F.S.L Lyons, From War to Civil War (1973)

Résumé du document

Violence was one of the means of Irish nationalism (but not the only one). Until 1916, Redmond conception of the Home Rule was a desirable and attainable ideal. Lyons argues that Redmond has only achieved little more than a glorified local government. Other conceptions existed; Michael Griffith attacked the IPP on the ground that as long as the Irish would have to ask London for permission there would be no step towards self-reliance. He argued that the Irish MP should leave Westminster and create their own parliament.

Nevertheless, his conception of independence and of this secession was unclear. The Sinn Fein was willing to reach absolute independence and thus an All-Ireland Republic. Padraig Pearse thought that "Free Ireland was Gaelic and Gaelic Ireland was free". Finally, Connolly advocated a workers' republic.

It changed after 1916: British failure to implement Home Rule after the uprising led to the decline of constitutional nationalism and of the IPP. Social-democratic trend of the government was shot with Connolly. The republic was not seen as a worker's republic anymore. De Valera managed to bring the republicans and Sinn Fein closer. The Sinn Fein triumphed at the general election of 1918, after the cult of the Republic was established. It won 73 out of the 105 Irish seats. This victory gave them the opportunity to proceed to the withdrawal of Westminster and to open the first Dail on 21 January 1919. The Proclamation of 1916 was ratified. The Republic stopped to be an aspiration and became, or was in process to become, a fact.

Extraits

[...] F.S.L Lyons, From War to Civil War (1973) The meaning of independence Violence was one of the means of Irish nationalism (but not the only one). Until 1916, Redmond conception of the Home Rule was a desirable and attainable ideal. Lyons argues that Redmond has only achieved little more than a glorified local government. Other conceptions existed; Michael Griffith attacked the IPP on the ground that as long as the Irish would have to ask London for permission there would be no step towards self- reliance. [...]

[...] This Bill was a threat for Ireland: if ignored, a Crown colony government was to be imposed on the 26 counties of Ireland. This would have been possible, but only through an awful lot of violence. Many, including Lloyd George, were looking for a truce. A cease fire came on the 11 July 1921. It was facilitated by De Valera's will to ease the weight of the struggle on the ordinary people. What is more, the IRA was on the edge on annihilation. On the other hand, an intensification of the war might have been politically disastrous for Lloyd George. [...]

[...] - The MP of the Free State would take an oath of allegiance to the Crown. - The Free State would have to assume a part of the British war debt and authorize them to use some naval facilities. - The Free State would be in total control of his tariffs, social and economic policies. - Northern Ireland had a month to opt out the agreement, in which event a boundary commission would redraw the border. The Great Debate The plenipotentiaries had signed the treaty without a further consultation of Dublin. [...]

[...] The fundamental purpose of this document was to exclude Britain from interfering with the domestic affairs of the Free State. It aimed to restrain Ireland's association with the Commonwealth at matters of War, Peace, and Treaties. Lyons argues that if the Treaty was rejected or replaced by the Document it would have been very likely that the British went into an immediate and terrible war. Document was finally withdrawn, and the treaty adopted on the 6 December 1921. References F.S.L. [...]

[...] The Republic stopped to be an aspiration and became, or was in process to become, a fact. Days of Decision Two concepts opposed each other: - Irish side: Only through the establishment of a republic could true independence and separation from Britain be achieved. - British side: Irish independence would involve a double threat: hazard in defense constituted by an independent country so close to Ireland and fear that an independent Ireland may lead others to follow. This led to an armed conflict. The guerilla character of the war intensified the resentment between the two countries. [...]