Sample Answer for Threat and use of violence effect on Ireland 1912-23

Essay Plan

INTRO:

• Diplomacy failed to achieve Republican goals.
• IRA and UVF engaged in violence and threats.
• 1916 Rising, War of Independence, Sinn Féin hostilities, and British forces in Ireland escalated tensions.

BODY PARAGRAPHS:

1. UVF, Solemn League, and Covenant.
2. James Connolly and the IRA.
3. The 1916 Rising week.
4. Rising weekend and its aftermath.
5. Post-Rising popularity of Sinn Féin leading to the War of Independence.
6. War of Independence: IRA vs. RIC.
7. British response and intelligence war (hit-and-runs, Black and Tans, Auxiliaries).
8. Retaliation: flying columns, executions, Bloody Sunday, martial law.
9. Truce and Government of Ireland Act.
10. Civil War.

CONCLUSION:

• Republicans aimed for full sovereignty, which wasn't achieved.
• Lack of compromise, poor organisation, and communication failures led to violence.
• The Civil War ended, but it split Irish politics and increased sectarian tensions in the North.

Sample Essay

The threat and use of physical force substantially affected Ireland from 1912-23. As achieving idealistic goals such as sovereignty and autonomy through diplomacy did not seem to work, Irish nationalists in groups like the IRA began to threaten enemies with violence. An insurrection was planned during WW1 to demand independence from Britain. However, when that did not work, political parties such as Sinn Féin engaged in hostilities with the Unionists and the British forces in Ireland. The threat and use of physical force shaped Ireland and its people significantly.

The threat of violence began in the North when militant Unionists formed an illegal paramilitary force called the Ulster Volunteer Force. It was run by Edward Carson and James Craig and aimed to resist Home Rule; the UVF threatened the state with violence after 220,000 men signed the Solemn League and Covenant (some in their own blood) that opposed Home Rule. The "gun" was re-established in Irish politics, as undemocratic tactics such as the Curragh Mutiny seemed to work. Nationalists were now faced with a dangerous threat from the North and decided to fight fire with fire. The threat of violence destabilised democracy in Ireland.

In the South, workers were being mistreated by employers, and employees strike led to police attacks. James Connolly established the Irish Citizen Army, whose aim was to protect workers from oppression and violence. After Bloody Sunday in August 1913, Police killed two demonstrators and injured 400. Constance Markievicz, amongst others, joined the IRA to help defend workers' rights. The IRA then offered Connolly a position on their Military Council, which united their forces for the common good. The treatment of workers after peaceful demonstrations fuelled anger in people, and the solution they turned to was often physical force, which further affected Ireland, proving diplomacy wouldn't work against the enemy.

Several events led up to the 1916 Rising, including a desire to recognise Irish independence. In the middle of WW1, during which Britain's attention was elsewhere, a shipment of weapons and a plan for insurrection was decided. The shipment from the Aud was unsuccessful, but the rebels, including the IRB and the Irish Volunteers, decided to go through with plans regardless, though outnumbered. The rebels captured some key buildings like the GPO, but ultimately, they were underprepared, and the British killed and wounded many civilians and insurrectionists over Easter week. Violence was the only way to bring attention to Irishmen's nationalist cause.

After a week of bloodshed, the British demanded unconditional surrender, which Pádraig Pearse, who led the rising, agreed to. On top of structural damage and death, many rebels were court-martialled and executed. An exception was de Valera because he had American citizenship. After the rise, public opinion was not favourable towards the rebels; that changed after the executions. Asquith ordered these to stop due to the outrage, and the rebels were seen as martyrs. The rising proved one thing: violence was seen and heard.

Sinn Féin was blamed for the Rising, though in reality, they had little involvement. The goals of many Irish Nationalists shifted from Home Rule, and the demand for full independence grew. The Sinn Féin party grew in popularity due to their promise of delivering a republican ideology. Some believed in peaceful resistance, but many, like Collins, thought otherwise based on prior events. After the Dáil first met in January of 1919, the first shots of the Anglo-Irish War of Independence were fired. The physical force and violence snowballed into a war and almost entirely flipped the conduct of Irish politics and ideology as Republicans became more and more fixated on full autonomy.

When the War of Independence began in January 1919, one of the first acts of violence occurred at Soloheadbeg. IRA members attacked and killed two RIC officers. This occurred without the knowledge or consent of the Dáil. The British saw it as an act of terrorism, but Irish republicans claimed it was an act of war between two nations, Britain and Ireland. Between 1919 and 1920, the IRA attempted to force the RIC from the country with other violent attacks; as a result of this physical force, RIC officers feared for their safety and resigned.

Since Sinn Féin "controlled" the IRA, the British government banned the party in Ireland as a consequence of their actions. This, however, did not stop Republicans like Collins, who created an intelligence network, and "the Squad", who killed any opposed to the Irish cause with the use of guerrilla tactics. A force of former soldiers called the Black & Tans and a special Auxiliary police force were sent to Ireland. They murdered high-profile Republicans, which only further encouraged the use of violence and hatred for British rule.

The Irish retaliated by sending "flying columns", a group of IRA assassins, to perform hit-and-run attacks on enemy barracks. The IRA were infuriated by the executions of members like Mac Curtain and Kevin Barry, which resulted in the recruitment of even more members. In 1920, on Bloody Sunday, British Artilleries killed 12 and injured 60 during a game in Croke Park. This event received worldwide publicity and condemnation. Martial law and curfews were established, during which the British still carried out reprisals but, as a result, had to pay £3 million in compensation. Diplomacy was long gone by this point, and using physical force led to unstable rule and terrible losses in Ireland.

In December 1920, Lloyd George introduced the Government of Ireland Act to solve the infamous Irish question and stop the violence. Because of Sinn Féin's absence at Westminster, the bill passed easily. It split Ireland into the Irish Free State and the six Unionist Ulster counties. This made Ireland a dominion of Britain. The border between Ulster and the South ensured protestant supremacy, but the sectarian tensions were largely unacknowledged. The 2nd Dáil opened amongst severe fighting, and the British were forced into a truce because the war was expensive and there was a backlash. The truce went into effect in Ireland in July 1921. However, it was not the end of physical violence in Ireland.

After the Treaty had been signed, the Dáil received mixed reactions. It split into Pro and Anti Treaty, Regulars and Irregulars. The IRA took sides, and violence broke out, leading to a civil war. Fighting between the Regulars and Irregulars in Dublin lasted 8 days, and 60 were killed while 300 were injured. Tensions regarding Catholics rose in the North, but nothing was done. The Special Powers Act enabled court martialing, and eventually, the Irregulars surrendered, and major violence ceased.

The threat and use of physical violence from 1912-23 shaped Ireland and its politics for decades to come. The Republican's goal was full sovereignty, and when that wasn't delivered, fighting always broke out. Lack of compromise, organisations, and communication took a fall on the country, its people, and its politics. Many believed that peaceful means wouldn't work to achieve the desired ideology, so they often resorted to violence, both with the enemy and each other. Though the civil war was over, it split Irish politics for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, secretarial tensions in the North steadily increased, eventually leading to the Troubles.