Impact of World War I

World War One and the Impact on the Irish question

• The war enabled all sides to agree to hold the issue whilst fighting the war
• The Home Rule act was passed as an all Ireland measure
• However, it was accompanied by a suspensory order which made it inoperable during war
• The war had a positive effect originally on Anglo-Irish relations
• Support for the war was almost universal from the start
• Against the threat of German militarism, British rule seemed superior
• Ulster rushed to fight for Britain
• The rest of Ireland was less passionate, but the Catholics still fought and died for Britain
• John Redmond saw the war as the ideal moment to demonstrate loyalty to Britain
• He had taken over running of the Irish Volunteers before the war
• He now used his influence to enter them into the war
• He declared the Irish Volunteers would defend Ireland, freeing the regular army to fight the Germans
• Later he urged them to fight abroad, this intended to reassure England of Irish loyalty
• However, Redmond was tolerated by the leaders of the volunteers rather than respected
• He was running a fine line of alienating himself from the Irish by urging them to fight for Britain

Easter Rising 1916

• Support for the war effort split the National Volunteers
• The majority reflected public opinion and supported Redmond
• A minority saw the pro-war stance as collaboration with the British and a betrayal of Ireland’s claim to nationhood
• To extreme nationalists the troubles faced by Britain in Europe gave the opportunity to strike for freedom
• A small group planned the uprising and sought to set up and Irish Republic
• Even if the revolution failed it would have shown the British that the Irish were unwilling to be ruled anymore

Outcome of the rising

• The rebellion was ill planned
• The plans were kept secret even from key personnel in order to maintain security
• They counted on support from Germany to provide arms, which were intercepted and never arrived
• There were far too few numbers of rebels
• The rebels successfully overtook some key strategic positions in Dublin
• However, the numbers were too few to do anything other than wait for the British reaction

Reaction to the rising

• The rising had been almost universally condemned by the Irish
• The rebels held the British Army for a week
• Many rebels never saw any fighting before surrendering
• The centre of Dublin was reduced to rubble by British artillery
• The British showing their greater might
• The potential for exploitation was used immediately
• The Irish Nationals urging for leniency for the captured
• 70 death sentences were initially passed, only 14 took place mainly of the leaders
• As the executions took place the mood of the Irish population changed

The aftermath of the Rising

• The leaders and those who had died in the rising became gradually seen as martyrs and heroic figures
• The captured upon being marched to Dublin docks had been in need of army protection from angry Irish mobs
• These same Irish people were now demanding their release
• The government were in a difficult position in the war and needed to punish those who had committed treason
• However, if the executions had not taken place then the feelings of the Irish nation would have been different
• The protestants/unionists believed they had gotten what they deserved
• The catholic/nationalists believed the British government had been too harsh

The government’s actions 1917-18

• From the point of the uprising the prospect of a settlement were ended
• Asquith, worried of the attitude of the USA towards Britain offered the immediate Home Rule of southern Ireland without the Ulster region
• David Lloyd George went to Dublin in May 1917 to start negotiations, hoping his skills could arrange an agreement between Edward Carson and John Redmond
• Lloyd George told both what they wanted to hear, he promised Redmond the exclusion of Ulster would be temporary, Carson he promised permanent
• Most Republican groups now combined under Sinn Fein and refused to enter negotiations in July 1917
• Lloyd George extended conscription to Ireland, promising Home Rule in return
• This united opposition against the British government
• Irish Nationalists withdrew from the House of Commons and joined with Sinn Fein
• Even Irish Catholic Bishop’s urged the Irish to refuse conscription
• The conscription issue in Ireland failed to raise the troops required and actually became so hostile that troops needed to stationed in Ireland to keep peace