Anglo-Irish Treaty 1921 Flashcards

1
Q

when was the Truce agreed by both sides?

A

11th July 1921

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2
Q

why did Britian agree to a truce?

A
  • public opinion was uneasy at brutality of the war
    • bloody sunday - B&Ts
    • buring cork - auxilleries
  • Anti-war agitiation began -
    • LG realised have to offer terms to Republican leaders or escalate the war
  • SF had to be taken seriously now -
    • overwhelming democratic mandate (124 seats out of 128)
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3
Q

why was De Valera also under pressure to agree truce?

A
  • IRA were loosing war
    • Burning customs house May 1921 - 5 killed, 85 arrested
    • By summer 1921 - IRA = 3000 vs British = 40,000
  • irish population tired violence - chance if turned down talks not support IRA
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4
Q

when were the preliminary talks held?

A

between July - Ocotber 1921

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5
Q

who was involved in these initial talks?

A

DE Valera and lloyd George

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6
Q

how many times did they meet in July?

A

4 times in london

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7
Q

what did the british offer on 20th July?

A

dominion status

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8
Q

how would this status be limited though?

A
  • free trade betwwen B & I
  • B access and use of I’s air and naval facilities (Treaty Ports)
  • limit on the size of the Irish Army
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9
Q

when did the Dail officially reject this prelimanary offer?

A

10th August via letter

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10
Q

what did De Valera propose instead?

A

'’external association’’

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11
Q

what was external association?

A
  • Ireland could enjoy the freedom on an idependant state
  • whilst not being part of the empire
  • it would externally associated with britiain by a special alliance
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12
Q

what did the letter include?

A
  • outlined govs strong position on insisting I remain empire
  • fresh invitation to a conference in London
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13
Q

when and how did LG reject DeV’s solution?

A

letter on the 29th September 1921

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14
Q

who was on the Irish delegation?

A
  • Griffith (lead)
  • Collins
  • Erskine Childers (secretary
  • Barton
  • 2 lawyers (Duggan, Duffy)
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15
Q

why was DeV not part of the Irish delagtion?

A
  • help contain likely opposition from hardened republicnas (Stack, Brugha)
  • didnt want to be tainted by association with an inevitable compromise
  • gain an advantge over Collins
  • by staying at home he could act as a final court of appeal agaisnt hasty decisions
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16
Q

why was DeV’s decision to stay at home a mistake?

A
  • he ws only one who really understood external association
  • ‘it was like playing a vital match with their ablest player in reserve’ - Cosgrave
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17
Q

what were the weaknesses of the Irish Delgation?

A
  • ambiguity of the status ‘peinipotentiaries’ -
    • written had full power reach agreement
    • verbally refer home before signinng
  • Collins and Griffith were unhappy with the statuses limitations
  • delagtion was divided
    • Childers vs Collins and Griffith
  • no detailed instructions as to what terms they should seek
18
Q

who waas the British delagation?

A
  • Lloyd George - ‘welsh wizard’
  • Austen Chamberlain
  • Birkenhead
  • Churchill
19
Q

what were the strengths of the British delagtion?

A
  • talented and united
    • clear direction for negotiation (SF Accept crown and empire) allowed them to dominate
  • the whole delagtion could have been prime minister
20
Q

what was one weakeness of the British delagation?

A
  • vulnerbale to Ulster question -
    • Dail had sympathy of a large British public section on the subject of unification
      • put LG akward position
21
Q
A
22
Q

when did the negotiations begin and end?

A

11th October- 6th December 1921

23
Q

what were the 3 big issues that needed resolved?

A
  1. Security and Defence
  2. Partition
  3. Consitutional Status
24
Q

how was security and defence resolved?

A

easily, setlled by the provision of naval bases in Ireland, later know as treaty ports

25
Q

who and why did they disagree to this provision?

A
  • Childers
    • it removed Ireland’s ability to remain neutral
26
Q

what was LG’s clever neogtiiating strategy?

A

divided the negotiations into ‘sub-conferences’

27
Q

what was the divison’s affect?

A
  • it side-lined the hard-lined and uncompromsising Childers
  • allowed British talk to Griffith and Collins the two moderates more freely.
28
Q

what was the solution to the issue of partition?

A

Boundary Commission - review and redraw border

29
Q

how did LG get Griffith to agree to this proposal by Tom Jones?

A
  • threatened resigniation as PM - Bonor Law PM
  • he promised that he would ensure to boundary commission would re-unite ireland
30
Q

when did Griffith give his written consent that talks would not break over Ulster?

A

12th November

31
Q

he did LG also persuade to accept the Boundary Commission?

A

Collins

32
Q

what issue was there deadlock over?

A

Constitutional status

33
Q

why was there dealock on this issue?

A
  • British wanted to protect the British empire and avoid giving a boost to independacne movement (INIDA)
  • so they kept rejecting Irish’s plea for external association
34
Q

how did LG finally bring talks to a close on 6th December?

A

Contrived ultimatum:

  • status within the empire
  • or war within 3 days
35
Q

what was his famous gesture?

A

held up 2 alternative letter he had prepared for Craig

36
Q

what did these letter include?

A
  1. Articles of Agreement
  2. announcing resumption of war in 3 days
37
Q

how did LG also soften his line with Griffith further?

A
  • right to protect Irish industry with tariffs on British imports
  • agreed to re-write Oath of Allegiance
38
Q

was LG and British delagtion succesful?

A

yes, they succesfully wore down the resisitance of the Irish delagtion until they succumbed to the pressure and signed the treaty.

39
Q

did they consult De Valera before they signed?

A

no!

40
Q
A