The Irish Free State


 * Period from 1922 - 1949
 * Irish Free State is composed of 26 counties, under Dominion status in British Commonwealth

Stability & Caution 1922 - 1932
=== Parties and their Leaders
 * William Cosgrave, Cumann na nGaedheal (cumin na ngyael)
 * Party later becomes Fine Gael
 * Eamon de Valera, Fianna Fail (Fianna fail)

Three Goals of Irish Governance

 * 1) A uniquely Irish form of governance
 * 2) New relationship with Britain
 * 3) Position Irish in New contexts (Internationally) -> Ireland and a global stage

Origins

 * Many parts of British system kept in place
 * Thru 1927, pretty much a single party system --> Cumann na nGaedheal
 * Cosgrave opens new Post Office / Symbolic act of renewal
 * Regime was centered on Agrarian, Middle Class, Conservative relations


 * Cosgrave wanted to keep things peaceful with Britain
 * Parts of British society wanted to keep things going
 * Lots of things needing figuring out
 * Would pensions be paid to British Civil Servants who worked in Ireland?
 * What would tariffs be? Passports?
 * Status of Patents also interesting debated
 * King's title -> King of England & Ireland? Or Something else?


 * Difficult question: when was Act of Union repealed?
 * Decision: at Multiple points


 * "Common Citizenship" was debating point
 * According to treaty British & Irish people share Common Passports
 * Irish Nationality Act (1935) -> DeValera separates Irish from British

Gaelic Characterization

 * Mandatory classes in Irish
 * Required Basic Irish Fluency for Civil Service
 * Places were established called "Gaeltacht"
 * Which were supposed to be "Irish-speaking havens"


 * Irish History instruction changed dramatically
 * Inculcated national pride
 * English History & Literature are scaled back to "status of other European countries"


 * Irish Power Company tried to harness the river Shannon for hydropower
 * Used German engineers (ability to look past Britain for aid and friendship
 * Consolidation of small farms
 * Civic Patrols replace the Royal Constabulary forces, and are un-armed
 * Become very popular, well integrated with the community

DeValera's Rural Utopia?

 * Anti-Treaty republicans remain but lose popular support
 * Remain violent and active, but dwindle in size/influence
 * Kevin O'Higgins assassination


 * Eamon DeValera -> changes his opinion in 1926, founds the Fianna Fail (Soldiers of Destiny)
 * Gain a popular political election in 1927
 * 1932 -> Gain a majority
 * Eamon is elected to PM position
 * DeValera adopts the title Taoiseach (Tee scheck) -> Irish for Prime Minister
 * Oath is escaped by being considered necessary but not "true in heart"


 * DeValera gets very dramatic
 * Wants to produce a new Irish way of life
 * "Dignified Irish peasants living a proper Gaelic way of life"


 * Irish Folklore Commission explores Irish Oral History & ideas of life, history, heritage


 * DeValera pardon IRA soldiers
 * By 1936, IRA has been marginalized and radicalized to such a large degree that DeValera rules it "illegal"


 * Sugarbeet -> Crop that grows well in Ireland, mostly used for export


 * Slowly -> "Republicanized" Ireland
 * Changed parts of Treaty slowly
 * Got rid of "land annuities"
 * Also eliminated "Oath"

Restless Dominion

 * Under DeValera things move towards Total Irish Autonomy

Economic War

 * Economic Sanctions taken up by the British against Ireland
 * British hoped to pressure DeValera from Power
 * Irish instead got angry about the "war" and became dedicated to DeValera
 * Impact on Irish was not catastrophic
 * Also began to support the idea of Irish self-sufficiency
 * Very strong harvests eased the impact of the Sanctions

1937 Constitution

 * "Dictionary Republic" --> Republic founded in practice, but not in name/title
 * Undoes much of 1922 Constitution
 * Little mention of King
 * Special section that outlined special role of Catholic Church in the the country
 * Denounced working class mothers
 * Problems with "Northern Ireland"
 * Ireland is defined as "all 32 counties" - the whole island
 * British Dominion Secretary urges calm, maintained the course (peace)
 * Some have called this Appeasement
 * Negotiations end the economic war -> lots of British Concessions
 * Returned three "Treaty Ports" -> Southern Irish Naval Bases

Europe & Neutrality

 * 1931 -> Statue of Westminster
 * Right of Dominion States to self-govern through their Parliaments
 * Decisions of those Parliaments could not be overturned by Westminster


 * DeValera wanted to have an external relationship with Britain (not this country)
 * Additionally, DeValera began sending diplomats to other (mostly European) countries
 * And is represented at the League of Nations

Irish Fascism

 * Brief flurry of Fascism in Ireland
 * Blueshirt movement, crushed by DeValera


 * In British Minds, Ireland was going to become this Catholic Dictatorship
 * That didn't happen

World War II

 * Irish chose to be "Neutral"
 * The idea was that if they sided with Britain, they would have been filled with British troops
 * And they would be a German target
 * If they sided with Germany, the British would invade them


 * Pro-Allied Neutrality
 * German pilots would be prisoner
 * Allied pilots would be returned


 * Irish Neutrality has been misunderstood:
 * DeValera paid his respected to the German Consulate