantry Bde in Cyprus, 1956-1957; served as Chief of Staff of United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, Republic of Cyprus, 1966-1968; civilian involved in United Nations World Disarmament Campaign, London Centre for International Peacebuilding and Generals for Peace and Disarmament in GB, 1975-1988

REEL 1 Recollections of operations as officer with 1st Bn Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, 50th Infantry Bde in Cyprus, 1956-1957: outline of military service prior to posting to Cyprus, 1956; role of British Army against Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston (EOKA); attitude towards Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston (EOKA)'s actions; character of searches; behaviour of Special Branch; question of how British Army operated; opinion that Greek Cypriot populace more frightened of Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston (EOKA) than British Army; operational role of unit; effect of Suez Crisis on situation in Cyprus, 1956; lessons learnt from Cyprus; opinion of General John Harding as governor. Recollections of period as Chief of Staff with United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, Republic of Cyprus, 1966-1968: background to posting; character of duties. REEL 2 Continues: character of crisis incident provoked by Georgios Grivas at Melousha, 1966; outcome of Melousha Crisis; character of crisis at Kophinou, 1967; role of Colonel Frank Kitson and 1st Bn Royal Green Jackets during Kophinou Crisis, 1967; outcome of Kophinou Crisis; question of how he could have used his peacekeeping force more effectively during Kophinou Crisis; threat of Turkish invasion during incident, 1967; description of wall memorabilia relating to Cyprus; impressions of character of Georgios Grivas; problem of dealing with people previously considered as enemies; character of Archbishop Makarios III. REEL 3 Continues: attitude of British authorities towards Archbishop Makarios; Archbishop Makarios III' attitude towards Enosis; United Nations proposals for peacebuilding in Republic of Cyprus, 1968; importance of United Nations developing peacebuilding tactics. Reflections on political situation on Cyprus and Republic of Cyprus, 1956-1988: links between George Grivas and Archbishop Makarios III during Cyprus Emergency, 1955-1959; importance of Enosis towards development of crisis; defects of the 1960 Constitution; cultural differences between Turkish and Greek Cypriot communities; problems of municipalities autonomy; problems of division of Republic of Cyprus until present day; question of GB responsibility for effects of policy in Republic of Cyprus; strategic value of Republic of Cyprus; question of United States of America involvement in Turkish invasion, 1974. REEL 4 Continues: situation in Republic of Cyprus during coup, 1974; opinion of appointment of Nikos Sampson as president; question of how positive British actions under Treat of Guarantee would have altered situation, 1974; question about future of Greek and Turkish communities in Republic of Cyprus; his plan for a three tier guarantee of security system; attempts to get his plan accepted by United Nations; potential for change in Republic of Cyprus, 1988; how experience of attachment to United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus led to his resigning commission. Recollections of period as civilian involved in United Nations World Disarmament Campaign, London Centre for International Peacebuilding and Generals for Peace and Disarmament in GB, 1975-1988: work as tutor for Peace Studies Department at University of Bradford, 1974-1979; work with Vietnamese 'Boat People'; story of becoming General Secretary for United Nations World Disarmament Campaign; role in starting London Centre of International Peacebuilding; role in developing Handbook of Verification Procedures and in writing Peacekeepers Handbook in 1976. REEL 5 Continues: differences in reactions between United States of America and Soviet Union over Verification Handbook co-operation; description of Centre for International Peacebuilding's principles, aims, projects and methods; question of how Helsinki Final Act of 1975 could be used as guideline for peace issues; scope of London Centre for International Peacebuilding's activities; question of how proliferation of weapons effects the international security system especially in the Third World; proposal for sub regional organisations in Africa to oversee security; direction of London Centre for International Peacebuilding's activities, 1988; funding of London Centre for International Peacebuilding and relationship with charities; organisation of centre and staffing; length of time spent aboard for centre, 1987. REEL 6 Continues: travel and work plans for 1988; origins and development of organisation Generals for Peace and Disarmament, 1979; his personal involvement with Generals for Peace and Disarmament; effects of General Gert Bastian's resignation from Federal German Army; his initiative for discussions with generals in Warsaw Pact, 1982; format of meetings with Warsaw Pact generals from 1984; North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) countries that participate in discussions; language and translation system for meetings; concern for common security and need for new thinking; lack of support from British establishment; importance of education of public opinion; background to generals in group and their attitude to rhetoric of war; question of what the four North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) generals believe that their role has been in colonial conflicts. REEL 7 Continues: opinion of need for Falkland's War, 1982; question of concept of patriotism in rhetoric of war; overlap of his peace work with Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and Greenpeace; connections of Generals for Peace and Disarmament group with Green Party via General Gert Bastian; problems of finding out what British Government really thinks about his Generals for Peace and Disarmament group; future plans for development of Generals for Peace and Disarmament group globally; his attitudes towards pacifism; opinion on use of violence in self defence but not enforcement; how circumstances in his military service dictated the way he moved from a conventional to unconventional attitude.