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Several different conflicts were touched off by World War I. All paled in the comparison with the War itself, but several were quite large, such as the Russian Civil War. The Irish Civil War was one of the smaller of these conflicts. Only about 3,000 people were killed during the height of the violence, about a 1 year period (June 28, 1922 - May 24, 1923). This was less than the death toll during a week on the western front when major battles were not being fought. But Ireland was a small country and major issues in human history have not infrequently been resolved by relatively small battles. The Irish Civil War (Cogadh Cathartha na hÉireann) followed the War of Independence launched by the Easter Rebellion and began with the establishment of the Irish Free State, a compromise entity which was independent from Britain but still within the British Empire. The conflict involved two opposing factions of Irish republicans who differed over the the Anglo-Irish Treaty which brought the Irish Free State into existence. The adherents of the Provisional Government (which officially became the Free State in December 1922) supported the Treaty. The Republican opposition saw the Treaty as a betrayal of the Irish Republic as proclaimed during the Easter Rising. Many of the combatants in the Civil War had fought together as comrades in the Irish Republican Army (IRA) during the War of Independence. The Irish Civil War determined the nature of independent Ireland and the relationship with Britain. Spymaster Michael Collins who had played a central role in bringing Britain to the negotiating table become President of the Irish Republican Brotherhood eventually accepted the British offer knowing it was the best deal he could get at the time. He calculated that independence would eventually follow. He also realized that there would be a terrible reaction among his former colleagues. The Free State forces prevailed in large part because of the heavy weapons s provided by the British. The conflict resulted in higher losses than the War of Independence against the British. The result was the creation of the Irish Free State which eventually became the Irish Republic. There was considerable Catholic opposition to partition in both the Irish Free State and Ulster. An IRA faction opposing an end to the armed struggle without gaining Ulster assassinated Collins. The provisional Irish Government eventually suppressed the IRA violence. More than 1,000 IRA supporters were arrested and imprisoned without trial. The Civil War generated the intense emotions that often accompanies civil war. It left Irish society divided and embittered for generations. The wounds inflicted during the Civil War would surface again during The Troubles in Northern Ireland (1970s-80s). The two main political parties in modern Ireland, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, are the descendants of the opposing factions in the Civil war. Partition was an established fact at onset of the Civil War, but the conflict in the South made reunification a remote possibility.
Several different conflicts were touched off by World War I. All paled in the comparison with the War itself, but several were quite large, such as the Russian Civil War. Or wee see the move toward Fascism in many countries. The Irish Civil War was one of the smaller of these conflicts, largely because Ireland is such a small country.. Only about 3,000 people were killed during the height of the violence, about a 1 year period (June 28, 1922 - May 24, 1923). This was less than the death toll during a week on the western front when major battles were not being fought. But Ireland was a small country and major issues in human history have not infrequently been resolved by relatively small battles. The Irish Civil War (Cogadh Cathartha na hÉireann) followed the War of Independence launched by the Easter Rebellion and began with the establishment of the Irish Free State, a compromise entity which was independent from Britain but still within the British Empire
The Easter Rebellion was staged in Dublin (1916). Irish Nationalists like most Europeans had thought the War would quickly be over, at which time the question of home rule could be taken up again. When the War continued throughout 1915 and into 1916, it was clear that the War could continue for some time. The Irish Republican Brotherhood and the splinter IVF decided to tak a bold action against against British rule in Ireland. They planned to take advantage of the fact that the British Army as in France with only a small force in Ireland. The Easter Rising was mastermined by Patrick Pearse, Thomas MacDonagh, and Joseph Plunkett. Roger Casement was to obtain German weapons. The British intercepted the weapons, but the Rising occurred as planned on Easter Monday (April 24, 1916). Although unsuccessful it was the first action that would eventually lead to Irish independence after the War. The British quickly put it dowm. Almost 100 men were shot after nominal trials. One leader they failed to shoot was Michael Collins. The British wrongly blamed Sinn Féin for the rising (it had actually been the Irish Republican Brotherhood). Some authors believe that the ferocity in which the rising was supressed and the executions doomed the British presence in Ireland. It may well have been the case that even if the British has reacted more moderately that in the end it would have made little difference.
