Category
Oral - Textual or Investigative
Description
This paper considers Ireland’s participation for the Allies in World War I. World War I quickly turned into a war of attrition and stagnation where one side simply tried to outlast the other. But eventually the Germans gave out, and the Treaty of Versailles ended the war. Ireland’s role in the war was complicated. Prior to the start of the war, England struggled with the Home Rule issue, which would give Ireland some autonomy. But the outbreak of World War I ended discussions on Home Rule, and Britain placed more emphasis on mobilization and winning the war. At first, most Irish supported the war, and thousands of soldiers enlisted in the British army throughout the duration of the war. There was a minority that opposed the war, but they were inconsequential. Those Irish who served in the British army served faithfully and wholeheartedly and held little regret for serving in the British army. Soldiers fought for a myriad of reasons, including believing that Germany was villainous for invading Belgium, having peer pressure from families and friends, or enlisting out of a sense of patriotism and duty. These sentiments did not last. With the defeat at Gallipoli in 1915 and the executions of the 1916 Easter Uprising, Ireland became more hostile towards Britain. Irish soldiers on the front wondered why they fought, but they continued fighting. Relations between the two countries never fully recovered. The minority that opposed the war exploded into a majority, thereby creating tensions in Anglo-Irish relations.
Ireland and World War I: Why Irish Soldiers Fought
Oral - Textual or Investigative
This paper considers Ireland’s participation for the Allies in World War I. World War I quickly turned into a war of attrition and stagnation where one side simply tried to outlast the other. But eventually the Germans gave out, and the Treaty of Versailles ended the war. Ireland’s role in the war was complicated. Prior to the start of the war, England struggled with the Home Rule issue, which would give Ireland some autonomy. But the outbreak of World War I ended discussions on Home Rule, and Britain placed more emphasis on mobilization and winning the war. At first, most Irish supported the war, and thousands of soldiers enlisted in the British army throughout the duration of the war. There was a minority that opposed the war, but they were inconsequential. Those Irish who served in the British army served faithfully and wholeheartedly and held little regret for serving in the British army. Soldiers fought for a myriad of reasons, including believing that Germany was villainous for invading Belgium, having peer pressure from families and friends, or enlisting out of a sense of patriotism and duty. These sentiments did not last. With the defeat at Gallipoli in 1915 and the executions of the 1916 Easter Uprising, Ireland became more hostile towards Britain. Irish soldiers on the front wondered why they fought, but they continued fighting. Relations between the two countries never fully recovered. The minority that opposed the war exploded into a majority, thereby creating tensions in Anglo-Irish relations.
Comments
Graduate