The Irish Republican Army: Before and After 1968 Essay Example

to sensationalize the situation, attract attention, and garner support for their cause from not just local communities but also globally.

Explore queries regarding force protection. The Irish Republican Army's aspiration to establish a Republic in an undivided Ireland is driven by their nationalist beliefs. Despite numerous failed efforts over the years, the IRA persevered in their commitment to physical force and did not disband. However, they weren't considered a threat until the late 1960s when they went underground and maintained their presence.

Between 1951 and 1962, the IRA engaged in multiple campaigns that were considered the "era of IRA purity." However, due to a lack of support from Roman Catholics in the North, the militant activities ceased. The IRA attributed their failure to the distraction of the general public from the issue of Irish unity and freedom. The political mood during the 1960s was described as "the end of ideology," with a focus on resource management and competition between political parties based on their ability to govern effectively. The people were more concerned with providing comfort for the poor, tax rebates for the wealthy, and special privileges for the Church, all possible under the new welfare state.

Under the circumstances, it was not surprising that the IRA did not appeal to the people. Despite facing failure and lack of support, as well as a left-leaning tendency in 1962, they did not disband or turn to parliamentary politics. Instead, they held onto the ideals of Irish Republicanism's founder Wolfe Tone, with faith in eventually creating a republic. The IRA gradually faded into history until the 1968 Civil Rights Movement presented them with

an opportunity for resurgence. Catholic frustration with legal inequality fueled this movement, inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.'s campaign for civil rights in America. They sought equal treatment as British subjects through non-violent methods.

The Catholic community in Northern Ireland faced institutionalized discrimination in the form of inadequate housing and high unemployment under the Unionist government. On 24 August 1969, during the first march organized by the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA) in Dungannon, protesters demanded equal rights including one man, one vote in council elections and removal of gerrymandered electoral boundaries. Additional demands were for anti-discriminative laws by public authorities, fair allocation of public housing, repeal of Special Powers Act, and disbanding of Royal Ulster Constabulary supported by predominantly Protestant B Specials auxiliary police force. Despite being peaceful protestants, Protestants and Unionist government perceived it as a threat due to violent history. Authorities were wary of people demonstrating peacefully on streets due to past violent resistance against state. The peaceful protesters had no connection to IRA or weapons but were subjected to extreme measures by the government.

The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) attacked protestors during civil rights marches, leading to mass violence. This aftermath is thought to have sparked the split and revival of the IRA in 1969. Catholics were driven toward the use of force for protection, viewing the IRA as their solution. The IRA built up auxiliaries as a home guard between 1968-69, often lacking arms, and hardly gained recognition by 1968. Although technically a democratic army under the 1925 Constitution, the IRA did not truly function as a proper organization.

Despite the structured organization of the Republican Movement and IRA, only a few

men were responsible for their work. This led to a lack of protection for demonstrators during violent civil rights movements and ultimately failed to protect Catholics from sectarian attacks, causing the IRA to lose credibility. This sparked internal disagreements, ultimately resulting in the IRA's formal split in 1969. One group favored armed strategy while the other supported a political solution, leading to the creation of the Officials and Provisional IRA respectively. The Officials aimed to create a socialist republic of thirty-two counties with a Marxist-orientation through political means. Meanwhile, the Provos engaged in more traditional resistance and military campaigns involving terrorist activities.

The IRA underwent restructuring after the split caused by the incidents of 1968-69. During this time, most demonstrations did not involve the IRA as it was still undergoing changes. The following years saw the Provisional IRA recruiting and training new members, arming themselves in early 1970 to protect Catholics and prevent another incident like August 1969. By 1972, the Provos were prepared to play a leading role in activities in Ireland.

The 1972 Bloody Incident caused an immediate escalation in conflicts, violence, and riots. The army mishandled the situation by firing on the crowd, prompting retaliation from the Provos with tic-for-tac violence. It could be argued that extreme measures taken by the government against protestors during civil marches, such as the march to Derry where protestors were attacked by the RUC, resulted in the resurgence of the IRA. With protests, student marches, and RUC intimidation continuing endlessly, things spiraled out of control. The Provisional Irish Republican Army was founded in 1969 and has been involved in numerous terrorist activities for their nationalist cause

since then. However, I believe that initially people did not support this organization and so it has not posed a significant threat to Northern Ireland's regime.

The IRA's history took a positive turn thanks to the civil marches, as they provided an opportunity for the group to resurrect after struggling early on. Had the authorities handled the civil rights protesters differently, not allowing violence towards civilians from the police and army, the civil marches would not have turned violent. This would have prevented the IRA from having the chance to become a powerful force during that time period.