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The Causes Of The Easter Rising Of 1916

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A variety of causes, both short-term and long-term, led to the Easter Rising of 1916. One single reason cannot be attributed to the armed insurrection. Instead, the combination of many factors led to the Irish Republican Brotherhood’s (IRB) decision to organize the event. In addition to reacting to the indignation felt by Irish republicans since the passing of the Acts of Union in 1800, the IRB also decided that the distraction caused by World War 1 created the ideal time to stage a revolution. The purpose of this essay is to evaluate the different influences of the Easter Rising. At the time of the Easter Rising, the IRB existed as one of the few remaining descendants of the 1850s Fenian movement. IRB focused primarily on winning …show more content…

The Home Rule movement wanted to pass an act that would give Ireland more power in its government. If the measure passed, a domestic Parliament for Ireland would be created, while Westminster in London would continue to control Imperial issues. The first two bills introduced, in 1886 and 1893, respectively were rejected by the House of Lords. However, after the Parliament Act of 1911 reduced the powers of the upper house by giving them the right to only delay acts rather than reject them, the third Home Rule act, introduced in 1912, was successful. With the start of the war, many Home Rule supporters believed that any further discussion should wait until after it finished, so the issue was put on hold (Home Rule).
Home Rule did not receive universal support in Ireland, not even from all nationalists. Certain situations would occur that would damage the movement’s appeal. The fall of Charles Parnell acts as one such example. In 1882, Parnell, a major champion of Home Rule, became one of the top leaders of the Irish nationalists. Additionally, he acted as the face of the Home Rule movement. In 1889, he encountered a serious threat to his career when Captain O’Shea named him in his divorce proceedings. O’Shea accused Parnell of having an affair with his wife, Katherine. A well-founded allegation as Parnell and Katherine had been in a relationship for 10

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