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One stamp commemorating the Easter Rising issued in 1941. 

There is the General Post Office, occupied by the Irish Volunteers and used as the General Headquarters. 

(Source  : National Library of Ireland on The Commons)

Ireland, which had been dominated by Britain for hundreds of years, pursued autonomy until the early 1900s. But it was not done because of mixed positions in the UK and disagreements. The Irish Home Rule was presented to the British Parliament in 1886 and 1893 but was not passed. Then, in December 1910, the Liberal Party won 272 seats, the Conservative Party 172 seats, and the Irish Nationalist Party 84 seats. This encouraged Irish people who supported autonomy. And finally The Third Home Rule Bill submitted by the Liberal Party in April 1912, passed the Parliament in January 1913. However, Protestants from Scotland and England who lived in Ulster, northern Ireland, opposed the home rule. Then a movement to separate Ulster began centered on E. Carson, the chairman of the Irish Unionist, and Ulster Volunteer Force(UVF) were formed.

The General Post Office Destroyed in Repression of Rising by British Army (Source : National Library of Ireland on The Commons)

The Background and Causes of the Easter Rising: Changes in Britain's Position on Ireland's Self-Government, and Introduction of the Conscription System

The British Liberal Party has decided to use force to address the Ulster issue. And they ordered the British Armed Forces stationed in Curragh, a military hub within Ireland, to move troops to suppress Ulster Volunteer Force. However, some British officers stationed in Curragh rebelled and refused to comply with the order. The bewildered British government has failed to advance issues on the autonomy of Ireland. The rebellion of British Armed Forces was muted. But the incident spread to Ireland the belief that "Using a peaceful way does not authorize autonomy from the rulers of the UK."

In this situation, the Southern Irish organized a volunteer army to confront the Ulster Volunteer Force. In November 1913, about 4,000 applicants flooded on the first day of the recruitment of the volunteer army, and increased to about 200,000 until the outbreak of World War I. The volunteer army was divided into two groups in the wake of the Curragh incident and World War I. One was the National Volunteers, supporters of the Irish Nationalist Party, which sought to secure autonomy by legal means. The other group was Irish Volunteers, who sought to achieve independence by armed struggle. Irish Volunteers were about 13,500 people just before World War I, of which about 2,000 were members of the Dublin Brigade. Patrick H. Pearse, Joseph Plunkett and Thomas MacDonagh led the Easter Rising, criticizing the existing nationalist movement that stayed in the self-government movement. They were the representative of the so-called 'revolutionary generation', and were interested in literature and social issues, and showed various political views.

Among the British colonial policies for Ireland at the time, the policy of conscripting Irish during World War I was the direct background and main cause of Easter Rising. In August 1914, Britain interrupted all discussions on the autonomy of Ireland while participating in World War I, and delayed the implementation of the self-governing bill. Then, political dissatisfaction of those who supported autonomy escalated. And then the Conscription Law, which forces Irish youth to bleed for the benefit of the governing power, was promulgated. The Irish national movement forces united and strongly opposed the UK.

Noted place within the Kilmainham Gaol Museum where the leader of Easter Rising was executed. ⓒDerick Hudson

The Easter Rising of 1916, and the Declaration of Independence

Leaders who led the Irish Volunteers planned an armed struggle from the outbreak of World War I. In 1914, Patrick H. Pearse smuggled 1,000 rifles from the United States, distributed them to Volunteers, and raised their morale. At the time of Easter Rising, he was 37 years old and commanded the battle until the end as commander-in-chief of the Volunteers. He and many other Irishmen gathered in front of the General Post Office in Dublin on April 24, 1916, declaring independence from UK. Pearse, who was also a spokesman of the Provisional Government, read ‘Proclamation of the Irish Republic’ and advocated ‘ethnic resurrection through blood sacrifice’.

“In every generation the Irish people have asserted their right to national freedom and sovereignty; six times during the past three hundred years they have asserted it in arms. Standing on that fundamental right and again asserting it in arms in the face of the world, we hereby proclaim the Irish Republic as a Sovereign Independent State, and we pledge our lives and the lives of our comrades in arms to the cause of its freedom, of its welfare, and of its exaltation among the nations.”

a panoramic view of The GPO Museum, which was established at the General Post Office, the site where Easter Rising occurred

Seven leaders including Pierce, who signed the Proclamation of the Irish Republic, declared "The Republic guarantees religious and civil liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities to all its citizens, and declares its resolve to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation and of all its parts, cherishing all the children of the nation equally."

