ireland 14-39

Question 1

easter rising

Answer 1

recap: home rule passed in 1914, ulster unionists not happy, nationalists wanted home rule and Ulster to be included
-war: ulster unionists and nationalists supported britian belief it would be short lived, anti war under Eoin McNeil with 11k men and wanted independent irish republic
-background: war dragged on and atrocities, home rule delayed,
-Easter 1916: McNeil anti rebellion, small group (James Connolly) went ahed, Pearse believed in blood sacrifice, Connolly was a marxist
-weapons: Casement as an irish sympathiser obtained arms from germans, plan was start a rising at eatser
-rising: general post office was seized, by nightfall, most buildings taken over
-why fail: hostility of Dublin felt betrayal, confined to Dublin, no outside help ship was intercepted by Royal Navy, outnumbered
-end: shell GPO, imprisoned and 15 executed, condemned by church, british seen as harsh in response leading to real hatred and moved to complete independence

Question 2

interwar ireland

Answer 2

-rise of Sinn Fein: direct result from aster rising, attempted conscription 1918, 73 leaders arrested, won 72 seats in 1918 but refused to take, jan 1919 declared independence and de Valera chosen
-developments: irish volunteers renamed as IRA, Lloyd George moved to implement home rule through gov of ireland act
-anglo-irish war: IRA announced war on ireland, campaigned against royal constabulary 176 policemen deaths, Lloyd George outlawed IRA and recruited Black and Tans, violence escalated, IRA targeted civilians accused of sheltering policemen, used guerrilla tactics, Bloody Sunday: 11 civilians killed british soldiers killed 12
-government of ireland act 1920: conservatives dropped opposition to one rule (north divided into 6 counties, south divided into 26)
-south: Sinn Fein had 124/128 seats, war continued, british public pressured government to end war, truce called 11 November 1921
-anglo-irish treaty: lloyd geroeg wanted dominion (domestic controlled not foreign), de Valera determined ireland become fully independent, both sides agreed to talks, de Valera sent griffin and collins as chief negotiators, churchill and chamberlain held firm on issue of irish allegiance
-deal: agreed to ‘free partnership with the other states associated within the british commonwealth”, Dublin instructed collins to reject allegiance, signed anyway as knew could not go back to war
-reactions: britian relieved, de Valera opposed to oath irish cabinet accepted by 4 to 3, Griffiths succeeded de Valera
-June 1922 election: large majority supported collins’ pro treaty faction (78%), inflamed tensions as de Valera’s anti-treaty group began campaign of violence

Question 3

how successful were the nationalists between 1914-39

Answer 3

-ww1: most nationalists agreed to support effort as they would be rewarded and home rule by Christmas but did not
-easter rising: attempt to take power, failed, led to rise in support for Sinn Feinn
-sinn Fein growth: easter rising led to hug support, primary party 1918, refused to take seats
-anglo-rish war and treaty
-Fianna Fáil: set up in 1926 by De Valera, secure political independence, 1927 re-elected to Dail, 1932 in power and de Valera pm, wanted efforts to make a free state
-statute of Westminster (1931): dominion states not subordinate, De Valera starts campaigning to remove oath of allegiance
-1936 external relations act: abolished monarch’s role in internal irish affairs
-1937 constitution: created president as head to state, hint at reuniting n
-n. ireland” 66% protestant but tyrone and Fermangh catholic, violence 453 murders, RUC set up, discrimination