Leaving Certificate History

The Treaty negotiations, October-December 1921:

helping students to think critically

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Helping students to think critically

• Increasing focus on students’ ability to think critically

• The enquiry-focused approach: rationale

• Card-sorting and critical skills (Booklet, pages 43-48)

The enquiry-focused approach

Aims

• To give a clear focus to a series of lessons

• To clarify for all concerned what the learning purposes are

• To ensure that the sequence of lessons is leading to improved understanding on the part of the students

Case study: contextual overview• ‘War of independence’: different designations,

perceptions of IRA• June 1921: both sides’ interest in peace moves• July-September: London talks → exchange of letters

→ proposals for London conference, formula agreed?• Irish delegation: members, de Valera’s absence,

delegates’ status, case to be argued• British delegation, venue, duration of conference• Boundary commission proposals, signing of Articles

of Agreement, resulting divisions

A glossary of terms

• Developing students’ historical literacy

• Key terms: Articles of Agreement, boundary commission, British Commonwealth, dominion status, envoys plenipotentiary, external association, fiscal autonomy, Government of Ireland Act 1920, oath of allegiance, reprisals

Timeline

• Government of Ireland, 1920• 1921, May/June: background to truce• July: truce, de Valera in London• August-September: Lloyd George-de Valera

correspondence• October-December: developments in talks• 6th December and following: signing of Articles

of Agreement and subsequent divisions

Biographical notes

• Irish delegates (leaders?)• Irish secretaries (Childers, Chartres)

• British delegates (leaders?)• British secretaries (Jones, Curtis)

• Other key figures

Useful websites

• http://treaty.nationalarchives.ie/ • http

://multitext.ucc.ie/d/The_Treaty_Negotiations_October-December_1921/

• http://www.askaboutireland.ie/reading-room/digital-book-collection/digital-books-by-subject/history-of-ireland/pakenham-peace-by-ordeal/

• www.hist.ie

The Treaty negotiations, October-December, 1921

• An enquiry: What happened between July and December 1921 that led to major political division in Ireland?

• Rationale for this?

• Steps into which the enquiry can be broken

The Treaty negotiations, October-December, 1921

Introduction to the enquiry

• King’s speech• Significance of Northern settlement?• Possible hook:

http://treaty.nationalarchives.ie/document-gallery/treaty-newsreel/

Enquiry, Step 1

• What happened between July and October, 1921, that led to the Treaty negotiations which took place between October and December?

• Potential benefits of using this question to focus on the subject matter of the case study?

What happened between July and Oct. 1921 ...?

• Lloyd George’s invitation to de Valera to attend a conference (Source 1A)

• De Valera’s responses• Truce• De Valera’s acceptance of invitation (Source

1B)

What happened between July and Oct. 1921 ...?

David Low, The Star, 12th July 1921 © Express Syndication

What happened between July and Oct. 1921 ...?

• De Valera, Lloyd George meet in London: what Lloyd George offered

• De Valera’s responses (Sources 1D, 1E)

• Lloyd George’s ‘fresh’ invitation of 29th September (Source 1G)

• De Valera’s acceptance (Source 1H)

What happened between July and Oct. 1921 ...?

• Delegated appointed

• Plenipotentiary status

• Instructions given (Source 1I)

• Envisaged elements of settlement

The delegates in London

http://multitext.ucc.ie/viewgallery/1205?slideshow=18

Enquiry, Step 2

• What are the main issues that arose in and around the Treaty negotiations?

• Potential benefits of using this question to focus on the subject matter of the case study?

What are the main issues that arose... between October and December?• Significant developments

• Commentary

• Associated sources

What are the main issues that arose... between October and December?• Griffith’s initial impressions (Source 2A)

• Childers to de Valera, 21st October, re. strategy on issue of Crown (Source 2B)

• Griffith and Collins discussions with Lloyd George and Chamberlain on issues of Crown and essential unity (Source 2C)

What are the main issues that arose ... between October and December?• Griffith discussion with Lloyd George, 2nd

November (Source 2D)

• Griffith letter to de Valera re. boundary commission proposal, 12th November (Source 2E); nature of undertaking given to Lloyd George?

What are the main issues that arose ... between October and December?• Irish memorandum of 22nd November and

British response to it (Source 2F)

• Griffith letter to de Valera re. Chequers meeting with Lloyd George, 28th November (Source 2G); exchange on issue of Crown

Enquiry, Step 3

• What were the circumstances in which the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty were signed in the early hours of 6th December?

• Potential benefits of using this question to focus on the subject matter of the case study?

What were the circumstances in which the Articles of Agreement were signed...?

• Significant developments

• Related sources

What were the circumstances in which the Articles of Agreement were signed...?• Interview between Collins and Lloyd George

(Source 3A): Collins’ thoughts on boundary commission

• Final sub-conferences (Source 3B): Lloyd George’s use of Griffith ‘letter’; concession on trade?; threat of war?

Source 3C

David Low, The Star , 7th December 1921 © Express Syndication

Source 3D

David Low, The Star , 9th December 1921 © Express Syndication

Enquiry, Step 4

• What divisions emerged in Ireland in December, 1921, following the signing of the Treaty?

• Potential benefits of using this question to focus on the subject matter of the case study?

What divisions emerged... following the signing of the Treaty?

• Significant developments

• Related sources

What divisions emerged... following the signing of the Treaty?

• Delegates summoned to cabinet meeting on 8th December (Source 4A): Desmond Fitzgerald’s surprise at de Valera’s response

• Austin Stack’s recollection of cabinet meeting (Source 4B)

• C.S. Andrews’ recollection of IRA response (Source 4C)

• De Valera’s letter to the press (Source 4D)

What divisions emerged ... following the signing of the Treaty?

• Extracts from Dáil debates on Treaty (Sources 4E, 4F, 4G, 4H, 4I, 4J, 4K, 4L)

• Questions to help students interrogate the sources (Booklet, p.49)

The Treaty negotiations: Aftermath

Attributed to Constance de

Markiewicz

Courtesy of The National

Library of Ireland

Courtesy of The

National Library of Ireland

The Treaty negotiations, October-December, 1921

• Card sorting and critical skills

• Supplementary cards

• Use of cards to facilitate categorisation of arguments for and against Treaty

Group activity

Critical skills exercise

The Treaty negotiations, October-December, 1921

• Historians’ views (Secondary sources A-E)

• Interrogating the historians

What happened between July and December 1921 that led to major

political division in Ireland? Your conclusions on the enquiry

Booklet p. 50

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