War of Independence Historiography
Military Pressures on Irish
REES- “S.F was travelling on its own road towards a truce and there were good
military reasons for this”
(contemp. Quote)- Sinn Fein electoral manifesto- “use any and every means
available to render impotent”
(contemp. Quote)-VOLUNTER JOURNAL-issued an article declaring a state of war
now existed between Britain and Ireland- “Every Volunteer was entitled morally and
legally to use all legitimate methods of warfare against the soldiers and policemen
of the English usurper and to slay them if necessary”
Military tactics of British
MCGARRY- “The increasingly vicious nature of the conflict put pressure on the
opposing governments and heightened the desire for peace among both sides”
REES- “The establishment of a proper intelligence system and the greater flexibility
shown by the army, which included the use of aircraft to attack the flying columns,
had put the IRA under severe pressure’
Collins
(contemp. Quote)- County Longford IRA leader-“Even at the best of time we had
arms for only a fraction of men available”
(contemp. Quote)- COLLINS-told Chief Secretary for Ireland, Hamar Greenwood,
following signing of Truce: “We could not have lasted another three weeks”
Military pressures on British
Tactics of the IRA
RICHARD ENGLISH- The IRA had considerable success in thwarting British Rule in
1919-1921…the IRA could simply not be defeated”
(contemp. Quote)- SIR JOHN ANDERSON-Senior Servant in Dublin Castle, warned
government in June 1921 that to escalate a military campaign in Ireland would be
the “wildest folly”
MCGARRY- To a large extent, the military capabilities of the IRA developed
spontaneously in response to the intensification of the conflict
MCGARRY- Better trained, more experienced, disciplined and ever prepared for
conflict, these “flying columns presented a much greater military threat than part-
time IRA men”
ENGLISH- (on flying columns) “these were the people who drove the war”
REES- acknowledges that, through the flying columns, “they perfect the art of
guerrilla warfare”
Failings of British
TOWNSHEND- “The Republican guerrilla campaign proved too determined, too
resilient and too resourceful to be put down by the military force which was
employed against it”
Military Pressures on Irish
REES- “S.F was travelling on its own road towards a truce and there were good
military reasons for this”
(contemp. Quote)- Sinn Fein electoral manifesto- “use any and every means
available to render impotent”
(contemp. Quote)-VOLUNTER JOURNAL-issued an article declaring a state of war
now existed between Britain and Ireland- “Every Volunteer was entitled morally and
legally to use all legitimate methods of warfare against the soldiers and policemen
of the English usurper and to slay them if necessary”
Military tactics of British
MCGARRY- “The increasingly vicious nature of the conflict put pressure on the
opposing governments and heightened the desire for peace among both sides”
REES- “The establishment of a proper intelligence system and the greater flexibility
shown by the army, which included the use of aircraft to attack the flying columns,
had put the IRA under severe pressure’
Collins
(contemp. Quote)- County Longford IRA leader-“Even at the best of time we had
arms for only a fraction of men available”
(contemp. Quote)- COLLINS-told Chief Secretary for Ireland, Hamar Greenwood,
following signing of Truce: “We could not have lasted another three weeks”
Military pressures on British
Tactics of the IRA
RICHARD ENGLISH- The IRA had considerable success in thwarting British Rule in
1919-1921…the IRA could simply not be defeated”
(contemp. Quote)- SIR JOHN ANDERSON-Senior Servant in Dublin Castle, warned
government in June 1921 that to escalate a military campaign in Ireland would be
the “wildest folly”
MCGARRY- To a large extent, the military capabilities of the IRA developed
spontaneously in response to the intensification of the conflict
MCGARRY- Better trained, more experienced, disciplined and ever prepared for
conflict, these “flying columns presented a much greater military threat than part-
time IRA men”
ENGLISH- (on flying columns) “these were the people who drove the war”
REES- acknowledges that, through the flying columns, “they perfect the art of
guerrilla warfare”
Failings of British
TOWNSHEND- “The Republican guerrilla campaign proved too determined, too
resilient and too resourceful to be put down by the military force which was
employed against it”
