Further Development of Crisis

Development of crisis

• As soon as Parliament act became law preparations for resistance began
• Coordinated by Edward Carson, leader of Irish Unionist Parliamentary Party
• And James Craig, leader of Ulster Unionist Council
• September 1911 Craig organised mass meeting of Orange Order members
• 50,000 attended and heard Carson condemn the forthcoming bill
• Urged Unionists to resist
• September 28^th 1912 the Solemn League and Covenant drawn up by Carson
• The signers declared they would resist home rule through any means necessary
• Signed by 250,000 men, almost as many women signed
• Some signed in their own blood to show their belief in the  matter
• Shows seriousness and size of opposition to Home Rule

Paramilitary organisations

• In January 1913 the resistance became far more serious
• The Ulster Volunteer Force were formed (UVF)
• These were a paramilitary force whose senior offices had served in the British Army
• By March 1914 they had 100,000 members
• In response the Nationalists in the South set up a rival group
• The Irish National Volunteers
• The creation of two paramilitary groups fuelled by opposing beliefs meant civil war became a real possibility
• Asquith’s government banned the importation of arms to Ireland in December 1913

Conservative opposition

• Opposition to home rule was well established by 1912
• Leader Andrew Bonar Law declared ‘I can imagine no length of resistance to which Ulster can go in which I would not be prepared to support them’
• He basically advocated violence by the Ulster men in resistance to Home Rule
• Conservatives were strong believers in the Empire and did not want to weaken it
• They were deeply resentful of the reduction of the Lords power
• They argued Home Rule was only being introduced as the Liberals were dependant of the Irish Nationals
• They had been out of office since 1096 and saw Home rule as a chance to increase popularity

Curragh Mutiny March 1914

• Army units in Ireland controlled mainly by officers with Irish-Protestant background
• These were overwhelmingly Unionists
• Rumours arose that the government were to issue orders to arrest the Ulster leaders
• 58 officers resigned their posts
• Action was impossible as the whole army held sympathy for these defectors
• The government appeared weak and indecisive on the matter
• The mutiny showed that the government could not rely on the army to enforce Home Rule

Arms arrive

In April 1914 shipments of arms from Germany arrived in Ulster

• The Germans hoping to start a civil war which would take the eye of the British army from them and weaken the military power of Britain
• The Ulster Volunteers were now a well organised and well armed organisation
• In June guns arrived in Dublin but were seized by the authorities
• 3 people were killed and 40 wounded in fighting which ensued
• Although not as well armed as the UVF the INV did become armed
• This now saw 2 organisations armed with differing beliefs

Attempts at compromise

• Asquith, Bonar Law and Carson had agreed that an amending bill would be introduced
• This would contain a compromise for both sides
• The 1^st proposal was the exclusion of the Ulster states for 6 years
• The House of Lords moved for permanent exclusion of all Ulster states
• The government could not accept this solution as it would be deemed unacceptable by Nationalists
• A second conference was arranged with all parties represented
• The conference never agreed on a compromise and was abandoned with the outbreak of war