Topic Three - Northern Ireland 1965-1985 [12] Flashcards
Study Source C
Today’s Army Orders: STOP THE RIVALS FROM KNOCKING EACH OTHER INSENSIBLE
Ulster Catholic throwing debris at an Ulster Protestant (vice versa) whilst the British army officer is stuck in the crossfire.
Source C: A cartoon published in a British newspaper, The Daily Express, August 1970
Do you agree with the view that the only reason for the introduction of British troops to Northern Ireland was to keep both communities apart? Explain your answer using source C and your own knowledge.
The evidence which can be gleaned from the source is that the view from a certain British newspaper, The Daily Express, is that the reason the troops were sent into Northern Ireland on August 14th and 15th 1969 was simply to keep the warring factions of Catholics and Protestants apart. The source has the British soldier resolutely trying to maintain order between two sides and it is the soldier who appears to be suffering from the conflict not either side.
The soldier has obvious injuries but is sticking to his orders which are posted on the placard which stated to prevent the rivals from ‘knocking each other insensible’. Therefore, if we were to take the information from the source alone it would concur with the statement that the troops were introduced to keep the communities apart.
The depiction of the two communities is interesting. They are very similar in appearance and are portrayed as ape-like characters without a great deal of intelligence.
The source is however, not representative of all shades of opinion regarding the deployment of the troops. In August 1969 when the troops arrived the nationalist population universally welcomed the troops viewing them as their protectors and defenders in the face of loyalist attacks. This is why the residents of Catholic areas in West Belfast and Derry were seen welcoming the soldiers with cups of tea.
The Unionist politicians who were in control of Northern Ireland welcomed the troops on one hand as a means to return calm to the streets of Northern Ireland while simultaneously they didn’t like the interference from London into their handling of internal affairs of Northern Ireland.
Unionists were wary that this intervention with the troops was the first step along the road leading to the eventual government of Northern Ireland by Direct Rule from Westminster.
Therefore, it wouldn’t be entirely fair to state that the only reasons for the troops introduction was to keep the two communities apart, the reasons are more varied. The British government sent the troops into to stop attacks on Catholic Communities, to give the RUC and B-Specials a break and to allow the Northern Ireland government time to come up with an internal solution to the problems facing Northern Ireland.
• The British troops were deployed to also protect the Nationalist community.
