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THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE; 1919 – 21

THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE; 1919 – 21. THE POLITICAL AND MILITARY ASPECTS OF THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. THE ROLE OF MICHAEL COLLINS. THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE (ANGLO-IRISH WAR) WAS A WAR OF 2 SIDES:. 1. 2. POLITICAL – THE SINN FÉIN MOVEMENT.

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THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE; 1919 – 21

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  1. THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE; 1919 – 21 THE POLITICAL AND MILITARY ASPECTS OF THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. THE ROLE OF MICHAEL COLLINS.

  2. THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE (ANGLO-IRISH WAR) WAS A WAR OF 2 SIDES: 1 2

  3. POLITICAL – THE SINN FÉIN MOVEMENT • Sinn Féin, following Griffith’s ideas, wanted to form an alternative government. • The first Dáil met on 21st January 1919 in the Mansion House, Dublin. There were 27 Sinn Féin MPs present, as the rest were in jail. The First Dáil issued: • The Declaration of Independence of the Irish Republic • ‘A Message to the Free Nations of the World’. This was presented at the Paris Peace Conference after World War I. • The Democratic Programme of educational and social welfare reform. How closely does this tie to Griffith’s ideas?

  4. DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE • Whereas the Irish people is by right a free people: And whereas for seven hundred years the Irish people has never ceased to repudiate and has repeatedly protested in arms against foreign usurpation: • And whereas English rule in this country is, and has always been, based upon force and fraud and maintained by military occupation against the declared will of the people: • And whereas the Irish Republic was proclaimed in Dublin on Easter Monday, 1916, by the Irish Republican Army acting on behalf of the Irish people: • And whereas the Irish people is resolved to secure and maintain its complete independence in order to promote the common weal, to re-establish justice, to provide for future defence, to insure peace at home and goodwill with all nations and to constitute a national polity based upon equal opportunity for every citizen: • And whereas as the threshold of a new era in history of the Irish electorate has in the General Election of December, 1918, seized the first occasion to declare by an overwhelming majority its firm allegiance to the Irish Republic.

  5. DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE • Now, therefore, we, the elected Representatives of the ancient Irish people in National Parliament assembled, do in the name of the Irish Nation, ratify the establishment of the Irish Republic and pledge ourselves and our people to make this declaration effective by every means at our command: • We ordain that the elected Representatives of the Irish people alone have power to make laws binding on the people of Ireland and that the Irish Parliament is the only Parliament to which that people will give its allegiance: • We solemnly declare foreign government in Ireland to be an invasion of our national right which we will never tolerate, and we demand the evacuation of our country by the English Garrison: • We claim for our national independence the recognition and support of every free nation in the world, and we proclaim that independence to be a condition precedent to international peace hereafter: • In the name of the Irish people we humbly commit our destiny to Almighty God who gave our fathers the courage and determination to persevere through long centuries of a ruthless tyranny, and strong in the justice of the cause which they have handed down to us, we ask His divine blessing on this the last stage of the struggle we have pledged ourselves to carry through to Freedom.

  6. WHAT ARE THE KEY CONCEPETS IN THIS DOCUMENT?

  7. THE FIRST DÁIL • ORDER OF BUSINESS: • The reading of the Constitution of DáilÉireann • Appointment of a delegation to go to the Paris Peace Conference • The reading of the Declaration of Independence and an appeal for international recognition of Irish independence • Reading of the Democratic Programme – improvements to health and education • The publication of a Message to the Free Nations of the World • The appointment of a Provisional Executive to oversee the running of the Dáil

  8. THE FIRST DÁIL • Who was elected president of the Dáil in its second sitting, April 1919? • Name three of the ministers de Valera appointed and identify their roles. • What were the new ministers called?

  9. THE FIRST DÁIL • FINANCE: The Dáil loan was organised by Collins, as he collected £358,000 from Irish people. De Valera also fundraised in America. • The Sinn Féin courts were established and kept law along with the Volunteers (IRA) • Following the local government elections in 1920, Sinn Féin controlled most of the county councils and corporations • The Dáil organised propaganda at home and abroad

  10. THE FIRST DÁIL • Sinn Féin faced a number of problems in setting up an alternative government: • They lacked experience of administration • There was difficulty in establishing control over the Irish Volunteers (IRA) • The Dáil government had limited success, but it disrupted the workings of the British government in Ireland. • De Valera spent most of the War of Independence in America; he became involved in disputes among the Irish Americans and failed to get recognition for Ireland from the Democratic and Republican parties.

