The Easter Rising

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  • The Easter Rising
    • "England's adversity is Ireland's opportunity"
      • Members of the IRB saw the war as an opportunity to rise up against Britain
    • 1915- The IRB took control of the Gaelic League
    • Patrick Pearse joined the IRB in 1915- "Ireland unfree shall never be at peace"
    • September 1914- Meeting held between Connolly, Pearse and other Fenian leaders
      • A number of members of the Citizen Army went on to join the IRB
    • Jan 1916- The Military Council of the IRB won Connolly's support for the military Rising later that year
    • However, in early 1916 the IRB Military Council was divided about a rising
      • Idealists like Connolly and Pearse believe in making a gesture of defiance to the British, no matter what the outcome
        • From 1916 onwards, the idealists were more influential on the Military Council but spent a lot of effort keeping their plans secret from the pragmatists
      • Pragmatists like MacNeill felt it would be better to wait until they had a chance of being successful
    • The IRB and Germany
      • Irish Volunteer Sir Roger Casement tried to raise German support for a rebellion in Ireland against British Rule
      • Germany refused to arm the insurgents and days before the Easter Rising, the Royal Navy intercepted the German Ship Aud
      • Casement was arrested, tried and hanged as a traitor in 1916
    • The Rising
      • Took place on Easter Monday 1916
      • Poorly organised and didn't have support of MacNeill, so there were few uprisings outside of Dublin
      • The 1300 Irish Volunteers and 300 Citizen Army hoped to win support as they went on
      • The rebels seized the General Post Office, Boland's Mill, the Four Courts, the South Dublin Union and St Stephen's Green
      • The leaders were Connolly and Joseph Plunkett but the main author of the declaration of an Irish Republic was Pearse
      • By the 29th April it was clear that the Rising would be defeated
      • 450 deaths, 16 policeman died
    • Short-term Reactions to the Rising
      • The Irish Public- DIDN'T join the rising, many were angry at the rebels for fighting against Britain whilst their relatives were fighting in France
        • Public opinion was mixed but wasn't sympathetic until the reaction of the British
      • The British- immediately imposed Martial Law, General Maxwell was appointed and he immediately moved to 'arrest all Sinn Feiners'
      • About 3500 people suspected of being revolutionary nationalists were arrested and detained under the Defence of the Realm Act.
        • Of these, 1800 were imprisoned without trial in Britain. This turned public opinion away from Britain, as did the aggressive behaviour of British troops in Dublin
      • The Executions- The leaders of the Rising were imprisoned in Kilmainham Gaol. They were tried and 15 of the leaders, including Pearse, Connolly and Tom Clarke were executed. These men became martyrs and was a big turning point in public opinion- people were outraged.

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