Rise Of Sinn Fein Flashcards
Rise of Sinn Fein
Reason: the Irish problem
Explain?
Home rule divided parliament and Ireland
-May to June 1916 negotiations
=Lloyd George promised nationalists and unionists different things (temporary/permanent exclusion)
=unionists in asquiths gov opposed HR, Asquith couldn’t afford to lose their support
Rise of Sinn Fein
Reason: Unpopularity of the British government
Explain?
Gov had been harsh with Easter rebels
-1800 imprisoned without trial, 75 life sentences and 15 executions
redmond’s continued negotiation with them was unpopular
Rise of Sinn Fein
Reason: rise of separatist nationalism
Explain?
More extreme-would sever all ties with England. Number of nationalist victories with this ideology:
- February 1917 George plunkett
- May 1917 joe MacGuinness
- july 1917 eamon de Valera
Oct 1917@10th party congress of Sinn Fein-stood for independent Irish Republic
In the rise of separatist nationalism, give 3 election victories February-July 1917
Feb=george plunkett in Ross-common by election (his son had been executed in Easter rising)
May=joe MacGuinness in Longford South (fought in Easter rising&backed by archbishop of Dublin)
July=Eamon de Valera in East Clare (seat vacant on death of willie Redmond)
Rise of Sinn Fein
Reason: army’s treatment of Sinn feiners
Explain?
Military governor General Maxwell initial reaction was to arrest all Sinn feiners after Easter rising
-evoked sympathy for Irish and Sinn Fein who had nothing to do with it
Rise of Sinn Fein
Reason: unionist/Nationalist tensions
Explain?
July 1917- convention in Ireland to keep Ireland talking about HR whilst war was still going
- unionists still opposed to HR and Sinn Fein boycotted convention
- Redmond died in final days of conference=strongest democratic link with British gov
Rise of Sinn Fein
Reason: conscription
Explain?
1916 conscription act hadn’t been applied to Ireland
After German spring offensive 1918-low manpower so conscription considered for Ireland
Union between John Dillon and Sinn Fein protested against conscription with a one-day strike from Irish trade unions
Also condemned by Catholic Church
Rise of Sinn Fein
Reason: unfair accusations against Sinn Fein
Explain?
British gov had arrested Sinn Fein leaders in response to anti conscription campaign=May 1917 lord French orders arrest of 73 Sinn Fein leaders (inc. de Valera and Griffith) as part of a “German plot” despite lack of real proof
-gov also clamped down on public meetings and press
What was significant for Sinn Fein about the 1918 coupon election?
1918 representation of the people act gave men 21+ and women 30+ the right to vote
Marked end of IPP dominance-Sinn Fein got 73 seats, IPP got 6, ulster got 26
=in Southern Ireland, Sinn Fein had 65% votes (REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PEOPLE)
What was the Dail Eirann?
Sinn Fein refused to recognise the authority of British gov
Formed parliament of the Irish Republic (Dail Eirann)
-released a Declaration of Independence from uk, British gov released all political prisoners
-had own courts, collected taxes, supported by IRA
