Ireland - 1916 to 1923 Flashcards
When was the third Home Rule Act introduced and by who?
1912 and Asquith (Liberal) in the House of Commons
When and why was the third Home Rule Act suspended?
1914 due to the breakout of the First World War
Who was the leader of the Irish Nationalist Party?
John Redmond
Who were the main leaders of the Ulster Unionists?
Edward Carson and James Craig
Who was the leader of the ‘Irish Volunteers’ who opposed assisting the British in WW1?
Eoin MacNeill
How many members of the ‘Irish Volunteers’ was there by 1916?
10,000 members
When was the ‘Solemn League and Covenant signed?
September 1912 - ‘Covenant Day’
Half a million men and women signed it, some in their own blood. It proclaimed themselves loyal subjects who were against Home Rule in Ireland (Ulster).
Which Conservative leader supported the Ulster Unionists and was against Home Rule in Ireland?
Andrew Bonar Law - ‘If an attempt were made to deprive these (Ulster) men of their birthright, I can imagine no length of resistance to which Ulster can go in which I should not be prepared to support them’
What was Asquith’s slogan with the Irish Question?
‘Wait and see’ approach
How was the governments position weakened even further by 1914?
Curragh ‘Mutiny’ in March 1914 where military officials declared they’d rather be dismissed than carry out orders to breakup the Ulster Unionists
What was the Larne gun-running incident in April 1914?
The Ulster Volunteer force obtained 35,000 rifles and five million rounds of ammunition from Germany which defied the ban on importing arms. The government was left demoralised.
What major event happened in 1916?
The Easter Rising led by the ‘Irish Volunteers’
How did Sinn Fein benefit from the Easter uprising in 1916?
The Sinn Fein movement gained prestige at the expense of the Irish Parliamentary party
What happened on Easter Monday in 1916?
A small detachment of Irish Volunteers marched into central Dublin and seized control of the General Post Office. They declared the establishment of the Irish Republic. By nightfall most of the key buildings in the city off Dublin were in the hands of the rebels
How many people died and were wounded as a result the Easter uprising?
450 people died and 2600 wounded
How did the Easter Uprising come to an end?
The British authorities set the General Post Office ablaze and the rebel leaders were forced to flee and join their comrades in other parts of the city, where there was fierce fighting and much destruction of property.
Why was the Easter Rising in 1916 a failure for the Irish Volunteers?
- The rebellion was mostly confined to Dublin and most citizens indeed felt the rebels were simply traitors
- The rebels received no outside help and the rebels were greatly outnumbered by soldiers and armed police
What measures did the British take with the rebels who initiated the Easter Rising?
In May, 15 of the condemned - including seven signatories of the Easter Monday Proclamation - were tried and shot. James Connolly was unable to stand, so he was shot sitting in a chair.
What was the public reaction to the executions of the Easter Rising rebels?
The harshness of these measures, together with the reports of ill-treatment of prisoners, aroused horror and resentment among all classes of southern Ireland. This caused anti-British sentiments to in Ireland to harden.
What was Lloyd George’s response to the uprising?
He negotiated with Redmond (The Irish Nationalist leader) and Carson (The Ulster Unionists leader) and appeared to secure a settlement
What is meant by Sinn Fein?
‘Ourselves alone’
By 1917, how many members were there within Sinn Fein?
250,000 members
In 1917, who was chosen as President of Sinn Fein?
Eamon de Valera
Who was the elected president of The Dail in 1919?
Eamon de Valera
How many seats did Sinn Fein win in the 1918 election?
73 seats - compared to the Irish National party who won only 7 seats
What was set up after the 1918 election by Sinn Fein?
The Dail - the Assembly of Ireland which they argued to be the true legislative authority of the country
What was the impact of Sinn Fein appointing delegates to attend the Peace Conference at Versailles?
They gained the support of Woodrow Wilson, who represented the Americans at the conference, as the principle of self-determination was the idea that all countries in Europe should not be ruled by other countries/ be independent
What was the Conscription Crisis in 1918?
Following the German spring offensive of 1918, the British government began to contemplate the introduction of conscription in Ireland - this was very unpopular in Ireland
What had the IRA originated from?
The Irish Republican Army was a development from the Irish Volunteers
Who was the main leader of the IRA?
Micheal Collins - organised the intelligence system that proved vital to the IRA during the Anglo-Irish War
When was Sinn Fein and the Dail declared illegal by the British government?
August 1919
How did Lloyd George describe the IRA?
As members of a tiny ‘murder gang’
Who were the ‘Black and Tans’?
A recruitment of a special irregular force to deal with the IRA terror tactics.
When were the Black and Tans recruited and by who?
In 1920 and by Lloyd George
Bloody Sunday is known as ‘the worst episode of the whole war’. Why?
In 1920, 11 English civilians were shot dead by the IRA in their homes and hotels. The Black and Tans had their revenge in the afternoon. They invaded Croke Park sports grounds and fired indiscriminately at the players and the crowd. 12 people died and 60 wounded
Why were the Black and Tans so unpopular?
Due to their use of brutal tactics and terror
Give three reasons a truce was agreed on 11 July 1921
- It was becoming clear that either side was incapable of winning: the British government was not prepared to launch an all-out-war and the IRA was facing shortages of men and materials.
- Personal pleas from both King George V and the Archbishop of Canterbury to find a peace settlement
- The British press was increasingly critical of the Black and Tans
What were the conditions of the Anglo-Irish treaty?
Ireland would have:
- full control of domestic affairs
- membership of the British Empire
- allegiance to the Crown
Why was Eamon de Valera against the treaty?
As it included the oath of loyalty to the king - caused him to resign as president
J.C Beckett quote on the coalition governments thoughts on Home Rule
‘it was a solution that they adopted rather than created’
- J.C.Beckett
What did Rory O’Connor do?
Four Courts incident in which he took over and occupied buildings in the name of the IRA
Who replaced Eamon de Valera as the Dail president once he resigned?
Arthur Griffith
When was the cease-fire in the Civil War called?
1923
When did Micheal Collins die and who killed him?
In 1922, during the civil war and anti-treaty killed him
What did Micheal Collins say when he decided to support the treaty proposed by the British?
‘I’m signing my own death warrant’
When was Bloody Sunday?
21st November 1920
How did the IRA fight?
Guerrilla Warfare
What was the outcome of the 1922 election?
Pro-treaty won a majority, led by Micheal Collins
How did the Anglo-Irish Treaty lead to Civil War?
Caused a split in Sinn Fein - pro-treaty and anti-treaty
