Ireland Flashcards
How had there been long term support for HR amongst the Liberal party?
-2 attempts were made by Liberals under British Prime Minister Gladstone to enact home rule bills. -> Gladstone had become personally committed to granting Irish home rule in 1885. - 1st attempt -> 1886 Home Rule to Ireland in honour rather than being compelled to do so one day in humiliation. -> His bill was defeated in the Commons by 30 votes.- second attempt 1892 -> steered through the Commons with a majority of 30 votes, only to be defeated in the Conservative’s pro-unionist majority controlled House of Lords.
How did the 1910 election cause the 3rd HR bill to be passed 1912?
conservative majority in the H of L which arguably caused the need for a general election 1910
INP held balance of power- The rejection of the 1909 Budget was seen as a last straw by many Libs - Lib gov used this as an opportunity to once and for all reduce power of H of L by passing the parliament act- King George V agreed to flush H of L if Lib gov. won a general election - Lib gov would not have majority without INP - Redmond agreed to support Asquith on the promise that HR would be introduced -> threatened to disrupt parliament if not Link: Asquith was not willing to call Redmond’s bluff b/c the long term importance of reducing the power of the H of L
Why did the Parliament Act 1911 allow HR to be passed 1912?
reduced the power of the lords - Previously the H of L had been the main factor to why the HR bill was not passed in 1892 - 1911 Parliament Act removed the ability of the H of L to veto bills and replaced this with the power of delay- The maj. of Libs in the H of C meant that HR could finally stand a chance
How did the Cultural revival in Ireland lead to greater support for Irish Independence?
- Gaelic League 1893 -> After four years it had 43 branches, and after ten years more than 400- publication of weekly newspaper -> ‘Gaelic Journal’ - revival of Gaelic folk music-> A means of separating Irish and English culture in Ireland-> Subtle way of showing support for Irish independence until Liberal government came into play
- Through the cultural revival, support for independence and separation from Britain increased in Ireland
How did Griffith contribute to greater support for Irish Independence?
Increased independence mood in Ireland led by Arthur Griffith - The fundamental principles of Sinn Féin -> outlined in an article published in 1904 by Griffith - The Resurrection of Hungary-> noted how in 1867 Hungary went from being part of the Austrian Empire to a separate co-equal kingdom in Austria-Hungary. -> Though not a monarchist himself, Griffith advocated such an approach for the Anglo-Irish relationship-that Ireland should become a separate kingdom alongside Great Britain, the two forming a dual monarchy with a shared monarch but separate governments, as it was thought this solution would be more palatable to the British
INP didn’t share such ideas and their idea of independence through HR was not enough for Griffith and his supporters
How did HR contribute to greater support for Irish independence?
- HR ignored and insufficient for Irish independence
- HR limitation was that Ireland would only be able to determine domestic issues -Griffith sought to combine elements of Parnellism with the traditional separatist approach-Central to his strategy was parliamentary abstention: the belief that Irish MPs should refuse to attend the Parliament of the United Kingdom at Westminster, but should instead establish a separate Irish parliament in Dublin.- withdrawal from Westminster and the establishment of a national assembly in Ireland, refusing to pay British taxes, creating independent Irish courts and an Irish civil service, taking control of local authorities and boycotting British products.
How and why did Ulster oppose the 3rd HR bill?
-This area was the only industrialised part of the island, with a million-strong community different in religion, culture and national feeling from the majority nationalist community. -> Unionist leaders Carson + Craig spoke at several big rallies across the province. -> In September 1912, the Ulster Unionist Council organised the signing of the Solemn League and Covenant by more than 200,000 men pledging them to resist Home Rule
How did the Conservative party heighten opposition against HR?
- Ulster opposition of Home Rule was ushered by the Cons party
- Conservative Unionist- Long standing tradition of opposition towards HR-> 2nd HR Bill 1892 rejected by H of L maj Cons-> believed that GB would be stronger united-> At a huge rally of all UK Unionist associations at Blenheim in July 1912, Bonar Law stated that there was ‘no length of resistance’ to which Ulster could go which he would not be ready to support. Link: It was this exact statement from Bonar Law that was used as an approval for violence from the Ulster Unionists
How was there a violent opposition to HR?
