Anglo-Irish War 1919-1921

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The Anglo-Irish War

In January 1919, the same day that the Dail Eireann first met, a small I.R.A (Irish Republican Army) group killed two policeman escorting a load of gelignite near the town of Soloheadbeg. This marked the start of a vicious war between the I.R.A and the British forces in Ireland. The conflict is know as the Anglo-Irish war, or the War of Independence, and it lasted until July, 1921. During the war 751 people were killed, of these 405 were police, 150 were military and 196 were civilians, including members of the I.R.A.

This caused an uproar from many Irish perspectives and the struggle remains even today, from the Republican point of view, the I.R.A. were freedom fighters waging a war of liberation against a foreign enemy occupying their country.

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Guerilla Warfare

Sporadic outbursts of violence gradually became guerilla warfare in the months after Soloheadbeg. The I.R.A. were mainly just limited to raids and ambushes to capture arms and ammunition. However, under the orders of Michael Collins, made the Irish Police force called the Royal Irish Constabulary. (R.I.C.). The British had nothing to do except send in recruitments. They were to become known as the 'Black and Tans' and the 'Auxiliaries'. Throughout the Anglo-Irish war, Britain insisted that conflict was a matter for the police, not the army to control. Faced with the collapse of the I.R.C., as an effective unit in 1920, the government reinforced the Irish police with British recruits. These men, all returned soldiers and officers, many unable to get jobs in the post war recession, were in theory additions to the Irish police although they operated as military units.
The largest such group, about 7000, were nicknamed the "Black and Tans' because they wore khaki uniforms and dark green R.I.C. caps and belts. The Auxiliaries, numbering about 1500, were made up of former army officers. Neither group were under military discipline, which may account for each bodies reputation for impulsive violence and lawlessness. Within a few months of their arrival in Ireland, in march 1920, a British cabinet minister accused the 'Black and Tans' of "getting out of control, taking the law into their own hands... destruction... looting... thieving as well as drunkenness and gross disorders." Untrained in techniques of counter-acting guerrilla warfare the 'Black and Tans' were no match for the 'Hit and Run' tactics of the Irish.

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The Treaty

A truce was in operation in July, 1921 and talks began between the Republicans and the British government. At first, Eamonn de Valera and the British prime minister (Lloyd George) failed to agree on a settlement. A second delegation was sent to Britain three months later without de Valera. On 5 December Lloyd George issued the Irish delegation an ultimatum. Sign an agreement immediately or war would resume. The Irish delegation reluctantly signed even though the terms for the treaty meant that had to swear loyalty to the Crown and that the Northern Ireland could opt out of the Irish Free State (Ireland would become a self-governing Dominion within the British Commonwealth under the treaty) and remain a part of the United Kingdom.

De Valera was very angry with the terms of the Treaty and he expected that the Dail would reject it. After long debate with increasing bitterness between the pro- and anti-Treaty factions, The Dail voted in favour of the treaty by 64 to 57. In protest de Valera resigned as President and led the anti-Treaty group out of the Dail. This split within the Dail and Sinn Fein was to widen until within a few months former friends were bitter enemies in a vicious Civil War.