Irish republicanism and the Cold War : Western geo-political state perspectives on crises in Ireland, 1962-1976

Abstract

This is a study of state perceptions of subversion in Ireland before and during the Northern Ireland Troubles. The thesis explores the international dimension to the Troubles in the context of the Cold War and the evolution of a left-wing strand in Irish republicanism which aligned itself with the Soviet Union. As the Irish Republican Army (IRA) leadership attempted to explore political avenues to secure support for its revolutionary agenda, the nature of its strategy was analysed in Belfast, Dublin and London. The thesis mainly draws on archival records to assess the responses of the British, Irish and Northern Ireland governments to a subversive threat in both jurisdictions in Ireland. This study discusses strains that developed in Anglo-Irish relations as the Troubles unfolded from 1968 and the ‘special relationship’ between the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) as it related to British security measures in Northern Ireland. The thesis also raises the question of Soviet interest in Irish affairs, and the Official republican movement’s relationship with the communist bloc, as opportunities arose to take advantage of Britain’s difficulties in the North. The thesis argues that Western security advisers and policymakers were influenced by wider Cold War trends and that less than nuanced thinking in relation to terrorism adversely affected key security decisions in Northern Ireland during the early years of the Troubles.