This essay analyzes the situation in Northern Ireland during the 1980s, focusing especially on the historical and political dimensions of the Northern Irish conflict. It sets out to show the 1980s in Northern Ireland as a decade of failed attempts to bring peace to the region, analyzing the reasons for the failures and sketching out the reactions of the political parties towards these attempts. Furthermore it represents an attempt to show the historical, social and political background of the Northern Ireland conflict, which arose out of the conflict between the two communities living in the region, a conflict which is not only a religious one, but rather the result of differences in social situation, ethnical and cultural identity and political expectations and wishes of the people of Ireland, all of which is the result of the Irish history which began many centuries ago.
With the analysis of the political situation during the 1980s, this essay also attempts to show the antagonism in Northern Ireland, which is not genuinely motivated by religion but rather results out of different political ambitions than out of different beliefs.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 How the Troubles Began
2.1 The Northern Irish Conflict
2.2 The Troubles 1968-1980
2.3 Hunger Strike 1980/ 81
3 A Decade of Hardened Fronts
3.1 The Intern Approach: Constitutional Conference and Assembly
3.2. The Intergovernmental Approach
3.2.1 The New Ireland Forum
3.2.2 The Anglo-Irish Agreement 1985
4 Towards the Peace Process
5 Conclusion
Objectives and Core Themes
This term paper provides an analytical overview of the political situation in Northern Ireland throughout the 1980s. The primary research objective is to examine why various attempts to establish peace failed during this decade, focusing on the conflicting political strategies of the major parties and the underlying historical and socio-political dimensions of the conflict.
- The historical background of the Northern Irish conflict and the roots of the 'Troubles'.
- The impact of the 1980/81 Hunger Strikes on political strategy and the rise of Sinn Féin.
- Evaluation of political initiatives including Assemblies, the New Ireland Forum, and the Anglo-Irish Agreement.
- Analysis of the polarization between Unionist and Nationalist communities.
- The transition from a deadlocked political climate toward the eventual peace process.
Excerpt from the Book
2.3 Hunger Strike
After the escalation of violence in 1972 and the increasing number of terrorist attacks by the IRA, which did not only take place in Northern Ireland but also on the ‘British mainland’, the British government took several measures with the objective of restoring peace and fighting terrorism. From 1972 on, people suspected of being terrorists could be interned. In 1974, the ‘Prevention of Terrorism Act’ was introduced which allowed an arrest without trial and deportation for people suspected of terrorist activities and gave the security forces more freedom in the pursuit of terrorists. In 1976, however, internment was ended and all prisoners who were convicted because of terrorism lost their status as political convicts (also called ‘Special Category Status’). This caused a huge protest among all Nationalists and triggered off the ‘Blanket Protest’ of the prisoners at the Maze Prison near Belfast. The protest started with the prisoners refusing to wear prison issue clothes. Instead, they covered themselves with their blankets. In 1978, the protest was carried further as ‘Dirty Protest’, when the prisoners refused to use sanitary facilities, destroyed furniture and windows and smeared the walls of their cells with their excrement. The British government, however, did not give in and in 1980 the prisoners intensified their protest by beginning a hunger strike.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter introduces the context of the Northern Irish conflict, highlighting the shift toward a crisis region and outlining the paper's goal to analyze the failed peace attempts of the 1980s.
2 How the Troubles Began: This chapter traces the historical origins of the conflict from the Middle Ages through the 20th century, culminating in the escalation of violence between 1968 and 1981, specifically detailing the impact of the hunger strikes.
3 A Decade of Hardened Fronts: This chapter examines the failed political initiatives of the 1980s, categorized into the internal 'assembly' approaches and the intergovernmental efforts such as the New Ireland Forum and the Anglo-Irish Agreement.
4 Towards the Peace Process: This chapter discusses the slow evolution of political thinking in the late 1980s and early 1990s, leading to secret talks and the groundwork for the 1994 ceasefire and the 1998 Belfast Agreement.
5 Conclusion: The final chapter summarizes the research, asserting that the conflict resulted from complex socio-political antagonisms and that political progress was consistently hindered by the unwillingness of conflicting parties to compromise.
Keywords
Northern Ireland, The Troubles, Hunger Strike, Sinn Féin, IRA, Unionism, Nationalism, Anglo-Irish Agreement, Peace Process, Political Polarization, Thatcher, Devolution, Stormont, Civil Rights Movement, Conflict Resolution.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this paper?
This paper examines the political landscape of Northern Ireland during the 1980s, analyzing why the decade was characterized by failed peace initiatives and hardened political fronts.
What are the central themes discussed?
The central themes include the historical roots of the sectarian conflict, the impact of the 1980/81 hunger strikes, the failure of successive constitutional assemblies, and the significance of intergovernmental cooperation between the UK and Ireland.
What is the primary research objective?
The objective is to analyze the reasons for the failure of political peace attempts in the 1980s and to show how the conflict's antagonism was rooted in political ambitions rather than religious differences.
Which methodology is applied in this research?
The work utilizes a historical-political analysis, drawing on literature and chronologies to trace the developments of the conflict and the reaction of the political parties to government-led initiatives.
What is covered in the main body of the text?
The main body covers the historical context of the Troubles, the escalation through the hunger strikes, the unsuccessful attempts at 'rolling devolution', and the transition toward intergovernmental agreements like the Anglo-Irish Agreement.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Northern Ireland, The Troubles, Hunger Strike, Sinn Féin, Anglo-Irish Agreement, and Political Polarization.
How did the 1980/81 hunger strikes influence the political landscape?
The hunger strikes transformed the political landscape by increasing support for the Nationalist movement and causing Sinn Féin to shift from an abstentionist policy toward an 'armalite and ballot box' strategy, seeking political participation.
What role did the Anglo-Irish Agreement of 1985 play?
The agreement established a new communication framework between the UK and Ireland and allowed for a bilateral approach to the conflict, though it faced intense opposition from Unionists and did not immediately resolve the violence.
Why did the various Assemblies fail during the 1980s?
The Assemblies failed primarily due to the refusal of political parties to cooperate, the inability to achieve cross-community support, and the boycott by Nationalist parties against Unionist resistance.
- Quote paper
- Annerose Baumann (Author), 2008, Northern Ireland in the 1980s, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/165571
