The 1916 Rising and the rise of Militant Nationalism

• The IRB had been a secret organisation that had been responsible for organising rebellions in Ireland’s past.

• The success of ‘parliamentary nationalism’ of had meant that most Nationalists had moved away from the idea of organising a violent rebellion

• Tom Clarke was released from prison in 1907 and quickly started about reorganising the IRB and planning an uprising

• His tobacco shop on Moore street became the meeting place for extreme nationalists

• Clarke and others such as Sean MacDiarmada set about infiltrating the Irish volunteers and organising a rebellion

• For them World War was an opportunity to strike“England’s difficultly is Ireland’s opportunity”

Changes in public opinion• In the first year many men signed up for the war believing it was

the best way to secure home rule• However, rumours of compulsory recruitment (conscription)

began to spread and turned many against the idea• The war had caused food prices to increase while emigration was

banned, further eroding confidence in the British government• As time (and the war) went on people began to see the passing

of the home rule bill as a hollow victory• This undermined confidence in Redmond and the home rule

movement.

Pathe Video clips

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd-61UV_TLk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNqHF6SAt4A

• Eoin Mac Neill complained about being kept in the dark about plans for Rising. He was initially opposed to the idea.

• In order to get MacNeill’s support the IRB needed to convince him that the Irish Volunteers were under threat from the British.

• The IRB forged the ‘Castle Document’ that pretended the British were planning to arrest the leaders of the Volunteers.

• MacNeill issues a statement for all Volunteers to resist arrest.• The IRB also sent Roger Casement to Germany to secure

weapons and men for the rising. Germany refuse the men but agree to send weapons

Eoin MacNeill and the Castle Document

• The ship sent by the Germans with 20,000 weapons (The Aud) is to land in Kerry but captured by British and scuttled by her captain. The rebellion would have few weapons.

• The Volunteers had planned ‘manoeuvres’ (training) on the Easter Sunday as a cover for the rising

• When MacNeill discovers the capture of the Aud he orders the cancellation of the Rising on Easter Sunday in newspaper advert

• However, confusion ensues as other orders are spread by IRB members saying it will go ahead on the Monday

• IRB decided to go ahead with Rising on Easter Monday knowing that it was likely to fail

• This followed Pádraic Pearse’s idea of blood sacrifice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhMADxJZc_0&list=PLvsS9mRi0sXZyXDqnxUqZmGpNVTvcQdz-&index=9

Video Clip: Timelines.tv History of Britain C09

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5hslg8qEt8

Video Clip: Fergal Keane

The Easter Rising Begins• 1,500 Volunteers and ICA members take over the GPO and other

buildings around Dublin• The Easter Proclamation is read by Padraig Pearse outside the

GPO (General Post Office)• Fighting lasts for 6 days, with the GPO, St. Stephens Green and

the Four Courts amongst buildings occupied by rebels• By the end of the Rising there were 12,000 British troops in

Dublin. Rebels had few weapons and a large number of casualties• British send the gunship ‘The Helga’ down the Liffey to bomb

rebel strongholds• On Saturday 29 April the rebels agree to an unconditional

surrender to the British military

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kUIHMOZhBs&index=11&list=PLD3A90D6D409BB4BE

Aftermath of the Easter Rising• British interned (imprisonment without trial) around 3,500 men

and women (most in Frongoch prison camp in Wales)• The British court-martialled 170 of the rebels and sentenced 90 to

be executed• Sixteen of the leaders were executed• Initially many Dublin people opposed the actions of the rebels and

the death and destruction the Rising caused• Public opinion is horrified by the executions and the British order a

stop to further executions• The executed leaders were now seen as martyrs of the

independence struggle. Was the idea of Blood sacrifice true?

Effects of the 1916 Rising• Sinn Fein mistakenly blamed for the Rising. This helps Sinn Fein

grow as a nationalist party.• After the Rising the Irish Parliamentary Party went into decline.

This was due to: (a) the failure to introduce Home Rule (b) Redmond’s acceptance of partition(c) Growth of Sinn Fein.

• Catholic Church opposes the executions and began to support radical nationalism

• Recruitment of Irishmen to British Army falls• Many new figures emerged to replace those killed in the rising

Timeline of lead up to the rising:

Title: Cultural NationalismKeywords:• An Claidheamh Soluis• Gaelic league • Michael Cusack• IRB• Anglicisation• Music• Timiri• 14% • National Identity

Fill in blanks on Cultural Nationalism

New title: The Rise of Sinn Fein

Keywords:•Arthur Griffith•Internment•The Irish Convention • The Conscription Crisis • The German Plot • General Election 1918

• Before 1916 moderates supported the IPP, republicans supported the IRB. Sinn Fein was unimportant on a national level

• After Easter Rising there is a shift in opinion from support for Home Rule to support for Irish Independence.

• British government and media mistakenly dubbed the Easter Rising the ‘Sinn Fein Rising’.

• Within a year of the Rising membership of Sinn Fein had increased ten-fold.

• Prisoners released from internment become more involved in the nationalist movement.

