Irish Civil War Research Paper

Ireland, On the Verge of a Civil War: Nationalists and Unionists Joining Forces to Aid Great Britain in World War I

In the years before World War I, Ireland was divided. Ireland was under the rule of the British Parliament. This meant that Ireland was a part of the United Kingdom, or European Union. In 1878, Charles Stewart Parnell was elected to be a Parliament representative from County Meath. His main reason for being elected was because of his support for Irish Home Rule. Home Rule is when a dependent country wishes to form a government of their own citizens. In this case, they were dependent on Great Britain and wished to form an Irish government. His attempts ultimately failed, but many Irish still had hope that one day they would have

Home Rule. A man in Parnell’s party, John Redmond kept Parnell’s plans alive, but it was practically impossible to get Home Rule in Parliament under a conservative party. In 1905, the Liberal Party took control and brought back hopes for Home Rule. This is where the controversy began. Ireland was primarily divided between the North and the South, but there was some overlap. The Northerners were called the Nationalists, who wanted Home Rule. The Southerners on the other hand were called the Unionists. The Unionists wanted independence for Ireland. They did not want to settle for Home Rule. It all changed when World War I began. Throughout Ireland’s history, it has proven to be a vital contributor in World War I because they put Home Rule aside to join forces and ally with Great Britain, they aided in the advancement of British forces, and the Irish Unionists dealt with the tensions with Great Britain, due to their efforts towards gaining independence for Ireland.
Francis Ledwidge, an Irish, nationalist poet who joined the British army once said, “Neither for lust of glory, nor new throne… not for these, Our Cross with England’s mingle, to be blown on Mammon’s threshold; we but war when war serves Liberty and Justice, Love and Peace” (Phillips 396). This is so powerful because it shows that Ireland was not in the war for glory. Glory was a common motivator for men in the war, it was the ultimate display of masculinity. At the same time, Ireland was also not fighting for their own crown, or more power. Instead, Nationalist and Unionist forces came together and joined the British Army to help fight Germany. They found a common enemy in Germany. At this time, Home Rule was making its way through Parliament. Kenneth Campbell, Monmouth University professor and Irish Studies Program Head, noted that the Home Rule Bill passed through the House of Commons, but had been vetoed by the House of Lords yet again. The terms of the Parliament Act, limited the number of vetoes, so there was nothing lawfully standing in the way of Home Rule (Campbell 255). At the same time, some Irish were preparing to revert to military grade force to stop the Home Rule from being passed. The Unionists didn’t care what the consequences of their actions were. They believed in what they were fighting for. Ireland almost in a Civil War, Britain declared war on Germany. Because of the war, Home Rule was postponed. Leader of the nationalist party, John Redmond fully supported the war and agreed to the postponing of the war, but many nationalists weren’t happy about it. The Unionists on the other hand, fully supported the war. It was at this time, where both party leaders, John Redmond and Edward Carson were in agreement. The real question was, how long? The war would have unpredictable outcomes on Ireland. Campbell states that the war had “potential to inflame the Irish situation because of the likelihood of disloyalty” (257). By this he means that the Unionists could get angry that the Home Rule is being passes and the nationalists could get agitated because the Home Rule. Throughout the war, there was tension between the Irish and the British, but for the length of the war, Irishmen fought side-by-side each other to help Britain in their war with Germany.
In the early weeks of the war, more than 58,000 Irishmen were sent off to war.

By the end of the war, more than half a million Irishmen were participating. Great Britain at the start of the war was lacking in numbers and resources, which led to the beginning of recruitment and propaganda of Irishmen. Campbell explained how the British needed the Irish. They needed to be able to focus all their men along the Western Front, rather than between them and Ireland (258). They couldn’t afford any more men and supplies because they were up against Germany, one of the most powerful nations during the war. Irish propaganda became more common. Enlisting in the British Army was seen as a defense against Germany in the future. Defeating them beforehand would prevent a later situation that was much closer to Ireland. Not only was personal enlistment of Irishmen encouraged, but political encouragement came in shortly after. Richard Grayson, head of politics and senior lecturer om British and Irish politics at the University of London explained how Edward Carson got a pledge from the War Office that if enough men were recruited they could form am Ulster Division. Irishmen who were recruited in close towns could join in the same regiment (Grayson 25). This was a major motivator for Irishmen because they could go into battle with their brothers, friends and fellow Irishmen. Both nationalists and unionists fought side-by-side. Jane McGaughey, an assistant professor of Irish Diaspora Studies in the School of Canadian Irish Studies at Concordia University in Montreal stated that a man from the 36th Division, in respect to Irishmen in the war, claimed that “a finer body of men never lived…they will always deserve our thanks and blessing” (McGaughey 303). The Irish contributed greatly to the British during the war. Most of all, they provided the body pool necessary to fight Germany, and allowed Britain to send more troops to the Western Front and not along the Britain-Ireland

boarders.
As the war went on, recruitment for Irishmen slowed as well as motivation to fight. The vast numbers of Irishmen dying for an unknown reason put a damper on men willing to fight. Unionists, though they supported the war, were getting irritable because the British would never grant them independence. Campbell states that the “British would never give Ireland independence unless they were forced to do so because of armed insurrection” (261). This is important because it sets the stage for all of Ireland’s future actions. After the war, when Ireland can go back to fighting for either their independence or Home Rule. At the same time, the Nationalists were also preparing to fight for the Home Rule. The war had caused them to postpone its passing and it didn’t appear to be occurring any time soon. The war was ending, and both Irish parties were getting irritable. The Unionists knew that a close of the war meant the furthering of the Home Rule plan, and the only way they could think of to stop it was with force. The Great War acted as temporary stall on the furthering of an Irish Civil War, but as soon as it was over, issues started to arise. Not only did the Irish parties have to deal with each other, but they also had to deal with Parliament and its rulings. The government would have to make a decision. To rule in favor of the Nationalists, granting Home Rule, or in granting them independence in favor of the Unionists.
Ireland not only fought for their own rights, but also for those of Great Britain. They had their own goals, but when World War I began, they laid down their internal issues and joined forces to aid Britain. Not only did they set aside Home Rule, but they also drastically aided Great Britain in their military advancement on Germany. They provided land, resources, and most importantly, men to fight. It is undeniable to say that there still was tension between the Irish and the British. Nationalists dealt with growing agitation in their efforts towards gaining independence. The war put Ireland’s issues on a side burner. It temporarily decreased the chances of an Irish Civil War. The cost of World War I was great. Hundreds of thousands of Irishmen died fighting for the British Army. They found a common enemy in Germany and were able to set Home Rule and Independence aside, to help save Britain and inevitably Ireland. After the end of World War I, the partition of Ireland in 1921 lead to the formation of Northern Ireland. Through the Anglo-Irish Treaty, Ireland gained independence, but a section of Ireland, Northern Ireland chose not to become independent and remain a part of the United Kingdom. The Great War didn’t come without its consequences. McGaughey stated, “the consequences of the Great War created a hierarchy that had far-reaching consequences in Northern Ireland for the rest of the century” (299). The war completely redefined Ireland’s political structure and that of the United Kingdom.