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) was created as an Irish paramilitary organization in the Fenian tradition after the vollapse of the 1916 Easter Rebellion. Their goal was to end British rule and establish a republic. After the War of Independence and partuition, the goal became the reunification of Ireland. The IRA was formd from the Irish Volunteers, a militant nationalist group formed just before World War I (1913). The IRA envisioned using armed action to undermine continued British rule in Ireland impossible, laying the foundation of an independent republic. The IRA was the armed wing of this effort. Sinn Féin, a Irish nationalist party, was the politicaln wing. The two were closely linked, andv thev membership overlapped. But they operated independently. At times the IRA followed Sinn Féin direction, but at times the IRA controlled and led the independence movement. The IRA would lead the independence struggle and was lead by Michael Collins. They did not have the strength to openly confront the British Army and so adopted employed guerrilla tactics, meaning ambushes, assainastions, raids, and sabotage. All of this was conducted with the purpose of forcing the British government to negotiate with Sinn Féin.
Although the Easter Rebellion (1916) was quickly put down by the British, the Rising had a profound impact on Irish public opinion. The Easter Rising and perhaps more significantly the brutal British suppresion which followed dramatically inflamed the island. The Rising failed, but the Brirish response radicalized the Catholic south. And the languishing Home Rule Bill presented a serious problem for both Prime Minister Asquith and then Lloyd George. While the pending Home Rule Bill was anthma Protestant Ulster, but it was far short of anything that would satisfy the majority Catholic south. Undoubtedly the enormous losses on the Western Front were another factor. At the end of the War, an increasing majority of Catholic Ireland wanted to break their ties with Britain. After the Armistice, the British Government announced a General Election (1918). The first election since 1910. The Conservatives emerged as the major party, but Lloyd George continued as prime minister. The most stunning development was in Ireland. The Republicans ( Sinn Féin) led by Eamon de Valera) swept Catholic Ireland defeating the Home Rule Party. Sinn Féin refused, however, to take their seats in Westminster. Rather they established an alternative Irish parliament (Dáil Éireann) in Dublin. The Irish Republican Army (IRA) in the Anglo-Irish War of 1919-21 (Irish War of Independence) supported Sinn Féin. A vicious civil war occurred in Ireland after the War. Irish resistance was centered in the Irish Republican Army (IRA) which begam assasinating British officials, British landlords, and their Irish supporters. The British answered with the equally violent Black and Tans. The IRA was made into an effective group in large measure through the leadership of Michael Collins. Eventually the British offered the Irish all but the majprity Protestant six counties of northern Ireland--Ulster. In 1919 the British coalition government of David Lloyd George was obliged to deal with an almost impossible situation in which most of Ireland rejected the union and most of Ulster rejected everything else. The intended remedy was the Government of Ireland Act of 1920, which created two modestly self-governing units: one comprising six of Ulster's nine counties (later to be known as Northern Ireland), the other comprising the three remaining counties of Ulster together with the 23 counties of the rest of Ireland. Although the Protestant majority of the six counties clearly preferred continuation of the union for all of Ireland, it settled for Home Rule for itself, and the Northern Ireland parliament and government began functioning in June 1921. Paradoxically, the Catholic majority of the 26 counties, for whom Home Rule had originally been intended, rejected it as inadequate.
Britain and Irish representatives led by IRA leader Michael Collins signed the ground-breaking Anglo-Irish Treaty in London (December 21, 1921). Collins had escaped the British hangman byn a narrow margin. The Treaty redefinf the British-Irish relationship, creating an independent Ireland for the first time in centuries. It essentially created the independent Irish Free State, but still within the British Empire, with King George V as its titular head of state. Thus Ireland was no longer a colony and achieved the same constitutional status within the British Empire as the Dominions (Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa). What Micahel Collins understood, but much of the IRA did not was that it meant indedependence for Ireland and the inevitable creation of a republic. What Collins could not deliver, howeverr, s prevengting the permanent partition of the island. The Treaty allowed the Northern Ireland Parliament to remain separate if it so chose. And The Protestants in northerrn Ireland were determined to maintain their ties with Britain. Partition made the Treaty highly controversial within Ireland and led to Irish Civil War between the anti- and pro-treaty factions within the IRA.
