Was the Irish Civil War a ?natural? conclusion to the events of previous years?
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Was the Irish Civil War a ‘natural’ conclusion to the events of previous years?
Some historians will say that the Civil War was a ‘natural’ conclusion to the activities of the previous year others will disagree. This essay will take the line that yes; the civil war was a natural and inevitable conclusion to the Anglo-Irish difficulties. In order to understand why the Civil War came about one must first understand how it came about by studying the actions of the previous years, the War of Independence and the Anglo-Irish Treaty. Then it is necessary to look at the feelings of the opposing sides of the Civil War. Finally one must look at history itself and compare the Irish War of Independence and the Civil …show more content…
Some historians will say that the Civil War was a ‘natural’ conclusion to the activities of the previous year others will disagree. This essay will take the line that yes; the civil war was a natural and inevitable conclusion to the Anglo-Irish difficulties. In order to understand why the Civil War came about one must first understand how it came about by studying the actions of the previous years, the War of Independence and the Anglo-Irish Treaty. Then it is necessary to look at the feelings of the opposing sides of the Civil War. Finally one must look at history itself and compare the Irish War of Independence and the Civil …show more content…
The Treaty caused heated debate with some agreeing with Michael Collins that the Treaty ‘gives us freedon- not the ultimate freedom that all nations desire and develop to, but the freedom to achieve it.’ In fact, ‘the population at large was strongly in favour of the terms’ . However there was a strong minority within the Dail that were strongly apposed to it and agreed with DeValera that ‘the minority have not the right to do wrong’ . The Second Dáil formally ratified the Treaty in December 1921 and the Civil War was begun.
The anti-Treaty forces were vehiment that it did not succeed and were not apposed to the use of violence. There were two main points that they could not agree to: the Oath of Allegiance to the King and the Partition of Ireland. They felt that ‘it was a cowardly betrayal of Ireland’s martyr’s, particularlly the most recent’. The women in and out of parliament were the most strongly opposed. They had lost sons and husbands, fathers and brother, they were not going to stain their memories. Mary MacSweeny (sister of Terence) stood up in the Dail and announced that ‘if England exterminates the men, the women will take their places, if she exterminates the women, the children are rising fast.’ She and other women would continue to fight in the place of their men. It was not only women who felt that the Treaty was shaming
The anti-Treaty forces were vehiment that it did not succeed and were not apposed to the use of violence. There were two main points that they could not agree to: the Oath of Allegiance to the King and the Partition of Ireland. They felt that ‘it was a cowardly betrayal of Ireland’s martyr’s, particularlly the most recent’. The women in and out of parliament were the most strongly opposed. They had lost sons and husbands, fathers and brother, they were not going to stain their memories. Mary MacSweeny (sister of Terence) stood up in the Dail and announced that ‘if England exterminates the men, the women will take their places, if she exterminates the women, the children are rising fast.’ She and other women would continue to fight in the place of their men. It was not only women who felt that the Treaty was shaming