The battle for Irish independence is seldom told in a straightforward manner but the facts are simple. Ireland was given a high degree of independence from the UK in 1914. This independence was delayed by WWI and further discussions made it apparent that Home Rule for Ireland could be at the price of partition into Eire and Ulster to prevent a civil war between protestants and catholics. The anti-partition faction staged an uprising in Easter 1916 that was supported by relatively few Irish people. Nationalist sentiment abated until the British discussed imposing conscription in Ireland at the very end of WWI, in 1918. The anti-partition faction became widely supported as a result of this discussion and won the 1918 General Election in Ireland. Shortly afterwards they declared independence. There was an "Irish War of Independence" which ended with Irish independence in 1921 (ratified 1922), a more complete independence than 1914 but with explicit partition. These events are discussed in more detail below.
Irish Independence and Civil War
In 1912 the British Government held consultations on a "Home Rule Bill". The Protestant majority in Ulster signed the "Ulster Covenant" in reaction to this possibility of an independent Ireland. The Ulster Covenant was a vow to oppose Irish independence by any means. In 1913 the Ulster Volunteer Force was formed with about 100,000 members.
In reaction to the creation of the Ulster Volunteers the Irish Volunteers was formed in 1913, it had about 200,000 members and it was dedicated to preserving a united Ireland.
The Government of Ireland Act, which set up a Parliament in Ireland, was passed in 1914 but suspended owing to the First World War. The Act allowed the British to amend it (Art 47) and one of the amendments under discussion was Home Rule for N.Ireland.
The most ardent Irish Nationalists realised that when Home Rule was enacted after the war Ireland would be partitioned into North and South. A mixture of Irish Volunteers, Marxists and German sympathisers started an insurrection in Easter 1916 that resulted in about 485 deaths. The principle motivation for the insurrection was to avoid the implementation of the 1914 Act with its possibility of British perfidy over partition. Padraig Pearse was particularly suspicious of British motivations:
The British then made a bafflingly stupid move in 1918. They held consultations about imposing military conscription on Ireland. (Conscription had been the rule in the rest of the British Isles since 1916, but not Ireland). In 1918 the British were winning WWI. The Germans had made a powerful counter attack in 1918 but this had been held and the USA had entered the war, bringing thousands of fresh troops. It was clear that the Allies were going to win WWI but for some reason the British discussed a Conscription Act in Ireland. The nationalist movement in Ireland had publicly announced that conscription was a red line that they would never pass and it was highly unpopular with the people of Ireland. As a result of the widespread condemnation of the British the ultra-nationalist, Sinn Féin political party gained a majority in the December 1918 Irish elections and proclaimed Irish independence. Eventually, after three years of war with the British, and about 2000 deaths, a truce was declared and the Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed on 6th December 1921. The Anglo-Irish Treaty was little different from the "1914 Government of Ireland Act" in that it allowed separate government for Ulster.
The Treaty was about secession from the United Kingdom, not freedom from the British Empire, as is stated in most news media. The Irish only agreed amongst themselves to be a Republic in 1937.
The more extreme nationalist elements opposed the Anglo-Irish Treaty and fought a bitter Irish Civil War with the official Irish government in which about 4000 people were killed. The government won the civil war.
Ever since the Civil War the "anti-Treaty" faction have continued the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and, with intermittent support from elements in the South, and huge support from the USA, have waged a terrorist war against the people of Ulster. This faction was immune to the irony of idolizing a people's fight for independence from "the land grabbing British" whilst seeking to grab the land from the people in the North. Hopefully this war is now over.
The recent "Easter Uprising" centennial commemorations in Eire are about reconciliation with the "anti-Treaty" faction. Eire should truly celebrate its centennial in 2021 (Anglo-Irish Treaty) or 1922 (Treaty Ratification).
Postscript: The anti-Treaty faction are a little like the Serbs who would have conquered Kosovo or Bosnia, despite this being against the will of its people, because it was historically part of Serbia. It seems that the Irish in the South feel able to declare ownership of Ulster because of historical claims to ownership despite the opinion of the current people of Ulster. The world seems happy with this absurdity because it appears as if, by doing so it is a blow against British Imperialism but Britain has no empire, it is just a blow against the people of Ulster (N.Ireland).
