THOSE WHO TRY to blame the bloody struggle in Ireland on the Irish people themselves often rely on the example of the civil war in the 1920, "Look', they say, 'no sooner had the Irish settled thing with the British than they fell out among themselves and started killing one another.
But the Irish civil war cannot be laid at the door of some supposed "natural Irish quarrelsomeness" any more than can the present struggle. Behind both lies the bloody hand of British imperialism.
TREATY It was no accident that the Irish republican forces split over the Treaty proposed by the British Government to end the war which had raged from 1919 to 1921, For the Treaty was in the best tradition of "divide-and-rule" tactics.
It offered juicy bait the establishment of an Irish Government and administration which could be interpreted as a 'first step' towards full independence - while meeting none of the fundamental demands which the republican movement had fought for throughout its long histULTI Ireland was not to be a republic: it would only be a Free State' ins ide the British Commonwealth, subject to the British crown. It was not to be independent: the British navy woule retain the right to operate in Irish waters and out of Irish ports, and Irish markets would remain Michael Collins, leador of the pro-Treaty forces — was promised British weapons if he would snack IRA bases open to British goods. And the country was not to be united: the Protestant, 'unionist" population in the six northern counties were to be allowed to reject the democratIcally expressed will of the majority of the Irish people and force part of Ireland to remain in the United Kingdom.
The British Prime Minister, Lloyd George, presented the trish delegates to the Treaty negotiations with an ultimatum: "I bave here two answers, one enclosing the Treaty, the other declaring a rupture, and, if it be a rupture, you shall have immediate war.! The Irish delegates caved in and agreed to sign the Treaty on 6 December 1921. Their capitulation produced the split in the repubLican movement that British impertalisin was hoping for.
SPLIT The split inevitably affected the Irish Republican Army becoming the official, full-time army of the "Provisional Government" set up under the Treaty, and another remaining an unetficial force still devoled to the establishment of a republic. But, despite many incidents, the violence was limited and leaders on both sides were working actively to avoid the danger of civil war.
The British Government, however, saw things differently. They handed over a large quantity of arms and ammunition to the pro-Treaty armed forces, and in May 1922 offered more on condition that the proTreaty ariny agreed to attack the republican bases in Dublin, Michael Collins (leader of the proTrealy forces) was told that". the British Government will be prepared to provide him with the necessary equipinent such as trench mortars for clearing out these strongholds. And that when this operation had been cartied out to the satisfaction of the Secretary of State [Churchill] he will then be prepared to consider further issues of arms (including art ilers) to the Provisional Government.. ish Government, a Pact was hammthe time being, to present a common list of candidates in the forthThe British were furious. The Pact ensured a pro Treaty majority in the new Government, bul the danger of civil war was receding. A united republican movement could not be tolerated on any buckled under. Leading pro-Treaty spokesmen broke the Pact, and the into a coalition after the election.
lo put civil war on the agenda in Ireland once apain —all it required one section was a spark to set it out. PRETEXT a notorious supporter of the Ulater Uniostists, was assassinated in London by two Irish ex-servicemen. Despite the tact that the assassins were not members of the IRA, and that the IRA had dissociated itself retaliation against the IRA stronghold at the Four Courts in Dublin, forces to do the job, but more DEPORTED Despite these efforts by the Britered out between the two groupings in late May. They agreed to set aside their differences over the Treaty for coming clection, and form a coalition terms. British imperialism demanded So once more pressure was appl led by the British Government, and once more the pro-Treaty politicians pro-republic leaders were not invited British imperialism had managed an open question.
On 22 June Sir Henry Wilson, commander of the British army and from the action, Churchill demanded At first be rashly ordered British TROOPS OUT -Demonstration in London on