Of the many European territorial recon¿gurations that followed the wars of the early nineteenth century, the Ionian State remains among the least understood. Xenocracy öers a much-needed account of the region during its half-century as a Protectorate of Great Britain - a period that embodied all of the contradictions of British colonialism. A middle class of merchants, lawyers and state öcials embraced and promoted a liberal modernization project. Yet despite the improvements experienced by many Ionians, the deterioration of state ¿nances led to divisions along class lines and presented a signi¿cant threat to social stability. Sakis Gekas shows that the impasse engendered de- pendency upon and ambivalence toward Western Europe, anticipating the 'neocolonial' condition with which the Greek nation struggles even today.