- On 13 January 1913, the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) was formally established by the Ulster Unionist Council-> began drilling, though with few weapons as yet. -> Nationalist organs ridiculed such displays and dismissed threats of armed resistance as bluff. - began to smuggle in consignments of guns and ammunition. -> Carson carried out daily inspections of UVF units across Ulster. -No attempt was made to prosecute the leaders for all this illegality, nor were Redmond or Dillon inclined to call for prosecutions.
What happened to Ireland and HR during WW1?
WW1 - Put 3rd HR bill on shelf just as the H of L delay time from 1912 was coming to an end -> Redmond encouraged Irish to fight in WW1 to represent GB -> Conscription introduced 1916 -> 1 thing to volunteer to fight in war another to force men to die for GB -> 18-40 - 210,000 Irishmen served in the GB forces during WW1-> 35k Irish died -> heightened need for independence
-Belief that WW1 was the best opportunity to take seize Irish independence
Outline the Easter Rising
-A small minority of separatist republican radicals broke away from Redmond to form the ‘Irish Volunteers’ -believing the old nationalist adage that ‘England’s extremity is Ireland’s opportunity’, they began planning for a rebellion against British rule in Ireland. -At Easter 1916, led by James Connolly and the visionary nationalist, Patrick Pearse, some 1,800 volunteers seized the General Post Office (GPO) and various other major buildings in Dublin ->proclaimed an Irish republic, and held out for a week before overwhelming force obliged them to surrender
Why did the governments response to Easter Rising lead to increased support for Sinn Fein?
The government responded harshly to this rising
-subsequent executions of 15 leading rebels, including Pearse and Connolly. -The sharp suppression of the Rising undoubtedly caused support for Irish Independence. -Widespread public revulsion at the executions exacerbated a growing alienation from the British administration in Ireland.- In turn this fuelled support for the republican separatist movement, Sinn Féin, which comprehensively defeated the Redmondite nationalists in the December 1918 general election, thus providing a political underpinning for the Irish war of independence
How did HR bill cause there to be support for the Solemn League + Covenant?
- 1912 HR Bill created an Irish Parliament despite the numerous limitations on the power of this Parliament its existence was enough to drive unionists to commit tothe Covenant- Protests in Belfast 2 days before HR Bill introduced with over 100k people ignored by Lib gov.-> It included Ulster despite Carson’s demands for Ulster to be excluded- the passage of the 1911 Parliament Act meant that the 1912 Home Rule Bill would eventually become law. The pro-Unionist House of Lords would be unable to prevent ordelay it any longer. This was a simple reality known and understood by all Ulster Unionists
Why was Ulster opposition to HR long term?
Ulster Unionists had made it clear since the 1st attempt to pass a HR bill in 1886, that Ulster was to be excluded
-it was a long standing Unionist movement and its members and supporters had developed a political voice and organisation since the threat of Home Rule had emergedin the 1880s-This area was the only industrialised part of the island, with a million-strong community different in religion, culture and national feeling from the majority nationalist community. - Ulster unionists felt it was their birth right to be a part of England and that HR was ripping this away from them-many Ulstermen believed that the Covenant would act as a powerful form of pressure on the Liberal government and they knew they had political support amongst manyConservatives in Britain, and some Liberals
How did leaders of the Ulster Unionists cause a growth in support for the Solemn League + Covenant?
The leaders of these views convinced many to support the covenant.
-Carson was a powerful and charismatic leader and drew many followers by his absolutely uncompromising stance against Home Rule-> Unionist leaders Carson + Craig spoke at several big rallies across the province. - Support from B law - Convinced Unionists of the economic damages of HR- Many Ulstermen saw Home Rule as the beginning of a new economic order which would result in Ulster providing economic support for the ailing south of Ireland. -The Covenant was effectively a commitment not to accept this
