National Volunteers
National Volunteers ( Irish na hÓglaigh Náisiúnta ) is the name of an Irish organization at the beginning of the 20th century that split off from the Irish Volunteers together with their leader John Redmond after the role of the Irish Volunteers regarding the First World War within the group was controversial .
prehistory
Redmond, leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party , had nothing to do with the original formation of the Irish Volunteers. However, when he saw how popular it had become, he realized the danger this independent organization posed to his power, and so he tried to influence the volunteers. Eoin MacNeill and Sir Roger Casement , along with other volunteer leaders, had always wanted Redmond's support, but had no intention of relinquishing control. However, in June 1914 , Redmond insisted on adding 25 members of his election to the 27-man circle of the leadership committee. Together with some existing members of the committee who already supported Redmond, Redmond would have gained control of the Irish Volunteers. Redmond's advance was resolutely opposed by the more radical members of the committee, especially Patrick Pearse , Seán Mac Diarmada and Éamonn Ceannt , who were also members of the Irish Republican Brotherhood . But fearing that the volunteers would split up, they finally agreed to Redmond. With the support of the Irish Parliamentary Party, the organization grew dramatically.
The First World War / Foundation of the National Volunteers
After the outbreak of World War I in August 1914 and the successful introduction of the third Home Rule , Redmond gave a momentous speech on September 20 in Woodbridge, County Wicklow , in which he called on the volunteers to join an Irish corps within the British Army to be entered. In doing so, he had two goals: First, it was in the interests of a holistic home rule to emulate the Ulster Volunteer Force , and second, he hoped that the volunteers would, on their return from what was then believed to be the short war towards the end of 1915, an armed and experienced one Army that could if necessary forcefully influence the decision to partition the island. Almost all of the original leaders opposed Redmond's request. They fired all of Redmond's supporters, who then founded the National Volunteers.
Most of the members remained loyal to Redmond, however, and it so happened that 175,000 members resigned from the Irish Volunteers and joined the National Volunteers - only 13,500 remained. Most of the National Volunteers, as well as many other Irish, eventually followed Redmond's call, including MPs William O'Brien and DD Sheehan , and joined either the 10th or 16th Irish Divisions of the British Kitchener's Army . Redmond was assisted in recruiting by Pierce Charles de Lacy O'Mahony , among others .
However, Redmond's expectations were quickly overturned. At first the British refused the Irish divisions their own compatriots as officers - instead, unlike the soldiers from Ulster, they were led by the English. Then the war lasted longer than expected and in 1916 the Easter Rising broke out . Not least the outcome of the 1918 election.
Many Irish returning from the war , such as Tom Barry , played a large role in the Irish War of Independence that followed and helped transform the IRA into an effective, disciplined group.
During the Irish Civil War , the National Volunteers played a major role in establishing the new Free State Army under Michael Collins . Their military discipline and experience helped keep the new state from sinking into anarchy and chaos, and ensured that the opposing parties' revolt was brought under control within a year.