Georgia State University ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University History Theses Department of History Spring 5-8-2011 Tactics, Politics, and Propaganda in the Irish War of Independence, 1917-1921 Mike Rast Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/history_theses Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Rast, Mike, "Tactics, Politics, and Propaganda in the Irish War of Independence, 1917-1921." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2011. https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/history_theses/46 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of History at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in History Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. TACTICS, POLITICS, AND PROPAGANDA IN THE IRISH WAR OF INDEPENDENCE, 1917-1921 by MIKE RAST Under the Direction of Dr. Ian C. Fletcher ABSTRACT This thesis examines the influences on and evolution of the Irish Republican Army‗s guerrilla war strategy between 1917 and 1921. Utilizing newspapers, government documents, and memoirs of participants, this study highlights the role of propaganda and political concerns in waging an insurgency. It argues that while tactical innovation took place in the field, IRA General Headquarters imposed policy and directed the conflict with a concern for the political results of military action. While implementing strategies necessary to effective conflict of the war, this Headquarters staff