Irish War of Independence

From 1919 to 1921 the Irish Republican Army fought a guerrilla war against British rule that led to the creation of the Irish Free State.

Overview

After winning most Irish seats in 1918, Sinn Fein members formed their own parliament, Dail Eireann, which declared independence in January 1919. The Irish Republican Army under leaders such as Michael Collins waged a guerrilla campaign of ambushes and intelligence operations against the police and army. Britain responded with auxiliary forces such as the Black and Tans, whose reprisals included the burning of Cork. A truce in July 1921 led to the Anglo-Irish Treaty, which created the Irish Free State as a dominion while Northern Ireland remained in the United Kingdom. Division over the treaty led to the Irish Civil War of 1922 and 1923.