The first invasion of Ireland by Britain is known as the Norman Invasion. This invasion occurred in 1169. The Irish clans battled Norman lords from Wales, the Irish were very persistent and spirited fighters but in the end King Henry II of England claimed Ireland as part of it’s kingdom. The English established control of Ireland, with the exception of the Northern Province Ulster. For nearly four hundred years, Irish clans defended their last province under self-rule. The Irish had the advantage of rugged terrain; water, woods, and mountains that would provide an advantage to those familiar with it. By 1603 Gaelic chiefs were forced to surrender Ulster to English authority. Subsequently, all of Ireland was put under English law. (Wells 19).

Although Ireland maintained an officially neutral stance there was covert support for the allied cause. This support involved the sharing of Irish air space and intelligence information shared with Britain, along with a steady stream of Irish recruits to the British forces. Despite Irish cooperation Churchill launched various attacks on De Valera’s isolationism in his victory broadcast in May of 1945, this attack was prompted by Irelands formal expression of condolences to the German people on the death of Hitler (Douglas).

Through a treaty adopted in 1938, the tariff war between Eire and Great Britain was concluded. Great Britain agreed to withdraw its forces from naval based in Eire, and Eire agreed to a settlement of the annuities owed to Great Britain. The slight improvement in relations was marred by a violent terrorist campaign in Great Britain conducted by the IRA.

De Valera’s vision of a Gaelic, Catholic utopia in a materialistic, unprincipled world bore little relationship to reality but did leave an ideal to rouse and unify Irish nationalism.

After this uprising Sinn Fein became the most influential political party in Ireland. This party, campaigned in the parliamentary election of 1918 on a program that called for the severance of all ties with Great Britain, an end to the separatist movement in Northern Ireland, and the establishment of an Irish republic. Candidates of Sinn Fein won 73 of the 106 seats allotted to Ireland in the British Parliament.

During the next few years many conflicts between Ireland and Great Britain were resolved. A boundary between the Irish Free State and Northern Ireland was established. The national economy was strengthened by a series of measures including the initiation of a hydroelectric project on the Shannon River. (Pomeray).

With this mandate from the people, De Valera developed his program for the gradual elimination of British influence in Irish affairs. He also initiated measures designed to give the country a self-sufficient economy. These steps include high income taxes on the rich, high protective tariffs, and control of foreign capital invested in Irish industry. De Valera had done what was necessary to ensure Ireland’s survival as a truly free State. Because of criticisms by the IRA, De Valera severed his ties with the group and imprisoned some of its leaders.

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