Leiden University Student Repository

Stotesbury, India (2020)

Political Violence in Northern Ireland, 1969-1974:The Making of an Enemy

Bachelor thesis | International Studies (BA)

For three decades, loyalist militias, republican paramilitaries and the British Army fought against each other with Northern Ireland as their battlefield, the cities Belfast and Derry in particular. Daily life was often severely interrupted by bombings, shootings, house searches and vehicle checks. Even though a peace agreement was achieved just before the turn of the 21st century, the country continues to experience a clear sectarian divide. Worldwide, many states are faced with similar problems of political or religious divides, often resulting in violence. Solutions to this type of violence are much debated and sought after, meaning that investigations into previous conflicts and how these were handled, or perhaps could have been prevented, are still of great importance, even decades after. Why did the Northern Irish conflict, referred to as ‘the Troubles’, continue to wage on for so long? Why were the combined efforts of the Northern Irish and British governments unable to...Show moreFor three decades, loyalist militias, republican paramilitaries and the British Army fought against each other with Northern Ireland as their battlefield, the cities Belfast and Derry in particular. Daily life was often severely interrupted by bombings, shootings, house searches and vehicle checks. Even though a peace agreement was achieved just before the turn of the 21st century, the country continues to experience a clear sectarian divide. Worldwide, many states are faced with similar problems of political or religious divides, often resulting in violence. Solutions to this type of violence are much debated and sought after, meaning that investigations into previous conflicts and how these were handled, or perhaps could have been prevented, are still of great importance, even decades after. Why did the Northern Irish conflict, referred to as ‘the Troubles’, continue to wage on for so long? Why were the combined efforts of the Northern Irish and British governments unable to control the violence that was taking over their country?Show less

Political violence

Northern Ireland

Repression

Counterinsurgency strategy

Miscalculation

Author

Stotesbury, India

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

Europe

Supervisors

Heyer, Anne

ECTS Credits

15

Language

en