History 1124

Section 1:

“The Origins of the Troubles”

Introduction

"The Irish want their History like they want a Chinese carryout. They want it fast, hot and to their taste." Harry Donaghy - 2009

"The historical and political situation in Northern Ireland is “loaded” emotionally for many Americans of Irish descent and for those who see the conflict in terms of Imperialism and Colonialism and the fight of a “small nation to be free and united.” However, what our investigation will show is that this conflict was/is much more complicated than the simple slogans one hears about it or in simple terms, such as “Brits Out” or “No Surrender.” What this class will attempt to do is take the emotion and the preconceived notions out of the discussion and instead analyze this period and its actors in all their complexity."

BACKGROUND

The period 1969-1994, commonly referred to as the "Troubles." was a period marked alternately by horrible violence, along with periods of great despair and great hope.  It was a period in which approximately 3,600 people were killed, thousands wounded, and thousands more imprisoned. To put this in perspective these statistics would translate as 500,000 Americans killed in political violence in the same period. (O'Leary & McGarry, 1993) Young men and women from both sides of the divide had their lives disrupted and/or destroyed and their families torn apart all in the name of "Ireland" or "Ulster."  How did all this happen?  Was this a result of British Imperialism?  Was it a result of neglect by the British government for nearly 50 years, in a sort of "Don’t ask. Don’t tell" policy? Was it the result of a plot by communists to destroy Northern Ireland?  Was it a plot by a resurgent IRA bent on reuniting Ireland?  Was it the result of long-term discrimination and exclusion that finally became too much for the Catholic population? Was it the result of pure religious and sectarian hatred?  Historians, at one time or another, have asked these questions when examining this conflict.  Your job in this class and particularly in this section will be to answer these questions and develop your own analysis of why the “Troubles” happened. 

When attempting to answer this question and when analyzing this phase of history we will come to understand that people in Northern Ireland did not suddenly go mad, or as Billy Mitchell, a UVF man sentenced to life for murder, argues:

Someone didn’t fly over Northern Ireland and drop some sort of "loony gas" and suddenly people woke up one morning as killers. We didn’t go to bed one night as ordinary family men and wake up the next morning as killers.  Conditions were created in the country whereby people did things they shouldn’t have done.  While I accept responsibility for what I have personally done, I won’t accept responsibility for creating conditions that allowed me to do it and that allowed other people to do it. (Taylor, 1999, p. 46)(Go to courseweb.pitt.edu to view this video.)

Aaron Edwards and Cillian McGrattan in "The Northern Ireland Conflict: A Beginner's Guide" write:

"The Northern Ireland conflict is often explained by reference to two opposing 'sides' - primordial entities usually designated as either 'Protestant-Catholic', 'Unionist-Nationalist', or 'British-Irish'. In turn, these pairings imply a tacit understanding that the Northern Ireland Conflict was primarily to with (a) religious differences, (b) inter-communal or ideological divisions, (c) nationalist antagonism, or (d) some combination.  Although scholars continue to disagree over where the emphasis should be placed, there is common agreement that the presence of two communities, with different allegiances and political aspiration, is central to the 'Northern Ireland problem'. Yet while this core fact is largely beyond dispute, it doesn't actually tell us why there was a problem. In other words, pointing out the presence of two communal blocs or 'traditions' merely describes the most prominent feature of the conflict; it does not explain what the conflict was about, why it erupted when it did, why it persisted for so long or why violence came to an end." (p. 124)

In Section 1, we will begin our investigation into the political, social and economic issues that created the “conditions” Billy Mitchell talks about that may help us answer the questions posed by Edwards and McGrattan.  We will also view excerpts from a BBC Ni documentary that analyzes the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Movement and issues important to our study.  Pulling this film and discussion together in the first Workshop will enable you to understand the conditions that led to the outbreak of violence epitomized by the "Battle of the Bogside" in 1969.

Objectives

The goal of this first section is provide the background to the conflict now known as “The Troubles.” Upon completion of Section 1 you should be able to:

1.         Describe the nature of the Northern Irish State as it evolved from 1921 to the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement and explain why it was as David Trimble said “A cold house for Catholics.”

2.         Determine how the expansion of the British state into education, housing and social welfare after World War II created the competition for resources that helped create the conditions that led to the Civil Rights Movement in Northern Ireland.

3.         Explain how the 50th Anniversary of the Easter Rising raised the hopes of the Nationalist population and the fears of the Unionist population.

4.         Analyze the emergence of Ian Paisley and explain his role in the beginnings of the “Troubles.”

5.         Outline why the modern Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) formed and the role it played in stoking the fires that led to the violence of 1968 onwards.

6.         Differentiate the problems faced by the O’Neill Administration in Northern Ireland when attempting to "modernize" Northern Ireland in the 1960s from his own party and from the British Government.  Analyze why the reforms he finally pushed through failed to satisfy Nationalists while at the same time they alienated Unionists. 

7.         Determine why the Civil Rights Movement developed in this period and examine the goals of the NICRA (Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association), and analyzes how the Nationalists viewed it and how Unionists viewed it.

8.         Assess the significance of the 5 October 1968 Civil Rights march in Londonderry/Derry and People’s Democracy “Long March” in January 1969 and explain their role in the escalation of the conflict, especially the impact of the ambush at Burntollet Bridge.

9.         Explain why Nationalists had no faith in the police, especially the “B” Specials and how that created conditions where they had no faith in the state and its ability to reform itself.

10.       Compare and contrast why young Nationalists would eventually look to the IRA and why young Unionists would begin to look to Loyalist paramilitaries in this period.

Units - click hyperlink to go to each unit

Unit 1:  For a Brief Background on the History and the Conflict in Northern Ireland

Unit 2: Northern Ireland After Partition

Unit 3:  1966 "The Beginnings:"  The Easter Commemorations, Ian Paisley and the UVF

Unit 4:  "The O'Neill Years and the Failure of Reform

Unit 5:  "The Explosion: Civil Rights to Burntollet"