History of Northern Ireland

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The history of Northern Ireland begins with the division into Northern Ireland and “ Southern Ireland ” by the Government of Ireland Act of 1920, a law of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland . "Southern Ireland" very quickly became the Irish Free State , which in 1937 became the current state with the official name of Ireland (Éire), which is often referred to (for clarity) as the Republic of Ireland .

Northern Ireland is the entity that represents the north-eastern part of the island that remains with the kingdom. It spans six of the nine counties in the historic Ulster Province . Northern Ireland was initially ruled according to a model that resembled the - now historic - Dominion Canada , later it was ruled directly from London. The United Kingdom carries after 1927 the name "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" (English. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ).

The first Governor of Northern Ireland was James Hamilton, 3rd Duke of Abercorn , the last was Ralph Gray, Baron Gray of Naunton . In the first phase up to 1972 there was also a Prime Minister of Northern Ireland chosen by him , who mostly headed the majority party of the Northern Irish House of Commons . In 1972 a radical cut came, the direct administration of the "Troubled Province" from London by the Ministry for Northern Ireland .

For decades, reports on Northern Ireland's politics and history have had almost one subject: the Northern Ireland conflict . The two main orientations to this day are republicanism (or nationalism) and unionism .

The opposing sides in the historic Ireland conflict

Already at the time of Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658) there were serious clashes between the different population groups on the island of Ireland. These differences were primarily social and political in nature, but largely coincided with ethnic and religious differences. Due to the hesitant, but nonetheless taking place, mixing of the individual parts of the population, the “clean” division of the population into groups soon became almost impossible. Therefore it soon (and until today) became customary to raise the purely superficial, but easily comprehensible criterion of religious differences to the actual line of confrontation. In addition to the social groupings, the conflict was in principle linked to the “national question”, either a self-determined Ireland or a close bond with Great Britain, and this in turn was mentally or ideologically linked to the religious question. But there were also a number of well-known and unknown Protestant nationalists and Catholic unionists , especially in the 19th century .

Unification of Ireland and Division

The Kingdom of Ireland and the Kingdom of Great Britain merged on January 1, 1801 through the Act of Union to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland .

The 1916 Easter Rising was an attempt by Irish Republicans to forcibly gain independence from Great Britain. It is considered a turning point in the history of Ireland, which ultimately led to independence. The uprising was the hour of birth of the "Irish Republican Army" ( IRA ).

From 1919 to 1921, conditions in Ireland were similar to civil war . In 1920 the fourth Home Rule Bill ( Government of Ireland Act ) was passed by the British Parliament, making the 26 southern counties into southern Ireland and the 6 northern counties into Northern Ireland, both of which would become self-governing parts of the United Kingdom. With the end of the War of Independence by the Anglo-Irish Treaty , however, the Irish Free State was founded, which should consist of Southern Ireland and Northern Ireland. The Parliament of Northern Ireland, however, made use of a treaty arrangement not to join this Free State and remained with the United Kingdom.

The Dominion status of December 6, 1921 guaranteed greater domestic political independence for Southern Ireland. On April 18, 1949, Ireland left the Commonwealth .

Escalation of violence

In August 1969, the British Army was used for the first time to end the then acute violent conflict in the Northern Irish cities of Belfast and Derry. In this situation, the government of Northern Ireland had mainly Catholics and Republicans interned from August 1971 without trial .

On January 30, 1972 came in the wake of the escalating Northern Ireland conflict for so-called Bloody Sunday ( Bloody Sunday ): In Derry were at a demonstration against the policies Interment at least 14 unarmed Catholics, including six minors, by British paratroopers killed. As a result, there was a strong influx of the IRA and acts of terrorism by various groups (on the part of the Irish nationalists, above all the IRA , on the part of the unionists, for example the Ulster Defense Association ), which killed many civilians. In March the British government dissolved the Northern Irish Parliament and from March 24th Northern Ireland was governed from London by a Northern Ireland minister ("Direct Rule").

On July 21, 1972 ( Bloody Friday ), the IRA carried out at least 21 bomb attacks. Nine people were killed immediately and 130 injured. Two other people later died from their injuries.

The referendum on the future of Northern Ireland on March 8, 1973 was largely boycotted by the Catholic population of Northern Ireland. Ultimately, 98.9% of the participants voted to remain with the United Kingdom and against merging with the Republic of Ireland, with a turnout of only 58.6%.

Relaxation

On April 10, 1998, the governments of Ireland, Great Britain and the Northern Irish parties ( Ulster Unionist Party , Social Democratic and Labor Party and Sinn Féin ) signed the Good Friday Agreement . The agreement was adopted in referendums in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It led to a significant relaxation. Northern Ireland regained its self-government, the Republic of Ireland abolished the constitutional requirement of unification with Northern Ireland (which does not mean that the political goal of peaceful unity is abandoned with the consent of the majority of the Northern Irish population).

In detail:

  • there is again the self-government and a regional parliament, the Northern Ireland Assembly in Northern Ireland
  • a disarmament of the Catholic (especially the IRA ) and Protestant ( Ulster Defense Association , Ulster Volunteer Force ) paramilitary associations was established
  • The release of underground fighters from prison was demanded
  • a reduction in the British troop presence in Northern Ireland was set
  • A reform of the Northern Irish Police, the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), was called for (e.g. increasing the proportion of Catholics)
  • It was decided that Ireland's constitutional claim to Northern Ireland would be revoked, and a corresponding constitutional amendment was approved by 94% of voters in a referendum in the Republic of Ireland
  • reunification with the Republic of Ireland was made possible if the majority of Northern Irish would support it

The marches of the Unionist Orange Order

On 12 July 1690 defeated William of Orange in the Battle of the Boyne ( Battle of the Boyne ), the Irish-French army of the Catholic English King James II. Of Victory in this battle is now a year in the summer marching season (dt. "Marching season “) Thought. In the Northern Irish cities trailer then march of pro-British Unionist Protestant Orange Order ( Orange Order ) by residential district of Catholics.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Current trouble spots . In: Die Zeit , No. 12/1973