Following
the shelving of the Home Rule Bill for the duration of World WarOne, a hard
core of the Irish Volunteers (a force raised to counter
resistance to the democratic introduction of Home Rule) along with elements
of the Irish Republican Brotherhood and the Irish Citizen Army decided to
stage a rising.
They decided that "England's difficulty was
Ireland's opportunity" and that with German help they would awaken Ireland's
soul and achieve a separation from Britain. Here is a link to their proclamation.
The Rising was doomed to failure for many reasons:
1. The mobilization order was canceled when the Volunteer leadership
discovered the plan.
2. The German arms shipment was scuttled when arrested by the Royal Navy
3. The vast majority of people regard this action as lunacy and betrayal
However a series of incidents
took place that fanned the spark of rebellion.
1. The protracted executions of the leadership of the Rising led to a change
of heart among many people.
2. The internment of so many Irish people caused much resentment.
3. The attempted introduction of conscription to a country who had supplied
so many soldiers to the British Army was very much
resented. Nearly half a million Irishmen were in the
British Army and the Catholic Church and the Independence
movement were adamantly against this move.
