Ireland (5) - Changing republican strategy Flashcards
What had been introduced for prisoners that had committed political crime in 1972 ?
Special category status
Explain special category status
allowed those prisoners to live as prisoners of war
When was special category status removed ?
March 1976 (meant all prisoners were treated the same)
What year did the hunger strikes start ?
1981
name two other republican protests
- dirty protest
- blanket protest
When did the second round of hunger strikes begin ?
1 march 1981 (Led by Bobby Sands)
Explain how the second round of hunger strikes was different from the first
Participants joined at intervals to maximise the time and exposure of the strikes.
When did Sands die ?
5 May 1981
How many people attended Sands funeral ?
100,000
When did the second strike end and how many had died by that point ?
October 1981, and 9 more had died (10 in total)
The weeks following the hunger strikes, what concessions were granted ?
- prisoners could wear their own clothes
- more prison visits were granted
- more association among prisoners would be allowed
What were the new problems for the British Gov in the aftermath of the strikes ?
- increased nationalist alienation from the state
- rising support for the republicans
- unionists were worried with the growth of the IRA
- Irish gov was push a new initiative to end the troubles
Who won the West Belfast seat in the Westminster elections of 1983 ?
Gerry Adams beat Gerry Fitt
Who did the SDLP look to support them in the rising of Sinn Fein ?
They looked tot the Irish gov
Who was the leader of the SDLP in the 1980s ?
John Hume