Thomas MacDonagh, the main leader of Easter Rising, was a teacher and poet, and the training leader of the Irish Volunteers. He led the troops of the Dublin Brigade, and was arrested by British troops after Rising and shot on May 3 with Patrick H. Pearse. And Joseph Plunkett was a poet, writer and editor. He was one of the founders of the Irish Volunteers, visiting the United States and Germany in 1915 to request weapons to be used for Easter Rising. Joseph Plunkett was arrested after Rising and married Grace Gifford in prison on May 3 during his imprisonment at Kilmainham Gaol, but was executed the following day.

pictures of Easter Rising on display at The GPO Museum

The suppression of the British army, and the ethnic resistance of Ireland

At the time of the Easter Rising, more than 2,000 Irishmen made the Central Post Office the General Command. The Irish Volunteers and 1,200 union members have taken over Dublin's main facilities and administrative agencies by surprise. The defensive British army received reinforcements from the mainland. Since then, they have attacked the Irish for six days with 16,000 troops. In the process, more than 500 Irish civilians and uprising troops were killed and more than 2,500 were injured. And the British army also killed 132 people and wounded 397.

In the early days of the Easter Rising, most of the Irish responded with a cold response. At the time, the Irish did not try to fight, and they had no will to confront Britain. But as Britain brutally suppressed the Irish, public opinion in Ireland turned. In addition, the Irish people were greatly indignant when the British sentenced 14 leaders to death and immediately executed at Kilmainham Gaol.

In June 1917, a convention between interested parties on the Irish issue was held. The convention was attended by representatives from each political party and organization, including the British Government, Ulster Unionist Party, the Irish Parliamentary Party, and the Catholic Bishops. The purpose of the convention was to discuss and reach an agreement on the issue of self-government in Ireland. But there was a big disagreement among the attendees about the conscription, which is the key issue. Representatives of the Ulster area argued that participation in the war and conscription were Irish duties, so people should not link them to self-government issues. In response, the Irish Parliamentary Party considered the immediate implementation of Autonomy desirable, but adhered to its opposition to conscription. And the British government said: “The hosting of the convention is like a substantial recognition of Irish autonomy. Irishmen who are granted the same rights as Englishmen must also carry out the duty of conscription.”

The German attack, which began on the Western Front on 21 March 1918, made the UK disadvantageous. Then, the UK passed a bill that stipulated compulsory conscription in Ireland on 16 April. And Ireland united and resisted conscription. On 18 April, the Irish Catholic Bishops adopted a resolution stating: "The conscription is an insult to the clergy and the people of Ireland. We urge them to resist with all possible means." Thereafter, rallies were held across Ireland to oppose conscription. And in the Mass of April 21, the national signing campaign began to pledge to resist conscription. On the same day, the National Irish Convention, held by Labor and the trade unions, issued a resolution stating: "We will go on strike from April 23, and we will launch demonstrations and signature campaigns on the streets." The Irish Police later joined the opposition to the conscription, and the Irish Parliamentary Party members also left London in protest and withdrew to Ireland.

The draft law was not enforced due to the sudden end of World War I and the Irish national resistance. With this situation, the struggle was emphasized in Ireland rather than dialogue and cooperation, and the voice calling for complete independence rather than autonomy grew. Easter Rising did not achieve military purposes. But it was rated as a political success.

Eamon de Valera speaking to the crowd(In the middle of the picture)

(Source : National Library of Ireland on The Commons)

The Birth of the Republic of Ireland and the Irish Armed Independence Struggle

After the Easter Uprising, Sinn Féin succeeded the Irish Parliamentary Party and emerged as a political advocate for the Irish National Movement. Sinn Féin is a small group founded by journalist Arthur Griffith in 1905. They have opposed the Irish Parliamentary Party's line and argued for independence. Eamon De Valera, the only commander who survived the Easter Rising, became Chairman of Sinn Féin. He succeeded the independent republic and the ideal of Easter Rising, 'opposition to conscription'. They were invited to the convention but refused any meetings with the UK, claiming unconditional independence of Ireland.

On October 26, 1918, Sinn Féin announced the Charter of the Republic of Ireland, which stipulated independence. And they declared that they would oust Britain from Ireland by all means. They also won 73 seats in the parliamentary election on December of the same year, politically representing the Irish national movement. Shortly after the parliamentary election they did not join the British Parliament, but independently formed the Irish Parliament and declared the Republic of 32 states except for Ulster. In April 1919 Eamon De Valera was elected president, and the cabinet was completed. And Irish Volunteers, re-established under the leadership of Michael Collins, became the Ireland Republic Army(IRA) with the establishment of government.

Easter Rising was not successful. But it was the full-fledged start of the Irish armed independence struggle. On January 21, 1919, the Revolutionary War began against Britain, which did not recognize the Republic of Ireland. In March 1919, Britain recognized the autonomy of Ireland, but Ireland pursued a complete independent republic. Since then, the IRA has continued its struggle for two years. The British granted Dominion to Ireland in 1921 and proposed negotiations. This allowed Ireland to escape longstanding British domination and bridle.