The Irish War of Independence and Civil War (Irish Perspectives)

An examination of the Irish Free State's creation from multiple viewpoints. Following World War I, a political revolution occurred within the United Kingdom—distinctive because it took place in a victorious power rather than among defeated enemies. After the 1916 Easter Rising, a new independence movement developed. Beginning in 1918-19, the political party Sinn Féin and its paramilitary counterpart, the Irish Republican Army, launched a political struggle and armed uprising against British rule. By 1922, the United Kingdom had lost substantial territory as the Irish Free State emerged amid a brutal civil war. Simultaneously, Ireland was partitioned, and a new unionist government was established in Northern Ireland. These outcomes were unforeseen before 1914. This book brings together experts on the subject to explore the experiences and consequences of the later phases of the Irish revolution from a range of perspectives.