The Emergency was an official euphemism used by the Government in Éire (today also known as the Republic of Ireland) during the 1940s to refer to its position during World War II. Éire was officially neutral during the Second World War and in government media, direct references to the war were avoided. This was partly due to the political and nationalist tensions in Ireland at the time which resulted from the Anglo–Irish War and the Irish Civil War. The term has remained in use in, for example, school text books. The official state of emergency commenced on 1 September 1939 and was finally ended on 2 September 1946.
Significant events
Eamon de Valera, who was Taoiseach (head of government) during the Emergency, introduced the Emergency Powers and Offences Against the State Acts to combat the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and other dangers.
In July 1940, three German agents were arrested after landing in Skibbereen, County Cork. Main article Operation Artur describes this event in some detail.
In Belfast, some 1,100 died during Luftwaffe bombing between April and May 1941. Some 53% of the city's housing stock (some 56,000 houses) were damaged and around 100,000 became temporarily homeless. After bombing on 15 April Fire tenders from Dublin, Drogheda and Dundalk crossed the Irish border to assist their Belfast colleagues.
On the night of 30-31 May of the same year, Dublin's Northside was the target of a Luftwaffe air raid. Thirty-eight were killed and seventy houses were destroyed on Summerhill Parade, North Strand and the North Circular Road. The German government claimed the raid was an error and paid compensation after the war. However, it has been claimed that this was actually a deliberate warning by Germany, after the Dublin fire brigade helped put out fires in Belfast.
Neutrality
Irish neutrality arose from a number of motives. Anti-British feeling, dating from the Anglo-Irish War in the 1920s was still high. An alliance with Britain risked internal political instability. De Valera's policy of neutrality enabled the state to maintain internal political unity: Irish neutrality during World War II had broad support with only one vote against it in Dáil Eireann (the lower house of parliament) from one Fine Gael TD who demanded that the state side with the Allies. It was also felt that Éire could not handle a major war due to the economic problems of the time and the total neglect of the military since independence.
In 2005 documents were released from the UK Public Record Office regarding contacts between de Valera and a British MI6 officer in 1942 over Éire joining the allies. Details of the meetings were not disclosed but it is believed the British offered de Valera a united Ireland.
Informal support for the Allies
Despite its official policy of neutrality Éire offered a great deal of informal assistance to the Allies, some of which did not become public knowledge until the declassification of state papers in the 1990s. The positions of German submarines were regularly reported to the Royal Navy through secret messages and detailed weather reports of conditions in the Atlantic Ocean were broadcast on Irish radio, benefiting the Allies; in fact the timing of D-Day was based on weather reports supplied by Éire which told of incoming weather conditions from the Atlantic. British servicemen who crashed over Éire were allowed to escape to the United Kingdom through Northern Ireland, while downed Germans were interned. Secret meetings were also held to decide what to do if Germany invaded Ireland in order to attack Great Britain.
The chief German diplomat in Éire also had his radio confiscated in 1943 to prevent him passing information to his leaders. There was a corridor near Donegal which British aircraft could use when flying from bases in Northern Ireland out over the Atlantic, which was used by, for example, the reconnaissance aircraft which spotted the German battleship Bismarck heading for France in 1941.
Some 70,000 citizens from the southern Irish state and around 80,000 from Northern Ireland served with British forces during World War II. Opinions on this matter in the Republic remain somewhat divided and the issue of the Irish volunteers remains sensitive for many. It was many years until this was recognised by an Irish government. However, in April 1995 Taoiseach John Bruton paid tribute to those who
- volunteered to fight against Nazi tyranny in Europe, at least 10,000 of whom were killed while serving in British uniforms. In recalling their bravery, we are recalling a shared experience of Irish and British people. We remember a British part of the inheritance of all who live in Ireland.
Relations with Germany
In pursuit of its policy of neutrality Éire publicly refused to close its German and Japanese embassies. Before and in the early years of World War II the German government investigated whether the Irish Republican Army (IRA) could be used against the United Kingdom, as well as whether or not it would be tactically advantageous to invade Éire or to persuade the Irish government to side with the Axis powers. Germany courted Éire to this end, before and during the war, but without success. The Nazis also made contact with IRA men interned at the Curragh. On the occasion of the death of Adolf Hitler, de Valera paid a controversial visit to Hempel, the German minister (ambassador) in Dublin, to express sympathy over the death of the Führer. This action was criticised by some of the victorious allies.
See also
External links
Last updated: 05-07-2005 14:57:50
Last updated: 05-13-2005 07:56:04
