The Anglo-Irish Treaty was an agreement betwen Ireland and the United Kingdom which ended the Irish War of Independence. It was signed at 10 Downing Street, London, on November 10th, 1921.
Background[]
The Irish War of Independence[]
With growing discontent in Ireland due to British rule, marked by events such as the Easter Rising and the Conscription Crisis, the Irish War of Independence began with an incident called the “Soloheadbeg Ambush”. Ireland found itself engulfed in chaos by mid-1920 as the war continued to grow in scale, and by 1921 the country had been consumed by all out war.
With fears of the spread of syndicalism in Ireland, the costs of suppressing the rebellion, ever-greater anti-war sentiment, and general bankruptcy following the Weltkrieg, the British government sought a truce with the IRA, which was signed on July 11th. However, in the North, violence continued. After tense negotiations, the Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed on November 10th, formally ending the war between both countries.
The treaty[]
Terms[]
These were the terms of the Anglo-Irish Treaty:
- Crown forces would withdraw from most of Ireland.
- Ireland was to become a self-governing Republic. Ireland would be a sovereign state associated with, but not a member of, the Commonwealth; the British monarch would be head of the association, but not head of state of Ireland. This is known as External Association, a concept created by de Valera, and supported by Griffith and Collins.
- Northern Ireland (which had been created earlier by the Government of Ireland Act) would have the option of entering into the Irish Republic within 5 years of the Treaty coming into effect, but only upon the agreement of the newly created Council of Ireland.
- A Boundary Commission would be constituted to draw the boundary between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
- Britain, for its own security, would continue to control a limited number of ports, known as the Treaty Ports, for the Royal Navy.
- The Republic of Ireland would assume responsibility for a proportionate part of the United Kingdom's sizable debt, as it stood on the date of signature.
- The treaty would have superior status in Irish law, i.e., in the event of a conflict between it and the new 1922 Constitution of the Republic of Ireland, the treaty would take precedence.
Aftermath[]
Although generally considered as a success by the Irish populace, it was divisive within Sinn Féin and especially the IRA. This caused the formation of a big-tent coaltion called Anti-Treaty Sinn Féin.