Changing Republican Strategy

Question 1

What was introduced in 1972?

Answer 1

Special category status

Question 2

Who introduced Special category status?

Answer 2

NI Secretary of State, William Whitelaw

Question 3

Special category status

Answer 3

Allow those who claim that they broken the law for political reasons to live as prisoners of war

Question 4

What could prisoners with special category status do?

Answer 4

1. housed away from other criminal type prisoners
2. Could wear their own clothes
3. No penal (prison) work
4. Allowed extra visits and food parcels

Question 5

Reasons for hunger strikes

Question 6

Effects of hunger strikes

Question 7

Bobby Sands

Question 8

Nationalist reaction to hunger strikes

Answer 8

• more alienated 👽 from NI state
• viewed Thatcher’s approach as heavy-handed

Question 9

Republican reaction to hunger strikes

Answer 9

PIRA continued to gain support

Question 10

Irish govt reaction to hunger strikes

Answer 10

Searched for political end to violence

Question 11

Unionist reaction to hunger strikes

Answer 11

• Glad British Govt. had not given into the demands of the hunger strikers who they viewed as terrorists.

voiced concerns:
- increasing support for the IRA
- continuing IRA violence

Question 12

How did unionists view the hunger strikers?

Answer 12

viewed as terrorists

Question 13

What was there during the 70s and 80s?

Answer 13

successive British governments which attempted, without success, to solve NI problem

Question 14

What happened to levels of violence in NI - 70s and 80s?

Answer 14

lessened due to improved security measures

Question 15

What did the PIRA do in the 70s and 80s?

Answer 15

launched a campaign of violence in Britain, exploding bombs in towns and cities such as Guildford and Birmingham

Question 16

Why did levels of violence decrease in NI? - 70s and 80s

Answer 16

improved security measures

Question 17

Why did the PIRA launch’s campaign of violence in Britain?

Answer 17

believed bringing attacks to mainland Britain would put more pressure on the British government

Question 18

Ulsterisation

Answer 18

• reducing the strength of the British Army in NI
• increasing the size of the RUC & UDR
• made it look like an internal Irish conflict, rather than a war

Question 19

Why was ulsterisation introduced

Answer 19

made it look like an internal Irish conflict, rather than a war

Question 20

Criminalisation

Answer 20

the removal of “Special Category Status” for those convicted of terrorist offences

Question 21

Who was removed from SCS with criminalisation?

Answer 21

those convicted of terrorist offences