Irish Republican Army. 1400 – Normans from England settle in Ireland 1495 – King Henry VII...
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Transcript of Irish Republican Army. 1400 – Normans from England settle in Ireland 1495 – King Henry VII...
1400 – Normans from England settle in Ireland
1495 – King Henry VII extends English law over Irish parliament
History of Ireland
Henry VIII tries to impose Anglican religion◦Roman Catholicism becomes linked with Irish
◦Refuse to accept Anglican Church
1560s – English suppress Irish revolt◦Queen Elizabeth I takes Irish lands and gives to English nobles
1660 – English law prevails over Ireland
1798 – failed Irish revolt Jan 1, 1801 – Irish relinquish own parliament◦United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland formed
Beginning of the Current Conflict
1841 – 1851 – Irish potato famine◦Population in Ireland decreases by 1.6 million
◦Famine, disease, emigration◦British do little to help Irish◦Animosity grows
Following famine, Catholics in Ireland demand national self-government◦Gain power in Parliament established in Ireland
May 1914 – Government of Ireland Act passed◦British grant Irish home rule status◦August 1914 – postponed because of WWI
Growth in Call for Home Rule
1916 – first Irish nationalist militia formed◦Fought Irish unionist militias that supported British
1916-1919 – First Irish Civil War
Government of Ireland Act of 1920◦Partitioned Ireland◦Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland◦Led to civil war
Anglo-Irish Agreement of 1921◦Dec 6◦Northern Ireland given option to remain part of UK
◦Created Irish Free State in the south
Provisional Irish Republican ArmyDecember 1969 split of IRAAim is to remove Northern Ireland from UK
Bring about a united Ireland◦Force of arms and political persuasion
Strategy◦Use force to cause collapse of N. Ireland gov’t
◦Inflict casualties on British forces Enough for Parliament to remove troops
January 11, 1970 – Sinn Fein splits◦Supporters of new PIRA◦PIRA suspicious of political activity◦Argued for more use of armed struggle
Escalate, Escalate, EscalatePIRA took cues from “Old IRA”Recruit high numbers of volunteers
Carry out attacks on British forces◦Bombing campaing against economic targets
Goal is “Victory 1972”“Victory 1974”
Bloody Sunday Aka Bogside Massacre January 30, 1972 – Bogside, Derry, N. Ireland
N. Ireland Civil Rights Assoiciation march
26 unarmed protestors and bystanders shot by British Army◦13 men die◦5 shot in the back◦2 run down by vehicles
Mid-1970s, hope for quick victory receded
PIRA meets with N. Ireland gov’t◦PIRA leaders Ruairi O Bradaigh and Billy Mckee
◦N. Ireland Secretary of State Merlyn Rees
Ceasefire signed – begins February 1975◦IRA believed start of British withdrawal◦Concluded that Rees was trying to bring them to peaceful politics without any guarantees
Gerry Adams emerges as critic of IRA◦Ceasefire disastrous for IRA◦Led to infiltration of British informers◦Arrest of activitists◦Breakdown in IRA discipline and feud w/ Official IRA
Ceasefire breaks down in January 1976
The Long War Strategy
IRA comes under direction of Gerry Adams and his supporters
IRA reorganized to small cells◦Accepted that campaign would last many years
Greater emphasis on use of Sinn Fein
1. War of attrition ◦ Cause as many deaths as possible
2. Bombing campaign aimed at financial sites
3. Make the 6 Counties ungovernable except through military rule
4. Sustain war and gain through propaganda
5. Punish criminals, collaborators, informers
1981 Hunger StrikeSeven IRA and 3 Liberation Army members
Starve themselves to death in pursuit of political status◦Led by Bobby Sands and Own Carron◦Elected to British Parliament
Brought more focus to plight of IRA and use of political
activism
TUAS
Republican leaders look for political compromise◦Social and Democratic Labour Party leader John Hume secretly meets w/Gerry Adams and British leaders
◦Adams moves Sinn Fein away from IRA
◦Tactical Use of Armed Struggle◦Totally Unarmed Strategy
1994 Ceasefire called by IRA◦Conditional upon inclusion of Sinn Fein in
political talks February 1996 ceasefire ends until July 1997◦Sinn Fein ignored
Ceasefire of 1997 leads to Belfast Agreement
Belfast Agreement 1998
Good Friday Agreement◦British and Irish governments◦All paramilitary groups in N. Ireland cease activities and disarm by May 2000
IRA doesn’t trust British Parliament◦2002 breaks off deal
Jan 2005 – IRA withdraws from disarmament process
July 2005 – IRA declares campaign of violence is over
July 28, 2005 IRA Army Council announces end to armed campaign◦Instructed members to dump weapons◦IRA would not engage in "any other activities whatsoever apart from assisting in the development of purely political and democratic programs through exclusively peaceful means”
Sept 25, 2005 – international weapons inspectors supervise full disarmament of IRA