The Troubles

Question 1

Sectarian state - 1920 - 1963

Answer 1

Gerrymandering: constituencies rearranged so Prods got the votes
Extra votes: Business owners Prods + business owners had extra votes
Jobs: Jobs purposely given to Prods
Policing: RUC 100% Prod. B-specials anti-catholic violence

Question 2

WW2 + the Welfare State

Answer 2

After WW2 NI became a welfare state, a new programme of social spending by the government, making education+ healthcare free, built more public housing + increased welfare payments

Question 3

The O’Neill years

Answer 3

1963 Terence O’Neill becomes PM of NI + wanted to “build bridges”. He made symbolic gestures eg. visiting Catholic schools + hospitals, flags ½ mast when the Pope died + meeting w/ Lemass

Question 4

Opposition

Answer 4

O’Neill’s symbolic gestures provoked Unionist outrage. Reverend Ian Paisley of the Free Presbyterian Church attacked O’Neill for “betraying” the union + Prods of NI. Paisley launched the “O’Neill must go” campaign

Question 5

Civil rights

Answer 5

The NICRA (Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association) didn’t care about partition. They were peaceful + wanted equal rights. Oct 1976 banned march went ahead + NICRA attacked by RUC. Mass rioting + violence between RUC + Catholic youth in Derry + Belfast that night

Question 6

NICRA demand

Answer 6

B-specials disbanded
End discrimination in housing + employment
1 man 1 vote
End to gerrymandering

Question 7

Battle of the Bogside

Answer 7

Aug 1969 Unionist Apprentice Boys march went through the Catholic Bogside. Rioters drove the RUC out of Bogside by throwing stones + molotov cocktails. They raised barricades + declared the area “Free Derry”. Violence spread to Belfast where Unionists attacked Catholics. British army called in.

Question 8

Violence escalates - Provisional IRA

Answer 8

Attacked RUC + army, planted bombs in Britain + NI + killed innocents. Political wing = Sinn Féin led by Gerry Adams from mid 1980s

Question 9

Violence Escalates - Loyalistd

Answer 9

UVF + Ulster Defense Association (UDA) were set up. Loyalists = Unionists willing to use/support the use of paramilitary violence to defend the union. Attacked Catholics citizens

Question 10

New nationalist political party

Answer 10

Social Democratic + Labour Party was founded in 1970 by NICRA leaders. Led by Gerry Filt then John Humes. Rejected violence + wanted social improvement over United Ireland

Question 11

New unionist political party

Answer 11

Democratic Unionist Party was founded by Rev. Ian Paisley in 1971. It opposed compromise + demanded harsh measures to deal with the IRA

Question 12

Internment

Answer 12

Aug 1970+71 PM Faulkner introduced internment (arrest + prison without trial) trying to round up IRA.

Question 13

Why internment was a disaster

Answer 13

Lots of innocents interned
Most IRA leaders escaped
Only Catholics arrested despite loyalist violence
Drew more people to join the IRA

Question 14

Bloody Sunday

Answer 14

30/1/1972 a banned IRA march against internment took place. British army was sent into Bogside on reports of an IRA sniper. Catholic youths threw rocks @ barricades + army open fired killing 14 + injuring 13. Soldiers claimed they were fired on with no evidence. Worldwide protests + British embassy burned

Question 15

Sunningdale

Answer 15

After Bloody Sunday, Britain imposed direct rule. In 1973 elections took place for a new NI Assembly. Party leaders were invited to talks for a powersharing agreement (Sunningdale agreement. All but Sinn Féin + DUP signed

Question 16

Terrorist groups - IRA

Answer 16

Spectaculars - large scale attacks on British mainland to incentives Britain to leave NI
Birmingham pub bombings Nov 1974 killed 21
Frequent attacks in NI claiming to target RUC but many Civilians died
Responsible for ½ of the deaths

Question 17

Terrorism - loyalists

Answer 17

Attacked civilians in response to IRA + to scare Irish population
Dublin + Monaghan bombings of May 1974 killed 33 injured 1300 with car bombs by UVF

Question 18

Hunger strikes

Answer 18

In 1980s IRA prisoners in the Maze prison demanded political status. Thatcher refused
1981 Bobby Sands hunger strikes
Anti-British feeling increased + Sands elected to Westminster
Sands died after 66 days of hunger strike. 9 more prisoners died

Question 19

Anglo Irish agreement 1985

Answer 19

Taoiseach Garret Fitzgerald + Thatcher agree to increase cooperation + that ROI has a say in NI
British government had the right to be consulted on + put forward proposals on intergovenmental conference
Unionists were furious + protested

Question 20

Ceasefire

Answer 20

2 governments had secret talks w/Sinn Féin + IRA
Downing Street Declaration set the terms for all party talks on NIs future
Only parties committed to peace could attend. Sinn Féin could only go if IRA ceasefire ect

Question 21

IRA ceasefire called

Answer 21

Aug 1994

Question 22

Loyalist ceasefire called

Answer 22

Oct 1994

Question 23

Good Friday agreement

Answer 23

IRA ceasefire broke down once over slow progress rate
2 govs had their leader as rep + all parties but DUP involved
DUP refused to talk to Sinn Féin. Just before Easter 1998 the parties + governments agreed on the Good Friday Agreement

Question 24

Good Friday agreement tetms

Answer 24

Power sharing
Cross border links
Republic would give up its claim to NI
Release of IRA + loyalist prisoners from jail + decommissioning of all weaponry
Reform of RUC+ gradual withdrawal of British soldiers