Why Were British Troops Sent To Northern

Ireland In 1969 Essay, Research Paper

The

essay is about the reasons why the government decided to send in the British

troops to Northern Ireland on the 14th August 1969, we look here at

the origins and the history of the conflict.The most obvious reasons we think of are that

riots started to break out and the Northern Ireland police lost control, this

was because from the beginning, Catholics in Northern Ireland were a

disadvantaged minority in matters of employment, housing, education, cultural

and political participation. In 1968 a civil rights movement emerged to protest

against this discrimination, often provoking violent reactions within the

Protestant community. The Catholics were greatly influenced by Dr Martin Luther

King, and the American Civil Rights Movements which were going on at about the

same time.Protestants

also had fears, they would have to share there economy with the rest of Ireland

and the Roman Catholic Church would interfere in the running of the country.

Also they maybe threatened with violence by the IRA to become a part of the

republic of Ireland. If

we delve deeper we come to the partition in 1920, Protestants remained part of

the UK and the Roman Catholics who wanted independence. In Northern Ireland 66%

of the population were Protestant and 34% were Roman Catholics. This partition had its roots in the 17th-century Ulster Plantation, which introduced Protestant settlers from England and

Scotland into an overwhelmingly Roman Catholic country, establishing a

Protestant control over the settlers and the native population in politics and

society.??????????? The

long term causes of the problems between the Catholics and Protestant of

Northern Ireland are rooted in the histories of England and Ireland. Since the

12th century and the invasion of Henry II in Ireland. Where English

settlers were given land that belonged to the conquered Irish. These settles

had more power and privileges then the native Irish. From this time until the

act of union in 1800 England and Ireland were frequently at war with one

another. Further confiscations of land took place by James 1st? in 1601 and then by Oliver Cromwell in

1640?s, making the Irish very angry and anti ? British.The religious

side to conflict started in 1534 when Henry VIII broke away from the Pope and

set up a new church of England, but the Irish wished to remain Roman Catholics

and did not want to be forced to swear loyalty to Henry. He also passed laws

were by every person should use the English tongue and language. Furthermore

houses should be kept ?according to English order condition and manner?. In

1534 he announced that he was also king of Ireland, undoubtedly causing

additional bad feeling towards the English. Still today

people march to celebrate The Orange Order, which came about after James II was

thrown out of England in 1690?s and fled to Ireland where he rose an army to

attack the Protestants in Londonderry, but the new king William of Orange

defeated James at the Battle of the Boyne. The Orange Order marches are a

constant reminder of the division between the Roman Catholics and the British.Another reason

to cause problems in Northern Ireland was the Act of Union, this meant that

Ireland?s parliament was closed and England had control over Irelands law, which

were passed in Westminster in London. For example there were certain

restrictions on the jobs that Roman Catholic could do under English rule.The

great famine of 1846 was to cause even more bitterness, after England failed to

organize sufficient help to the starving. The Irish had had enough after this

period of time two movements emerged one wanted Ireland to become a republic

completely separate from Britain and the other was formed seeking Northern

Ireland being a part of Britain. The Irish had independence from the UK, they

had there own political party and terrorist group and were willing to take

there lives for it. The British government did, after the war give some

independence, but not enough and civil war broke out, ending with a partition.From my

research of the history of Ireland, there seem to be many reasons for the

British troops to be sent in to Northern Ireland in 1969, with the

immediate? causes being riots, where by

there was no control over, but as we have found the trouble had started well

before this time, with the plantations of Protestants, The Battle of the Boyne

and the start of this conflict since 12th century with Henry II

invading Ireland. The hatred between the two neighboring countries was built up

over the centuries into the conflict of the present day. ?