Ireland and World War 1

Ireland and World War 1 By 1912 different Irish groups were still fighting over the matter of Home Rule. Unionists, lead by Edward Carson and James Craig, wanted to stay loyal to Britain and remain under British rule, they said that if Home Rule did come about, that Ulster should be treated separately. John Redmond, leader of the Irish Nationalists, wanted some power given to Ireland but they said that they would still remain loyal to Britain and the monarchy. Padraig Pearse and the IRB (Irish Republican Brotherhood), who were Irish Republicans, wanted more than Home Rule, they wanted total separation from Britain and they wanted a free Ireland. In Westminster, Conservatives (supported by Unionists) and Liberals (supported by Nationalists) were fighting over the Third Home Rule Bill in 1912, Herbert Asquith (leader of the Liberals) who was Prime Minister at the time, was in favour of Home Rule because he needed the support of Redmond and the Home Rule Party or the IPP (Irish Parliamentary Party). But the Home Rule Bill was never passed because Conservatives took power (with Bonar Law) and they were opposed to Home Rule. With both, Unionists and Nationalists, having militant organisations (the UVF & Irish Volunteers), the race for arming was frantic in Larne and Howth. Ireland was heading towards a civil war between Ulster Unionists and Irish Nationalists/Republicans BUT

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: History
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Watergate scandal

Describe the main features of the Watergate scandal in the USA. The Watergate Scandal was caused by an attempt to bug the offices of the Democrat Party in the Watergate building in Washington. Five men were arrested in June 1972. The men were employed by CREEP, Committee to re-elect the President. Some of the key features were the secretive activites CREEP, dirty tricks, the cover-up, role of television, senate hearings, Nixon's registration and the scandal's impact on politics. In 1968, Richard Nixon, the Republican candidate, was elected president. In 1972 he would have to seek-reelection. Concerned that he might not be re-elected, he set up CREEP, "Committee to Re-elect the President". It was led by John Mitchell, a close adviser to Nixon, who was encouraged to use any tactics he saw fit to ensure Nixon's re-election, including dirty tricks or illegal methods. Sixty million dollars were illegally collected to fight this campaign, with $350,000 set aside for these dirty tricks, including the idea of "bugging" the Democrat offices at Watergate. This campaign led to the break in which started scandal and led to the cover-up. On 17th June, five members of CREEP were arrested for breaking into the Watergate offices. These burglars turned out to be rather unusual. They were not stealing from the offices, but instead planting electronic bugging devices. One burglar turned out

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: History
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