Why were British Troops Sent Into Northern Ireland in 1969

Authors Avatar

Why were British Troops Sent Into Northern Ireland in 1969?

        On August 12th 1969, the British government decided to send troops onto the streets of Northern Ireland, this action following a breakdown in the law and order.

        This decision to send the troops in signified the beginning to the troubles in Northern Ireland. There were many reasons, both long and short term that explain why the British troops were deployed.

        The way in which the two communities used History caused distrust, suspicion and fear between the two groups. For example, they used selective history. This is where people pick parts from history to support their argument. People from both sides used selective history to suit their own aims. For example, a selective view of the 17th Century massacres is that one side brutally persecuted the other, justifying continued mistrust and hatred hundreds of years later. But the reality is that massacres were carried out by both sides.

Join now!

        Selective history fuelled the arguments between the two communities, which only supplied ammunition to use against each other. This was fought out in riots on the streets in the 1960s and British Troops were sent in to try and keep the peace in.

        Political differences between the two communities in the twentieth century also caused distrust, suspicion and fear. These differences are shown with events like the Easter Rising in 1916, or the Partition.

        The Easter Rising was where 1200 members of the Irish Republican Brotherhood and James Connolly’s Citizen Army occupied parts of central Dublin. Padraig ...

This is a preview of the whole essay