Ireland - War Of Independence 1919-21 Flashcards
IRA
What the Volunteers were renamed. Stands for the Army of the Irish Republic)
The Squad
A group of assassins set up by Michael Collins
Guerrilla Warfare
A type of fighting that consisted of surprise attacks and ambushes.
Flying columns
Full-time volunteers (twenty or more members) who moved from place to place to help the local commanders set up ambushes.
Blacks and Tans
Ex-British soldiers sent to Ireland as reinforcements in 1920.
Auxiliaries
Ex-army officers that were recruited as reinforcement against the IRA. They were unpopular due to their ruthlessness.
The Truce
The British were embarrassed by the behaviour of the forces in Ireland and the IRA was short in terms of arms and members, so they agreed on a truce beginning on 11 July 1921.
RIC
The police force in Ireland
Government of Ireland Act 1920
It divided Ireland into two parts (partition)
1) One part had six Ulster counties, with a Home Rule parliament in Belfast. It was called Northern Ireland. Its first prime minister was James Craig.
2) The other part was called Southern Ireland. It was to have a Home Rule parliament in Dublin. This parliament never came into existence.
Negotiating the treaty 1921
A delegation led by Collins and Griffith went to London to negotiate to a treaty with Britain.
Eamon de Valera declined to go.
1) To set up a republic so that Ireland would be completely independent from Britain
2) To end partition so that the Northern Ireland state would cease to exist.
British delegation was led by the prime minister, Lloyd George, and included experienced negotiators such as Winston Churchill.
The British wanted:
Ireland to stay within the British Commonwealth
To maintain the state of Northern Ireland
Terms of the Treaty
- Ireland would be called the Irish Free State
- The Free State would not be a republic but part of the British Commonwealth. This is called dominion status. The king would be head of state and TDs would have to take an oath of loyalty to the king.
- The British would have three naval ports in Ireland: Lough Swilly, Cobh and Berehaven.
- A Boundary Commission was to be set up to decide the border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State. It would consist of a representative from both Northern Ireland and the Free State. There would be an independent chairman.
- The Governor-General was to be the king’s representative in the Free State.
Main arguments in favour of the Treaty
It gave Ireland more independence than Home Rule would have
As Collins stated ‘It was a stepping stone to greater independence’ Once the British left, it would he easier to work towards full independence.
If the war started again, the IRA would be beaten. It was the best deal that could be got.
Main arguments against the Treaty
The treaty didn’t give Ireland the republic that it had fought for.
Republicans could not swear an oath of loyalty to the king.
As Ireland was so close to Britain it would be easy for the British government to interfere in Irish affaurs, as the king was head of state.
Events leading to civil war
Treaty caused much division in the country. It divided families.
British army withdrew from the barracks.
Pro-treaty IRA called the Free State Army,
Anti-treaty IRA + called the Irregulars.
The Civil War
Anti-treaty forces in Four Courts kidnapped General O’Connell of Free State army.
Collins attacked Four Courts
Within two days, Irregulars in Four Courts had surrendered
Irregulars were defeated in Dublin within a week
Irregulars retreated to Munster where their support was strongest
They used guerrilla warfare tactics against the Free State troops
By August 1922, Free State army had 60,000 soldiers
Arthur Griffith died of a stroke
Michael Collins was killed in an ambush at Béal na Bláth in West Cork
William T. Cosgrove became the new head of the Free State government
Kevin O’Higgins was now in charge of law and order. He passed a Special Powers Act.
Last obstacle to a ceasefire was removed when Liam Lunch was killed.
Frank Aiken agreed to a ceasefire
