essay - evaluation of the obstacles to peace in northern ireland, 1968-1985

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other factors besides british government policies, the role of terrorism and the role of the british army include... religious and communal differences and the role of the irish government

question: to what extent was the policies and actions of the british government the main obstacle to peace in ireland, 1968-1985?

in the late 1960's there was a growing tension between protestants and catholics in northern ireland (ni) caused by the growth of the civil rights movement and the reemergence of paramilitary groups such as the ira and uvf. the battle of bogside led to the british army being controversially deployed to ni and beyond. a number of factors were obstacles to peace in ireland, 1968-1985 such as british government policies, the role of terrorism and the role of the british army. overall, the most important obstacle to peace in ni 1968-1985 was not the policies and actions of the british government, the most important obstacle was the role of terrorism

british government policies were a very big obstacle to peace. internment (1971) led to arrests of suspected ira members without trial, mostly targeting innocent catholics. direct rule (1972) was introduced after backlash against internment, suspending the northern ireland assembly and placing governance under westminister. sunningdale agreement (1973) aimed to establish power sharing and granted the irish government influence in ni's affairs. british government policies wre an important obstacle to peace as internment led to increased ira attacks and recruitment, fuelling sectarian tensions. their policies failed to provide a peaceful solution and instead escalated violence. british government policies werent an important obstacle as the british government took steps toward cooperation with ireland though the sunningdale agreement. these efforts led to the anglo-irish agreement and the good friday agreement which ultimately helped bring peace

the role of terrorism was the biggest obstacle to peace. the 'provisional' ira, led by an army council including gerry adams and martian mcguinness, began a terror campaign in 1969. major attacks included the warren point ambush (1979), killing 18 british soldiers and the assassination of lord mountbatten. the brighton bombing (1984) led by bobby sands, demanded 'political prisoner' status. the role of terrorism was an important obstacle to peace as it hardened attitudes on both sides, escalating violence and fostering deep resentment. the rising death toll among civilians and security forces made a peaceful solution seem impossible, fuelling the never ending cycle of violence. however, the role of terrorism was less important as an obstacle as widespread horror at atrocities committed by both sides led many to seek a political solution, pushing both sides toward negotiations.

the role of the british army was a relatively big obstacle to peace. british troops returned to ni in august 1969 to support the ruc in restoring order during the 'battle of bogside'. by the mid 70's up to 20,000 troops were deployed at any given time. aggressive attacks such as the falls curfew (1970) and in republican paramilitary attacks around 1,000 members of the armed forces were killed during the troubles. the parachute regiment opened fire on a civil rights march in derry, killing 13 unarmed civilians in what became known as bloody sunday. the events of bloody sunday remain highly controversial to this day. the role of the british army was an important obstacle to peace as the british army was increasingly seen as their enemy by nationalists especially after bloody sunday which fuelled ira recruitment and intensified tensions. global media coverage of the details of bloody sunday gained sympathy for the republican cause. however, the role of the british army was not a huge obstacle as the armys suppression of ira violence prevented full scale conflict, over time, the realisation that the war could not be won militarily encouraged a shift toward political solutions to peace

in conclusion, the role of terrorism was the main obstacle to peace in northern ireland, 1968-1985. this is because it perpetuated a cycle of violence, hardened sectarian divisions and made peace seem impossible. the continued attacks by the ira caused widespread fear and resentment, ensuring that hostility remained fixed on both sides. british government policies were also a big obstacle as internment and direct rule escalated tensions, but they were less important than terrorism since they at least attempted cooperation through the sunningdale agreement. the role of the british army was quite an important obstacle as bloody sunday heightened hostility, but it was less important than terrorism as it controlled ira operations, allowing the possibility of a successful political solution. therefore, it can be seen that the main obstacle to peace in ni, 1968-1985 was the role of terrorism and not the policies and actions of the british government as ultimately, while their actions and military presence played key roles, the violence caused by terrorism fuelled ongoing instability and prevented meaningful negotiation between opposing sides