28/3/16
Irish Independence and Civil War
In 1912 the British Government held consultations on a "Home Rule Bill". The Protestant majority in Ulster signed the "Ulster Covenant" in reaction to this possibility of an independent Ireland. The Ulster Covenant was a vow to oppose Irish independence by any means. In 1913 the Ulster Volunteer Force was formed with about 100,000 members.
In reaction to the creation of the Ulster Volunteers the Irish Volunteers was formed in 1913, it had about 200,000 members and it was dedicated to preserving a united Ireland.
The Government of Ireland Act, which set up a Parliament in Ireland, was passed in 1914 but suspended owing to the First World War. The Act allowed the British to amend it (Art 47) and one of the amendments under discussion was Home Rule for N.Ireland.
The most ardent Irish Nationalists realised that when Home Rule was enacted after the war Ireland would be partitioned into North and South. A mixture of Irish Volunteers, Marxists and German sympathisers started an insurrection in Easter 1916 that resulted in about 485 deaths. The principle motivation for the insurrection was to avoid the implementation of the 1914 Act with its possibility of British perfidy over partition. Padraig Pearse was particularly suspicious of British motivations:
Pearse’s radicalisation was partly a response to the growing militancy of Ulster Unionism and the consequent chain of events it triggered, including the arming of the Ulster Volunteers, the Curragh mutiny and Redmond’s acceptance of the principle of partition. (The Easter Rising).
The British, knowing that Ireland would be independent post-war and hence that there was little favour to be gained, suppressed the uprising harshly and continued with World War I.The British then made a bafflingly stupid move in 1918. They held consultations about imposing military conscription on Ireland. (Conscription had been the rule in the rest of the British Isles since 1916, but not Ireland). In 1918 the British were winning WWI. The Germans had made a powerful counter attack in 1918 but this had been held and the USA had entered the war, bringing thousands of fresh troops. It was clear that the Allies were going to win WWI but for some reason the British discussed a Conscription Act in Ireland. The nationalist movement in Ireland had publicly announced that conscription was a red line that they would never pass and it was highly unpopular with the people of Ireland. As a result of the widespread condemnation of the British the ultra-nationalist, Sinn Féin political party gained a majority in the December 1918 Irish elections and proclaimed Irish independence. Eventually, after three years of war with the British, and about 2000 deaths, a truce was declared and the Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed on 6th December 1921. The Anglo-Irish Treaty was little different from the "1914 Government of Ireland Act" in that it allowed separate government for Ulster.
The Treaty was about secession from the United Kingdom, not freedom from the British Empire, as is stated in most news media. The Irish only agreed amongst themselves to be a Republic in 1937.
The more extreme nationalist elements opposed the Anglo-Irish Treaty and fought a bitter Irish Civil War with the official Irish government in which about 4000 people were killed. The government won the civil war.
Ever since the Civil War the "anti-Treaty" faction have continued the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and, with intermittent support from elements in the South, and huge support from the USA, have waged a terrorist war against the people of Ulster. This faction was immune to the irony of idolizing a people's fight for independence from "the land grabbing British" whilst seeking to grab the land from the people in the North. Hopefully this war is now over.
The recent "Easter Uprising" centennial commemorations in Eire are about reconciliation with the "anti-Treaty" faction. Eire should truly celebrate its centennial in 2021 (Anglo-Irish Treaty) or 1922 (Treaty Ratification).
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| Easter Uprising: Independence for the whole nation in all of its parts. |
Postscript: The anti-Treaty faction are a little like the Serbs who would have conquered Kosovo or Bosnia, despite this being against the will of its people, because it was historically part of Serbia. It seems that the Irish in the South feel able to declare ownership of Ulster because of historical claims to ownership despite the opinion of the current people of Ulster. The world seems happy with this absurdity because it appears as if, by doing so it is a blow against British Imperialism but Britain has no empire, it is just a blow against the people of Ulster (N.Ireland).
28/3/16
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