The IRA (Irish Republican Army) is a violent armed force.
The Unionists do not believe in, nor want a United Ireland and are from Northern Ireland. Though they disagree on how to go about this.
Northern Ireland is home to the UDA;UVF - a violent force, and the UUP;DUP – a group using parliamentary politics.
The build up to 1969:
Centuries ago, many Catholics were forced out of Northern Ireland by Protestant settlers moving in from Scotland. Much land was taken and homes/settlings lost.
In 1689 William of Orange (a Protestant) took the throne of Great Britain. This also gave him the title for King of Ireland. However, James II (a Catholic) still had control over much of Ireland. In July of that year James had unsuccessfully tried to capture Derry. The local Apprentice Boys had closed the city’s gates against his army. Later in the year William sent 16,000 troops into Northern Ireland. But they didn’t engage in any battles.
In June of 1690 William himself went over to Ireland to take command. Both his army and James’ army met at the Boyne River to battle. William on the north side, James on the south.
William and his army won the Battle of the Boyne with Ireland now being under Protestant rule. As a result of this, there is now an orange march held on the 12th July to celebrate the victory. There is also an orange march held on the 12th August when the Apprentice Boys march in Londonderry to commemorate the Siege of Derry in 1689.
In 1791, the Society of United Irishmen was set up in Belfast. They were led by Theodore Wolfe Tone. They wanted to reform the Irish parliament and unite Catholics, Protestants and Dissenters in Ireland into a single movement. In 1798 Theodore Wolfe Tone and his men led a bloody rebellion against Britain and British rule. However this later resulted in the 1801 act of Union which brought Ireland even tighter together and under British rule.
In 1886, after many protests and campaigns, Britain granted Ireland a Home Rule bill. Which meant that Ireland was now solely run by the Irish. But in 1887 it was suspended, the Irish were not at all happy.
Before World War One had begun, Ulster Volunteers had arranged to buy 35,000 Rifles from Germany, with Irish volunteers arranging to buy 1,000. The outbreak of the war had not helped with their need to collect their weapons. Ireland were fighting for Britain. Irishman Sir Roger Casement had arranged to travel to neutral America during the war and collect the weapons. Therefore going against the allies (which included Britain alongside France and Russia). British Naval Intelligence intercepted the ship carrying the weapons after cracking a code between both parties. On Good Friday, Casement was immediately arrested when he came a shore from a U-boat near to Tralee in County Kerry. When added to the fact that many Irish men were dying for the British side when they didn’t want to, this made the Irish Nationalists very angry indeed. They stated that they were only willing to die for an ideal.
On the 24th April (Easter Monday) 1916, the Irish Republican Brotherhood decided that they had had enough, they wanted back the Home Rule bill, and did not want to die for the British. They called themselves the rebels and seized the centre of Dublin.
From the steps of the General Post Office Padraig Pearse, who along with James Connolly and followers had wanted to end British rule and make Ireland independent, declared that the rebels were a provisional government of the Republic of Ireland. GB Forces surrounded the rebels.
After 6 days of fighting nearly 500 people had been killed and around 2000 injured. Pearse then surrendered. People were shocked at the events that had happened in Dublin, but their viewpoints soon changed when they realised the punishment was to be the death of 77 Catholics. Infact, the British army (who were under order of General Maxwell) only killed the 13 rebel leaders.
This event became known as the ‘Easter Rising’. Afterwards those killed were added to the list of Republican Martyrs.
In 1918 a new Irish political party named Sinn Féin (which translates as ‘ourselves alone’) was created. In the Irish General election of that year Sinn Féin was elected and claimed 73/105 seats. They had the choice to go for Home Rule, British Rule or Complete Independence. The vote was unanimous, they chose Complete Independence. This proved to be a major turning point. Sinn Féin declared Ireland an independent Republic setting up its own Parliament in Dublin, as well as Police, Government and Law Courts. Sinn Féin also made their point of refusing to take their seats at Westminster.
In 1919 the IRA (Irish Republican Army) was formed. It was led by Michael Collins, an expert in Guerilla warfare. The IRA believed in violence. It began to attack police and British Soldiers. On the 21st of January 1919 2 Policemen were killed in Tipperary.
In 1921 Northern Ireland was declared its own state and would be under British Rule away from Ireland.
Many conflicts followed this. The Mass un-employment in Ireland led to side by side protests. Problems arose over the RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulary) as the RUC was mainly Protestant, were they willing to protect the Catholics of Northern Ireland? At a peaceful Catholic march near Burntollet bridge there were mass riots caused by Protestant counter marchers. But it was the Catholic marchers who were arrested, this created more concern over the loyalties of the RUC.
During the 60’s, Television had become more widely available throughout the world. At this time in America, the black civil rights movement was taking place. This was broadcast on television right into the living rooms of many Irish/Northern Irish citizens. This footage could possibly have inspired the Irish to fight back like the black Americans had done.
All this came to a head in 1969. The crisis in Northern Ireland had deepened considerably. Terence O’neill (head of the Unionists) who had sought to open dialogue with catholics, had resigned. He was replaced by James Chichester-Clark. The Unionists had no experience of negotiating with the Catholic community.
In the summer of 1969 tensions were high between the Derry Catholics and RUC. The month before, Sammy Devenney had died from injuries he received when RUC officers battered him in his own home. With the 12th August Orange March fast approaching there was expectation of violence triggered by it.
As the Apprentice Boys marched past the perimeter of the Catholic Bogside, sectarian clashes occurred. The RUC intervened, assisted by an angry Protestant mob. They charged at the nationalists forcing them into William Street. Within hours the riots had turned into what was described as a “Community in revolt”. Police were stoned and petrol bombed as they forced their way in riot gear into the Bogside. After 2 days of similar events the Police were exhausted.
On the afternoon of Thursday 14th August, the Prime Minister of Ireland (James Chichester-Clark) asked the British Prime Minister (Harold Wilson) for troops to be sent to Derry. He did not know that British troops were in fact on standby. Just after 4pm a company of British soldiers relieved the Police of their duty. What came to be known as the Battle of the Bogside had ended with intervention from Britain. 5 Catholics and One Protestant were killed on the 14th of August 1969.
Conclusion:
After studying the events taking place in Ireland and Northern Ireland before 1969 and the events during that year, I have concluded that, in my opinion the main reason for the British troops being sent in to Northern Ireland have been the majority of events from World War I onwards. After the arrest of Sir Roger Casement the Irish bitterness and need to rebel grew and grew.
Events such as World War I angered Catholic Ireland causing rebellion in ways such as the Easter Rising of 1916, which in turn angered the Protestants of Northern Ireland. Each side in turn angered the other through out this period in both politics and the use of violence.
Therefore I can not see one single main reason as to why the Battle of the Bogside took place. I feel that events such as the Easter Rising, Burntollet Bridge and the Black Civil Rights Movement in America, teamed with many other actions and events caused a mutual hatred from both sides which finally turned into the violence at Bogside. Though the main reason for the British Troops was definitely (in my opinion) the Battle of the Bogside which had led to Ireland being on the brink of civil war. Sadly, the conflicts in Ireland and Northern were never fully solved and the troubles between Catholics and Protestants still go on today.
