The Intervention in Northern Ireland, 1969: Causes, Consequences, and Peace Process, Slides of Psychology

Download The Intervention in Northern Ireland, 1969: Causes, Consequences, and Peace Process and more Slides Psychology in PDF only on Docsity! The intervention Londonderry August 1969 Docsity.com When? • 14 August – Londonderry/Derry • Bogside • 16 August – Belfast • Falls/Shankill Docsity.com Why? • The official reason was to protect the Catholic population, especially in Belfast, against Loyalist attacks. – At first Catholics welcomed British troops as impartial or neutral peace- keepers. • Privately the British government was aware that the number of disturbances across Northern Ireland was so great that the 3000-strong RUC could not cope any longer. • British secret intelligence wrongly believed the IRA was about to launch an uprising in Belfast and Londonderry. – In fact the IRA lacked arms, membership and popular support at this time. Docsity.com Why were troops sent? Medium-term causes A divided society Docsity.com Why political violence in 1969? • Failure of leadership on all sides in Northern Ireland to manage change. • By the 1960s a significant number of people on both sides of the sectarian and political divide wanted to change Northern Ireland and give it – a fairer society and – a modern economy • They seriously under-estimated the economic and communal obstacles to a true liberal democracy Docsity.com Two Catholic grievances SOUTH WARD Nananlist eguncilioes ‘slected 11 185 Voters 10.047 Catholics 1198 Protestants WATERSIDE WARD 4 Unionist counciiaes weacled 5549 Voters 1852 Catholics 3697 Protestants Over 70% Roman Catholics mame Ward boundaries Docsity.com Why did civil rights lead to violence? Docsity.com Radicalism in the civil rights Movement • The NICRA was concerned first and foremost with the issue of civil rights, and many Protestants supported this. • However, some of the leading figures in the civil rights movement were republican Nationalists. • Many others believed in socialist principles, especially the leaders of the People's Democracy (PD) movement. • Northern Ireland was a very conservative society, and socialist ideas were still treated with suspicion. Bernadette Devlin Docsity.com Other causes Sectarian prejudice Clearly, long-standing sectarian prejudice played a major part in explaining the long-term civil rights abuses. It was also one reason for the violence in 1969. The government's own report (by the Cameron Commission) went out of its way to criticise the sectarian bias in the actions of some RUC officers and B-Specials. It made it clear that the marchers were not violent. Media attention The entire saga took place under the gaze of the television cameras. This raised the stakes and heightened confrontation. Fear of the IRA Many Protestants, including many in the Northern Ireland government, saw the civil rights movement as a plot to destabilise Northern Ireland, little more than a front for an IRA attack backed up by the Republic. With hindsight, this fear of the IRA may seem to be nonsense. The IRA was virtually nonexistent at this time. However, Protestants had seen thousands of Catholics turn out to parades commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising in 1966. Some politicians in the Republic made tensions worse since they were suspected of helping to fund the IRA. Marching & confrontation Marching has a long tradition in Northern Ireland. It has often led to confrontation. The People's Democracy march in January 1969 deliberately took a route through sensitive areas, which would be sure to stir up Protestant hostility. Docsity.com Confrontation The most spectacular confrontation happened on 4 January 1969 (top and bottom right). Then a march organised by the PD was ambushed by loyalists at Burntollet, near Londonderry. The police appeared to do little to protect the marchers. Docsity.com Aftermath 1 Did the troops restore order? Docsity.com 30 years of political violence • Peace initiatives failed in face of opposition • Protestants spearheaded by Ian Paisley • With Protestant paramilitary forces on hand • Maintain United Kingdom • Keep Dublin government out of Northern Ireland • Revived IRA • With political wing, Sinn Fein, led by Gerry Adams • Eject Britain & British troops from Northern Ireland • United Ireland Docsity.com Attempts at a peace settlement Stormont was abolished in 1972. NI was ruled directly from Westminster. Attempts were then made to restore devolved government in NI. 1. 1973-74 Power-Sharing Executive & Sunningdale Agreement 2. 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement 3. 1993 Downing Street Declaration 4. 1998 Good Friday Agreement An enthusiastic reception by the Belfast Telegraph for the first IRA ceasefire, 31 August 1994 Docsity.com Ian Paisley & other Unionists Opposing the 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement Among other things, • the British government recognised the Republic’s right to make proposals on matters relating to Northern Ireland • the Republic recognised a united Ireland was a long-term aim which would only come about with the approval of the majority in Northern Ireland. Docsity.com After the honeymoon Docsity.com Mutual outrage In 1979 the IRA killed Lord Mountbatten, uncle of Queen Elizabeth II. Funeral of hunger striker Bobby Sands, May 1981 Docsity.com How things change: 2007 Northern Ireland’s arch-enemies declare peace Ian Paisley met Gerry Adams and agreed to share power with Sinn Fein, 26 March. Paisley became first minister of NI on 8 May, with Martin McGuinness as his deputy. Docsity.com