The War of Independence Flashcards
when did the war of independence begin
21 January 1919
what marked the beginning of the war of independence
a Royal Irish Constabulary patrol was ambushed in Soloheadbeg in Co. Tipperary. Two RIC constables were killed by the group of volunteers, led by Dan Breen and Séan Tracy
when did the Irish Volunteers become known as the Irish Republican Army
when the Dáil declared them the official army of the Irish Republic
what were the methods of the IRA
they used guerilla warfare tactics
Michael Collins organized an intelligence network of spies to gather information from people inside Dublin Castle
He formed a group called the Squad/ Twelve Apostles who were assassins hired to kill spies and British detectives.
flying columns were set up as the IRA numbers increased. they took part in ambushes, raider local police stations for arms and helped organize the IRA in rural areas
what is guerilla warfare
a tactic involving hit and run methods
what were the methods of the British
they formed the Black and Tans who were ex British soldiers who were named for the colonies of their uniforms, which was a mix of army and RIC uniforms.
they recruited ruthless ex army officers called the Auxilaries to help.
these two groups carried out terrible reprisals which caused an increasing support for the IRA.
what is a reprisal
an act of retaliation against local people in revenge for attacks on British organizations
explain what happened on Bloody Sunday
collins squad killed 13 British intelligence agents so in retaliation the Auxilaries entered Croke Park during a Dublin vs Tipperary football match and opened fire on the crowd.
explain the end of the war of independence
both the British and the Irish recognized that peace was needed. The war was costing Britain £20 million a year and the Irish were running out of arms and ammunition. When de Valera came back from America he agreed to a truce with Lloyd George.
when did the truce begin
11 July 1921
