5 Events of July & Downing Street Flashcards
What sort of violence took place in Belfast in July 1969?
It mainly took the form of house burnings, mostly by loyalists, forcing many to leave their homes .
Which community would have been burned out of their houses in east Belfast?
The unionists attempted to burn out all the nationalists in the east
How many people were killed and injured in the Belfast house burnings?
Seven dead
100 were wounded
Battle of the Bogside details (7)
Date: 12th August
Where: Londonderry
Lasted for: 50 hours
Incident which sparked the violence: an annual apprentice boys parade
Who was involved?: RUC, annual apprentice boys and nationalists
Reaction of Jack Lynch: He issued a statement outlining his concerns with the accompanying movement of Irish troops and field hospitals to the border. This did little to easy tension
How calm was restored: By using a small number of troops, as requested by nationalist politicians
Britain’s solutions to the street violence: (2)
- send in the British army,
- the Downing Street Declaration
Consequences of events in August 1969(2)
- Deployment of the British Army on streets of NI on 14th and 15th August to restore law and order
- Eventual re-emergence of IRA
Taoiseach’s solutions to the street violence (2)
- Issue a statement outlining concerns that the Irish government can’t stand by and watch innocents get hurt
- Moved Irish troops and field hospitals to the border
Why were the nationalists positive about the army’s arrival?
They saw them as protectors against RUC violence or sectarian attacks
How did the nationalists react to the army’s arrival in August 1969?
Positive. Welcomed them often with tea and buns.
What were nationalists promised in the Downing Street Declaration reforms:
Every citizen of NI is entitled to the same quality of treatment and freedom from discrimination irrespective of political views or religion
Reasons for government intervention (3)
- Using army might stop violence but it wouldn’t solve NI’s problems.
- New political ideas were needed
- Therefore Chichester-Clark travelled to London to meet the PM Wilson
What date were the Downing Street Declaration reforms released ?
19th August 1969
What were unionists promised in the Downing Street Declaration reforms?
NI should not cease to be part of the U.K. without the consent of the people of NI
Name the 5 NICRA reforms which were granted?
- End to gerrymandering and introduce one man one vote
- a single housing authority was established
- measures to prevent discrimination in public employment
- a committee on policing was established under Lord Hunt
- a ministry of community relations was created
One economic reform included in the Declaration?
A £2 million programme of work creating schemes
