How Did The Great War Contribute To The Irish Rebellion

The Great War: An Opportunity for Irish Insurgence
The pursuit of sovereignty and self-governance is a commonality between all rebellions. However, the intricacies of each insurrection are entirely unique and their outcomes are unprecedented. Although it is impossible for historians to ascertain which specific elements are contribute to a successful rebellion, analyzing the contributing factors is important in understanding independence. In the 1916 Irish Rebellion, the Great War had a significant influence on public opinion, rebel military plans and the British response which greatly impacted the outcome of the rebellion. An integral aspect of any revolution is public opinion because support is needed to fuel a movement. Initially, due
Since Britain was heavily involved in the Great War, they were very preoccupied and their forces were stretched. England’s greatest concerns lied on the Western Front and any Irish Rebellion was not perceived as a threat. A Fenian dictum states “England’s difficulty is Ireland’s opportunity”, which became the motto of the rebels as they took advantage of Britain’s occupation and launched their insurgency. This proved effective as Britain was surprised, as they did not expect the rebels were going to strike so soon. Moreover, as the scale of the war increased, the threat of conscription began to loom over the Irish people. The increased likelihood of conscription helped the rebels gain numbers as those that feared the war or simply did not support it, sought membership of the Irish Volunteers as they were an anti-war organization. As the British responded to the demands of the war, they effectively increased the members of nationalist organizations, that would play a role in the outcome of the rebellion. Another aspect of wartime that impacted the rebellion was Britain's wartime regulations and altered worldview. During WWI, lives were seen as cheap, and death had become copious and inevitable. Typically, any soldiers who deserted from the army were sentenced to execution by a firing squad. When the rebel leaders were captured and faced trial, the Britains were influenced by the Great War and decided to treat them as deserting soldiers, as they were effectively traitors in a similar way. They executed Padraic H. Pearse, Tom Clarke and Thomas MacDonagh all of whom were admired members of the community and integral aspects of the rebel movement. Pearse viewed execution as a powerful tool that could be wielded against Britain and acknowledged that “liberty is too dearly purchased at the price of a single drop of blood”. After 15 harsh and