The Government of Ireland Act sets up two parliaments, one in Dublin and one in Belfast. This creates the Irish Free State, ruled by the Dublin parliament, but nominally still under the British crown. It left Northern Ireland part of the United Kingdom. Violence escalated as Catholics oppose partition. Collins after extended negotiations accepted the British offer knowing it was the best he could get at the time. The result in the creation of the Irish Free State which eventually after World War II became the modern Irish Republic. There was considerable Catholic opposition to partition in both the Irish Free State and Ulster. An IRA faction opposing an end to the armed struggle without gaining Ulster suceeded in assasinating Collins. The provisional Irish Government eventually supressed the IRA violence. More than 1,000 IRA supporters were arrested and inprisoned without trial.
The conflict involved two opposing factions of Irish republicans who differed over the the Anglo-Irish Treaty which brought the Irish Free State into existence. The Provisional Government led by Michael Collins officially became the Free State (1922), They supported the Treaty. The Republican opposition saw the Treaty as a betrayal of patriots who proclaimed a republic as part of the 1916 Easter Rising. Many of the men who fought the Civil War were the same IRA combatants who had fought side by sad agaunst the British in the independence struggle. The Irish Civil War determined the nature of independent Ireland and the relationship with Britain. Spymaster Michael Collins who had played a central role in bringing Britain to the negotiating table become President of the Irish Republican Brotherhood eventually accepted the British offer knowing it was the best deal he could get at the time. Collins correctly calculated that full independence would eventually follow. He also realized that there would be a terrible reaction among his former colleagues, essentially predicting his death. .
The Treaty was signned by Collins and the other Irish delegates just before Christmas (Decmber 21, 1921). The primary fight was to controln Dublin. The Provisional Government and pro-treaty National Army was organized by Michael Collins who emerged as the dominant fuigure in the Provisional Government.
The first hHeavy fighting broke out in Dublin. The two main fiorces were the IRA Dublin Brigade and the Free State troops. The important O'Connell Street at he heart of Dubkin was severely damaged. The Gresham Hotel was burned down and the Four Courts were reduced to rubble. Collins' oversaw Free State operatiions. The Provisional Government and the National Army were in full control of Dublin (early July). The The anti-Treaty forces still largeky controlled the more traditional south and west. Their greatest strong-hold was the 'Munster Republic'. They were administered local government and policing in a substantial part iof the country. 【Clarke】 The Proviional Government led by Collins, Richard Mulcahy, and Eoin O'Duffy crafted an offensive operation consisting of seaborne landings. The National Army managed to secured control all the major towns (late August). This led to anti-Treaty forces launching guerrilla operations. The Civil War generated the intense emotions that often accompanies civil war. The IRA after several failed attempts finally managed to asasinate Collins bnear Cork while insoecting Natuinal Army troops (August 22). The gureilla warfare continued for some bloody 10 months (until about June 1923). The conflict resulted in higher losses than the War of Independence against the BritishT. The anti-Treaty IRA leadership finnally ordered its fighters to 'dump arms', effectuively endung the conflict. The Free State Provisional Government suceeded in large measure because of the heavy weapons provided by the British. . The result was the creation of the Irish Free State which eventually became the Irish Republic. There was considerable Catholic opposition to partition in both the Irish Free State and Ulster. The Provisional Irish Government, however, eventually suppressed the IRA violence. More than 1,000 IRA supporters were arrested and imprisoned without trial.
The Civil War left Irish society deeply divided and embittered for generations. The wounds inflicted during the Civil War would surface again during The Troubles in Northern Ireland (1970s-80s). The two main political parties in modern Ireland, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, are the descendants of the opposing factions in the Civil war. Partition was an established fact at onset of the Civil War, but the conflict in the South made reunification a remote possibility.
Clarke, Kathleen. Kathleen Clarke: Revolutionary Woman (O'Brien Press: 2008). Clarke's book is the only first hnd account of the Easter Rebellion.
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