Changing Republican strategy

Changing Republican Strategy

Beginning Years

  • The initial strategy of the Official IRA and Provisional IRA (formed in December 1969) was armed resistance against the British Army in Northern Ireland.
  • This was carried out through attacks on military targets and retaliatory attacks against Loyalist paramilitary groups.
  • The goal was to provoke a response that would galvanise the Catholic community into joining a broader insurrection.

Developments

  • From 1972, the Provisional IRA began a bombing campaign against economic targets in Northern Ireland like businesses, infrastructure, and public utilities.
  • They had hopes of disrupting normal life thereby curbing economic growth and demoralising the Protestant community.
  • The horrific thought was that this would put pressure on the British government to withdraw from Northern Ireland.

Policy Reassessment and Long War Strategy

  • After a failed truce with the UK government in 1975, the Provisionals began to realise the improbability of obtaining a military victory and ousting the British army by force alone.
  • This led to a policy reassessment and the adoption of the “Long War” strategy.
  • Here, the Provisional IRA chose to carry out a sustained low-intensity campaign of violence that would ensure their survival while maintaining constant pressure on the UK.

Towards Political Engagement

  • By the 1980s, the more politically-minded members of the Provisional Sinn Féin (the political wing of the Provos) began to advocate for a “ballot box and armalite” strategy - combining electoral politics with continued armed struggle.
  • The 1981 Hunger Strike, where ten Republican prisoners died, was a turning point for the Republican movement as it generated significant local and international sympathy.
  • The election of prisoners like Bobby Sands to the British Parliament indicated the potential for political success.
  • Over the following years, Sinn Féin became more involved in electoral politics, which, along with community activism, was meant to build further support and legitimacy.

End of Armed Struggle

  • By the 1990s, the Provisional IRA began secret talks with the UK government.
  • The Real IRA split away from the Provisionals in 1997 in opposition to the increasing willingness to negotiate peace but failed to achieve the same level of influence or military success.
  • The Provisional IRA eventually announced a ceasefire in 1994, marking the end of their armed struggle and transition towards focusing on political methods.

Studying the republican strategy, we can see the evolution from strict armed resistance to a more nuanced approach combining violence with political activism, community development and eventually peace negotiation.