Changes

The '''Irish Civil War''' took place in the [[Irish Free State]] in 1922-23 between supporters and opponents of the treaty with [[Great Britain]] that had established the Free State. The treaty gave virtual independence to 26 counties of [[Ireland]] (excluding the six counties of [[Northern Ireland]]), but maintained that the new state remained within the [[British Empire]] and that members of the [[Dail Eireann]] should make an oath of allegiance to the British monarch - at the time, [[George V]] - as head of the Empire. The question of the oath, rather than that of [[Partition]], led to a split in the [[IRA]] and triggered the conflict that followed.

The '''Irish Civil War''' took place in the [[Irish Free State]] in 1922-23 between supporters and opponents of the treaty with [[Great Britain]] that had established the Free State. The treaty gave virtual independence to 26 counties of [[Ireland]] (excluding the six counties of [[Northern Ireland]]), but maintained that the new state remained within the [[British Empire]] and that members of the [[Dail Eireann]] should make an oath of allegiance to the British monarch - at the time, [[George V]] - as head of the Empire. The question of the oath, rather than that of [[Partition]], led to a split in [[Sinn Fein]] and the [[IRA]] and triggered the conflict that followed.

 

The Dail ratified the Treaty on 7 January, 1922. Upon this decsion, [[Eamonn de Valera]] resigned as President and withdrew from the Dail with that part of Sinn Fein which was opposed to it. A substantial proportion of IRA members also opposed the Treaty and began to organise for resistance. Throughout early 1922, a number of armed incidents took place as the IRA fragmented, and in May a truce was agreed to arrest the slide to war. A general election on 18 June 1922 saw a clear majority of votes in favour of the pro-Treaty Sinn Fein over their anti-Treaty opponents (239,193 to 133,864). The new government, led by [[Arthur Griffith]], began to organise the pro-Treaty IRA into the National Army (or Free State Army), and formed a new police force, the ''[[Garda Siochana]]'' (Civil Guard) to replace the disbanded [[Royal Irish Constabulary]].

tbc

tbc