Home Rule Crisis 1910-1914

Question 1

Home Rule Party Leadership.

Answer 1

• John Redmond was elected leader in 1900.
• Deputy leader was John Dillon who disliked Westminster.
• Joseph Devlin “Wee Joe” was elected in West Belfast and was the main spokesperson for Ulster nationalists.

Question 2

Unionist Party Leadership.

Answer 2

• Founded in 1886 (response to HR Bill).
• Elected Edward Carson as leader (1910) and elected as MP for Trinity College.
• Right-hand man was Belfast industrialist Sir James Craig.

Question 3

British Opposition to Home Rule.

Answer 3

1. National Security:
   - The United Kingdom had many potential enemies in Europe.
   - Feared that an independent Ireland could be used as a back door into Britain.
   - Act of Union 1800 was passed after an attempted French invasion of Ireland.
2. Protection of Irish Protestants:
   - Many British sympathized for the protestant population.
   - Fear of a Catholic dominated parliament persecuting Irish protestants.
3. Anti-Irish Attitudes:
   - Some British genuinely disliked the Irish.
   - Regarded as inferior.
4. Stability of the Empire:
   - Largest empire in the world.
   - Feared that other uprisings may be inspired by self-government in Ireland.

Question 4

British Support for Home Rule.

Answer 4

1. Image of Prosperity and Freedom:
   - British were proud of their history, prosperity and freedom.
   - Ireland over the years suffered from poverty and limited powers.
   - Some British wanted to protect their principles by letting the Irish rule themselves.
2. Irish Mandate for Home Rule:
   - 1885 - Home Rule Party always won more than 80/103 seats.
   - Some British were convinced that Ireland couldn’t be kept under direct-rule with such a strong mandate.
3. Disruption in Westminster:
   - Irish MPs often disrupted the business of the House of Commons.
   - Many British voters were sick of this and wanted them to return to their own parliament in Dublin.

Question 5

Political Alliances in Westminster.

Answer 5

• Conservatives had been allied with the Unionists since 1886.
• Unionists were safe with this alliance as the House of Lords could block any Home Rule Bill since it had a Conservative majority.
• Liberals officially supported Home Rule and worked with the Home Rule Party.
• Weren’t open about their Ireland policies to prevent displeasing British voters.
• Labour were founded in 1900 and also strongly supported Home Rule but remained a small party with little influence for the next number of years.

Question 6

Imports Members of the Liberal Cabinet.

Answer 6

Prime Minister: Herbert Asquith.
Chief Secretary: Augustine Birrell.
Chancellor: David Lloyd George.
Home Secretary: Winston Churchill.

Question 7

Liberal’s Motives for a Home Rule Bill.

Answer 7

• 1906: Liberals did not present a Home Rule Bill as they had an overall majority and knew the House of Lords would block it.
• 1910: Liberals lost their majority and relied on the support of the Home Rule Party, in return they pushed for Home Rule.
• Parliament Act ends Lords veto, can only delay bills for two years.

Question 8

Contents of the 3rd Home Rule Bill.

Answer 8

Ireland would have the power to:
- Elect an Irish government that would have some control over internal affairs.

Westminster would still have power over:

• Foreign relations and trade.
• Defence.
• Taxes.
• Postal services.
• Police.
• Privy Council could reject Irish laws.

Question 9

Ulster Solemn League and Covenant.

Answer 9

• Echo of the Bible’s account of God’s covenant.
• 28th September 1912: 470,000 Ulster unionists signed the covenant.
• 250,000 women signed a separate document.

Question 10

Ulster Volunteer Force.

Answer 10

• “Using all means that may become necessary to defeat the present conspiracy”.
• 1911: Tyrone Orangemen began drilling.
• Ulster Unionist Council united separate unionists units into the Ulster Volunteer Force in 1913.
• Commanded by Sir George Richardson.
• Secret arms fund of £1,00,000.

Question 11

Conservatives Support for Unionists.

Answer 11

• Deeply divided party, but united on the issue of Home Rule.
• 1911: Elected Andrew Bonar Law as leader.
• Bonar Law was committed to Ulster with his family originating from that province.
• Home Rule = “corrupt bargain” between the Liberals and Home Rule Party.
• Unjust to expel unionists from the United Kingdom.

Question 12

Partition as a Solution.

Answer 12

• Appealed more to James Craig, Carson was a southern unionist from Dublin.
• Craig believed 890,000 Ulster unionists with their industrial strength could manage without the south.
• Carson did not want to leave behind 250,000 southern unionists.

Question 13

Reasons for the Liberals and Redmond to ignore and underestimate Unionist resistance.

Answer 13

• Unionists were a small minority making up 25% of the population with 19/105 seats.
• Unionists had traditionally been law abiding.
• Royal Irish Constabulary monitored nationalists more than unionists.
• Birrell was often out of action due to his wife dying, so Asquith didn’t do anything to prevent the crisis (“wait and see”) hoping the problem would go away.

Question 14

Redmond’s Reaction to Partition.

Answer 14

• “County option” turned down by Redmond and nationalists who didn’t want partition.
• Redmond faced the reality that he had to choose between partition or no Home Rule at all.
• Secret talks began between Carson and Redmond on Home Rule.

Question 15

Demographics of Ulster.

Answer 15

• Protestants: 891,000 Catholics: 691,000.
• Antrim, Down, Armagh and Londonderry had protestant unionist majorites.
• Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan had overwhelming Catholic majorities.
• Tyrone and Fermanagh had smaller Catholic majorities.
• Disputes over the fate of Tyrone and Fermanagh in a partitioned Ireland.

Question 16

Redmond’s Attempts to avoid Home Rule.

Answer 16

• Offers Home Rule within Home Rule, rejected by the Unionists.
• Partition to Redmond becomes the most likely solution.
• Redmond then offered a transition period of six years, Carson wanted a permanent exclusion from Home Rule.

Question 17

Revival of the Irish Republican Brotherhood.

Answer 17

• Bulmer Hobson and Sean MacDiarmada work to revive the IRB.
• Tom Clarke returns to join the IRB Supreme Council.
• Members recruited through cultural revival.
• Aimed to rebel against British rule using violence.

Question 18

Irish National Volunteers.

Answer 18

• “The North Began” by Eoin MacNeill, suggested the creation of a nationalist volunteer force to ensure Home Rule.
• 25th November 1913: The volunteer force is founded with 3,000 members on the first night.
• MacNeill appointed as commander by the Provisional Committee.
• Majority of the committee were IRB men.

Question 19

Cumann Na Mban.

Answer 19

• Women were not allowed to join the National Volunteers.
• April 1914: Cumman Na Mban was founded, mainly by the wives and sisters of the National volunteers.
• Worked as fundraisers, nurses and messengers.

Question 20

Currach Mutiny.

Answer 20

• 1914: UVF had 100,000 members.
• Asquith proposed a military deployment in Ulster to protect ammunition depots.
• 58 officers in the Curragh Camp threatened to resign.
• Asquith lost his ability to use force against the unionists.

Question 21

Larne Gunrunning.

Answer 21

• 24th-25th April 1914: 25,000 rifles and three million bullets were smuggled from Germany.
• No attempt to stop unionist gun-runners.
• Rifles were distributed throughout Ulster.

Question 22

Redmond and the Irish National Volunteers.

Answer 22

• June 1914: National Volunteers had 180,000 members.
• Redmond worried they would become a rival organisation to the Home Rule Party.
• Redmond delivered an ultimatum to MacNeill threatening to establish a rival Volunteer force.
• Redmond’s demands were accepted; IRB men saw this as betraying the republican ideal.