Sinn Fein Reborn 1916

• After Easter Rising over 3,500 republicans arrested. Most of these were considered dangerous and imprisoned without trial. This was called internment.

• Many ended up in internment camps.• This internment policy stirred up much anti-British

sentiment in Ireland as many young men are interned • Prison camp at Frongoch, Wales became known as the ‘Sinn

Fein University’.• Republicans in prison set about organising the nationalist

campaign.• Griffith reorganised Sinn Fein and of those released began to

join and run for election

Prisoner Releases

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xjeJb5NQ6o&index=12&list=PLD3A90D6D409BB4BE

Video Clip: Rise of Sinne Fein

• In February 1917 Count Plunkett elected as an independent candidate in the North Roscommon by-election

• Plunkett was heavily backed by Sinn Fein• Sinn Fein then win further by-elections in Longford and with

Eamon de Valera in Clare• Sinn Fein establishes itself as the leading nationalist party in

Ireland• Large numbers of Irish Volunteers join Sinn Fein• At Sinn Fein Ard-Fheis DeValera is elected President of Sinn Fein

and of the Irish Volunteers• For the first time the political and military wings of nationalism

are under one leader

Early Electoral Success

Fatal British mistakes

The Irish Convention • Lloyd George (British Prime Minister) establishes the Irish

Convention at Trinity College to negotiate the introduction of Home Rule.

• Attended by Ulster Unionists, Irish Parliamentary Party and some independents.

• Boycotted by Sinn Fein and Labour Party. Sinn Fein disagreed with the idea of partition (border between Ulster and the rest of Ireland)

• Unionists state ‘nothing in any way binding would be done without consultation with the Ulster people’. This restricted possible agreement

• IPP Leader Redmond dies in March 1918.• Convention ends in April without agreement

• April 1918 British Government introduced conscription to the army in Ireland

• Opposed by IPP, Sinn Fein, Church, Labour Party and the Trade Unions

• Large anti-conscription rallies held around the country. 2 million people sign anti-conscription pledge

• Trade Unions organise a 24 hour general strike on 23 April 1918 against conscription

• Thousands more join the Irish Volunteers• British government abandon conscription

The Conscription Crisis

The German Plot • On 17 May the British Government ordered the arrest of

key leading members of Sinn Fein• The British claimed that Sinn Fein were attempting to get

weapons from Germany• Nationalist organisations like the Gaelic League, the Irish

Volunteers and Sinn Fein are banned by Government• The Irish public did not believe the British claims of German

intervention• Yet again, British Governments actions increase support for

Sinn Fein

General Election 1918 • The Representation of the People Act 1918 gives the vote

to all men over 21 and all women over 30 years of age• Increases Irish electorate to nearly 2 million voters.• World War One ends on 11 November 1918• British government calls General Election for December.• The Labour Party are persuaded not to contest the

election (‘Labour must wait’.)• Sinn Fein win 73 seats, Ulster Unionists win 26 seats, IPP

win 6 seats.

Why did Sinn Fein win?• Sinn Fein’s candidates were young and enthusiastic• They had support of Volunteers and claimed to be heirs of the 1916

martyrs• Sinn Fein had a large well organised network throughout Ireland• Mistakes by Britain (conscription crisis, German plot, 1916 executions

and arrests, failure to introduce HR) increased Sinn Fein’s popularity• Home Rule was no longer enough for many people.• The IPP were considered out of touch and people were tired waiting

for Home Rule• The ‘first past the post’ election system meant Sinn Fein won more

seats than if with Proportional representation• Giving vote to all men over 21 (and women over 30) now saw more

young first time voters. These voters largely supported Sinn Fein

Essay question – due next tuesdayHigher Level:Account for the decline of the Home rule party and the rise of Sinn Fein between 1914 and 1918

Ordinary Level:Why did Sinn Fein win the 1918 General election?

Introduction- Period of change combination of

British mistakes and changing Irish attitudes saw the rise and fall of

home rule

Context paragraph: Ireland poor, home

rule defeated for years, turning point

was Power of Veto for house of lords gone

1910 General election:, balance of power, 3rd home rule

bill passed, Home Rule at peak of it’s

popularity, Redmond national hero

1916 rising, (do not talk about planning)

talk about the executions and public opinion afterwards.

How had Irish people’s opinions changed?

What about cultural nationalism? refer

back to the question

Irish volunteers, Eoin MacNeill, weapons and violence in society, two

armies in Ireland, violence is a possibility, and Redmond's call to join WWI, Nationalist

volunteers, Buckingham conference, king invites all sides, no settlement,

posponed until after war, refer back to the

question

Reaction in Ulster / afraid of HR, Build Ulster Volunteers, Ulster covenant, 1

million people, Curragh Mutiny, British soldiers refuse to act against the Unionist ,

refer back to the question

Growth of Sinn Fein – Why? How? British

mistakes and growth of Sinn Fein, 1918

election, people sick of waiting for HR,

mandate for a Dublin parliament

Conclusion