1939 State of ‘Emergency’ declared. Why? Independence Anti-British feeling. Avoid further damage and death.

THE IMPACT OF WORLD WAR 2 ON IRELAND, NORTH AND SOUTH

Neutrality

1939 State of ‘Emergency’ declared.

Why? Independence Anti-British feeling. Avoid further damage and death.

Spies

Army intelligence unit G2 set up. Nazi sympathizers under

surveillance. All German agents captured quickly

except Hermann Goertz, who reported that the IRA was ineffective.

The IRA

Sean Russell, Chief-of-staff, ordered a bombing campaign in the UK. (2 hanged, Behan)

Dev worried that Great Britain would have an excuse to invade

1939 Offences against the State Act allowed internment.

1939 Magazine fort raid led to the Curragh. Russel died on a German submarine bound for

Ireland (to await arms?). When Dev found out the IRA were talking to

the Germans, he interned 500. 3 were hanged for killing Guards and 3 allowed

die on hunger strike. By 1943 the IRA had almost ceased to exist.

The Attitude of the Ambassadors

The British (Sir John Maffey) understood neutrality and was happy with the covert support

The Germans (Edouard Hempel) urged not cause a British invasion of Ireland.

The Americans (David Gray) disliked Dev and wanted pressure on the Irish to join the war.

1940 Churchill in Power.

Sent Malcolm MacDonald to promise Dev a united Ireland if we joined up.

Dev refused because he did not believe them and they looked like losing the war at the time.

Churchill wanted to invade but did not because: A friendly neutral better than a hostile ally. Afraid of alienating the US, Canada and

Australia. He hoped that by limiting supplies to

Ireland, and refusing to sell us arms, that we would join. This had the opposite effect.

Defence

Army expanded and LDF set up.

Fishermen and yachtsmen patrolled the coast.

Supporting the Allies

To make sure they did not invade this was kept quiet.

Methods:

• Food• Many went to work in

UK• 40,000 from the South

enlisted• Weather reports• Prisoners allowed an

easy time.

Life During the Emergency In the South.

Supplies 1939 Lemass became Minister of Supplies. German subs were sinking British ships.

Lemass did the following: Irish Shipping Farmers ordered to grow crops. Rationing Use of private cars banned. Turf replaced coal. Voluntary turf-cutting

campaigns. ‘Wages Standstill Order’ but prices went up. People struggled but the spirit was good and

Lemass handling of the situation was a success.

Censorship

Strict. No comments on the progress of the

war allowed. No favouritism allowed. No films or radio on the war.

Bombs: 1941 North Strand. 27 killed

.

1944 Election

Dev refused David Gray’s request (‘the American Note’) to close Axis missions to Dublin while plans for D-Day went ahead.

The allies then cut off all travel and communications with UK.

Dev published the American Note as an implied threat and did well in the election.

The End of the War

In April 1945 Roosevelt and then Hitler died.

Dev paid his respects to Gray and to Hempel.

Big mistake. Saved the day with

his reply to Churchill’s rebuke after the war.

Ireland stayed neutral because:

Germany did not get this far Most allied ships passed the north of

Ireland and not south Public opinion in the US.

Northern Ireland during World War 2

Unionists happy to be able to show loyalty. This turned to shock at Churchill’s offer of

unity. The government of NI were old and did

little to prepare. Catholic Bishops protests meant

conscription not extended to NI. Nationalists joined up as there were no

jobs. The only NI person to receive a VC was a

Catholic. 700 IRA interned but the IRA had greater

support than in the South. IRA killed 5 RUC

Northern Ireland during World War 2

1940 100,000 British troops stationed in NI in case of a German invasion of the island.

Rationing. Blackout. Craigavon died in late 1940 1941-43 JM Andrews took

over. He was 70 and made very

little change

Industry

H and W produced 140 warships Short’s built 1200 Stirling bombers. Linen industry boomed. Lots of engineering of parts supplied

from NI. Agriculture did well.

Sir Basil Brooke

After the bombing of Belfast Andrews asked to resign

Brooke took over and brought in younger ministers.

Strategic Importance

Germans controlled the sea, south of Ireland, so the northern route to the US important.

A big naval and air base in Derry patrolled the seas for German submarines.

After 1941 Americans were based in NI to prepare for the North African campaign

250,000 arrived for D-Day. The German U-boat fleet were

made surrender in Derry in recognition of it’s role in the war.

A Blitz on Belfast (case study)

Air raid shelters were eventually built. There was not enough and they were above ground.

Not enough anti-aircraft guns and only a few barrage balloons.

Hospitals and fire service unprepared.

False alarms caused complacency

7th and 8th of April 1941

Harbour area hit. 13 killed and not much damage. Only 3000 responded to government

calls for evacuation.

15th and 16th April

• 90 Junkers and Heinkels came in waves.

• Flares dropped first. Then high explosives, incendiaries and parachute mines.

• Smoke screens in the docklands led to the Germans missing their targets and hitting working class areas such

as New Lodge, Lower Shankill and Antrim road.

• 30 died when a parachute bomb hid an air raid shelter.

• At least 900 died. Many not identified.

• Attempt made to bury Catholics and Protestants separately.

• Dev sent 70 fire-fighters north but the water mains had been cut and there was little they could do.

• Half the cities population left, many sleeping in ditches.

5th May

Clear night. H and W

destroyed and did not resume production for 6 months.

Not as many casualties

Conclusion

Most severe except London. No more as the Germans turned their

attention to USSR from June 1941 1100 dead People outside the city who offered

refuge were shocked at the poverty of the people.

1945-49 Partition Consolidated

By being part of the war, NI strengthened its position in the UK.

Neutrality had distanced the South further from the UK.

1945 British General Election

Clement Atlee and Labour came to power.

The Beverage Report and the Welfare State brought a flow of money to NI.

Nationalists benefited, as they were poorer.

1947 free secondary education and generous third level grants.

Catholics made good use of this as they could not get jobs anyway.

The South After WW2

Fianna Fail had been in power a long time. Bad for democracy.

Still the biggest party but had lost support due to poor economic conditions

Sean McBride formed Clan Na Poblachta. It attracted socialist and republican elements.

1948 Election an Inter-Party government formed between Fine Gael, Labour and Clan na Poblachta.

Mulcahy had replaced Cosgrave, who had retired in 1944.

McBride refused to accept Mulcahy, so John A Costello became Taoiseach.

Leaving the Commonwealth.

McBride had campaigned for the removal of the 1936 External Relations Act which kept our link to the Commonwealth.

The other parties were happy to see it go but were worried about trade and emigrants.

1948 a trade agreement guaranteed our free access to British markets.

1948 the British passed a Nationality Act that gave citizenship rights to Irish people.

In Canada, Costello was asked by a journalist if Ireland was leaving and he blurted that we were.

British annoyed but support for the Irish from Canada and Australia stopped them doing anything.

1949 we became a Republic.