  11. THE FIRST DÁIL – SUCCESS OR FAILURE • SUCCESS • Collins raised £358,000 as a national loan. • National Co-operative Bank to grant loans to tenant farmers. • Higgins developed a local government system. • Dáil Courts established a native legal system. • FAILURES • Rare meetings meant that they were unable to complete the everyday duties needed to run a country. • No opposition, so not truly democratic.

  12. SOURCE QUESTIONS • SOURCE A • The others (delegates at the Paris Peace Conference) failed to grant me the same courtesy usually bestowed (given) by gentlemen when receiving a letter even from beggars… it seems that the blacks and yellows (South Asian people) all colours and races, may be heard before the Conference, except the Irish. • Sean T. O’Kelly speaking to an American journalist in early March 1920 about his experience at the Paris Peace Conference • SOURCE B • I still believe Wilson means business. He can put the screw on all the gang of old-time statesmen (politicians) when he pleases. He too heavily committed for even his courage to fail: an irate (annoyed) people in America is more to be feared than Clemenceau (French PM), Lloyd George and Balfour (British Foreign Minister). If he declared ‘off’ they will be on their knees. • O’Kelly in a letter home soon after the meeting with the journalist.

  13. MILITARY CAMPAIGN • The military side of the conflict began on the same day as the First Dáil, 21 January 1921, when the Volunteers shot dead two RIC officers. • The Irish Volunteers became known as the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and operated largely independently from the Dáil.

  14. IRA • Michael Collins was the chief organiser of the conflict in Ireland, as he held the posts of Adjutant-General of the Volunteers, Director of organisation and Director of Intelligence and president of the IRB. The IRA looked to him for support. • Why might this have caused conflict? • IRA • Irish Republican Army, the military wing of Sinn Féin, which grew out of the Volunteers and which fought in the War of Independence to establish an independent Ireland. • Guerrilla war tactics. • Attacks on small RIC barracks for arms and ammunition.

  15. EARLY 1920 • BRITISH GOVERNMENT POLICY: Black & Tans and Auxiliaries • REPRISALS: As the Black & Tans and Auxiliaries were involved in shooting incidents, the destruction of property and burning of towns, ordinary people began to hate them and support increased for the IRA. • The British army had authority to arrest and imprison anyone suspected of being in the IRA without trial. • THE GOVERNMENT OF IRELAND ACT, 1920: Passed by Lloyd George, it provided a parliament for Dublin and Belfast – the country was partitioned. This was accepted by Unionists but rejected by Sinn Féin.

  16. AUTUMN/WINTER 1920 • Terence MacSwiney, Lord Mayor of Cork and local IRA Commander died in Brixton prison after 74 days of a hunger strike. • Kevin Barry was hanged • BLOODY SUNDAY, 2 NOVEMBER • Collins’ Squad killed 14 people, including 11 British Intelligence officers. In the afternoon the police surrounded Croke Park, because they thought the killers had come to Dublin with the football supporters; they fired on the players and the crowd. Twelve people were killed and 60 wounded. That evening ConorClune and two IRA prisoners, Clancy and McKee, were shot in Dublin Castle.

  17. THE GOVERNMENT OF IRELAND ACT, 1920 • PARTITION – The border dividing Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland based on the Government of Ireland Act (1920). • MAIN FEATURES OF THE ACT: • There would be two parliaments, one in Dublin governing the 26 counties and one in Belfast governing the 6 counties (Antrim, Armagh, Derry, Down, Fermanagh and Tyrone). • Both houses would swear an Oath of Allegiance. • A Council of Ireland would discuss common issues in North and South. • 42 Irish MPs would sit in Westminster. • Westminster would control defence, foreign policy and finance. • Westminster reserved the right to intervene.

  18. ELECTION FOLLOWING PARTITION • Comment on the results in North and South. • What results were achieved and why? What did this say about the community that elected them?

  19. LATE 1920 – 21: FLYING COLUMNS • Towards the end of 1920, the IRA formed new units called Flying Columns. • Ambushes: Some major ambushes included Kilmichael and Crossbarry, Co. Cork. • In December 1920 a group of Auxilaries burned the centre of Cork city. • The British government imposed martial law and many arrests weakened the IRA. • De Valera and Brugha insisted on the IRA mounting a large-scale attack. In May 1921 the IRA attacked and burned the Customs House. The IRA suffered sufferedheacy losses; five people were killed and 80 captured.

  20. TOWARDS A TRUCE,1921 FACTORS INFLUENCING A TRUCE: THE TRUCE: King George began the process in a speech at the opening of the Northern Ireland parliament. Sinn Féin would talk directly to the British government and had agreed a compromise. The truce came into operation on 11th July 1921.

  21. ASSESSMENT OF THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE

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