P4 - Consequences of the War on Ireland

Redmond

led the INP + IVF

fought and died during the war, pledging IVF support to the war

believed the war would be short and fought for rights of small nations 

-no INP rep in the 1915 coalition

Arthur Griffith

founder of Sinn Fein, and leading member if Irish Republican Brotherhood

-refused to accept redmond’s leadership

-wanted independent republic

led the 1916 Easter risings

1916 Easter risings

hoped to achieve independence, whilst BR occupied with war led by:

• Padraig Pearse (Gaelic revivalist + IRB member + leading member of IVF in 1916) - hoped to become martyrs for nationalism

• James Connolly (TU leader + leader of Irish citizens army) 

• Tom Clarke (leader of IRB + member of Sinn Fein)

Sir Roger Caement

BR diplomat, who uncovered horrors

turned republican, joining Sinn Fein

-attempted to get weapons from Germany - Howth gun-run 1914 July

-April 1916 - tried to get 20,000 rifles, but royal Navy intercepted it

Easter rising result

organized by radical groups of IVF, IRB, Irish citizens army - but was badly planned, with 2,000 men + no GER support nor the rest of the nation

-easily put down by BR troops:

• 450 rebel casualties, 116 Br killed, 16 policemen 

• lasting 1 week, with Pearse surrendering + 3500 others + 1480 put into camps

execution of 16 rebel leaders turned the public opinion against BR gov 

-became martyrs + heroes, 

increasing Sinn Fein support, whilst moderate Irish Nationalism losing it 

-LG try to calm the situation, with offering partition, but failed 

Sinn Fein

won 4 election 

Had Irish Republican army (IRA) prepared to fight BR

idea force was the only solution

-ideas of 1918 conscription potentially occurring caused uproar, providing even more support for Sinn Fein

-won 73 seats, compared to Irish nationalist 6 and Ulster’s 26 - 1918 gen election - shows ppl want complete independence 

didn’t sit in Westminster, creating an illegal Parliament in 1919 - Dail 

Key Sinn Fein figures

-Arthur Griffiths - leader ( didn’t partake in Easter risings)

-Eamon De Valera - due to American citizenship, wasn’t executed - became leader in 1916 + 1st President of Dail 

-Michal Collins - Finance minister of Irish gov + head of IRA

Factors of causation

-Asquith - “wait and see approach”, death penalties caused reaction, didn’t create partition

-Irish nationalist held parliament power balance

-BL + Conservatives blenheim Pledge

-Curragh Mutiny - can’t rely on BR army

-extremism of the rebels coulnd’t be controlled 

Anglo Irish War 1919 - 21

-BR + IRA hostility, leading to guerrilla warfare

-IRA saw it as a “War of independence” vs BR gov seeing it as a rebellion

-jan 1919 - July 1921 - 1000 had died , with BR having many times the number of forces

development of the war

Collins organised arming IRA after the world war, and dressed themselves as civilians to ambush and harass the police + army  + assassinate civil servants

LG used the ruthless black and tans to try restore order

Black and Tan

used by LG and BR gov to restore order 

conservative backbenchers agreed with meeting terror with terror

-ex servicemen used to fight IRA

reputation for being ruthless and unable to defeat IRA

-hated symbol

Bloody Sunday - 21 NOV 1920

Collins used IRA squad to assassinate 19 member of BR intelligence - Cairo Gang

black and tans planned a revenge attack to kill IRA leaders 

-during a Gaelic football game, BT fired into the crowd and at a player with belief the 12 Apostles were there

-11 crowd killed, 1 play , 2 trampled

LG blamed for violence 

1920 GOV of Ireland act

made sperate parliaments and govs for North and South Ireland

also made a council of Ireland for cooperation

-Ulster unionists accepted this, creating Province of Northern Ireland

-Sinn Fein nationalists and IRA rejected this as wanted full independence

Ceasefire July 1921

IRA running out of men and weapons, so looked by 1921 willing to negotiate

initially LG met with De Valera, but refused his terms, but redelegated in London

Anglo Irish Treaty  - 1st March 1922

partition - North remain in UK, whilst South would be and Irish Free state - not a republic as BR still head of its state

LG told Collins and Griffith that war would restart in 3 days if no decision made

-uk kept rights for some naval bases 

Sinn Fein split

split between those who willing to accept Irish Free state to those who wanted a full independent unified Ireland

created a civil war in the South for a year within the IRA

Collins new leader of Sinn Fein

• was ruthless, by murdering and executing those who opposed him

• got assassinated in the end

Fianna Fail

De Valera opposed the treaty and formed new party

disliking of partition and “Oath of Allegiance”

Civil War

ended with victory for those for the treaty, so partition occurred

-by 1926 De Valera accepted partition and led Southern Ireland with Fianna Fail

-led to 50 years of stability in Ireland

Achievement in Irish policy

FOR - LG created 50 years stability, restored order, solved Home rule at a price

AGAINST - criticised for not avoiding Anglo Irish war with not creating a policy + also didn’t avoid civil Irish war

given into terrorism

tense relations between BR and Irish gov

nationalist annoyance of Black and Tans

troubles re occured in 1969, with some Catholics being left in North + their ill treatment