Historical Crisis: Easter Rising of 1916 Chairs: Abby Nicholson ’19 and Lex Keegan Jiganti ’19 Rapporteur: Samantha Davidson ’19 CAMUN 2018: Easter Rising of 1916 Page 1 of 6 Dear Delegates, Welcome to CAMUN 2018! Our names are Abby Nicholson and Lex Keegan Jiganti and we are very excited to be chairing this committee. We are both juniors at Concord Academy and have done Model UN since our freshman year. After much debate over which topic we should discuss, we decided to run a historical crisis committee based on the Easter Rising of 1916. While not a commonly known historical event, the Easter Rising of 1916 was a significant turning point in the relations between Ireland and Great Britain. With recent issues such as Brexit and the Scottish Referendum, it is more crucial than ever to examine the effects of British imperialism and we hope that this committee will offer a lens with which to do so. The committee will start on September 5th, 1914, as this was when the Irish Republican Brotherhood first met to discuss planning an uprising before the war ended. While the outcome of the Rising is detailed in this background guide, we are intentionally beginning debate two years prior in order to encourage more creative and effective plans and solutions than what the rebels actually accomplished. This is a crisis committee, meaning that delegates will be working to pass directives and working with spontaneous events as they unfold as opposed to simply writing resolutions. We hope this background guide provides an adequate summary of the event, but we encourage further research on both the topic and each delegate’s assigned person. When researching, it is important to note that some of the positions in this committee have both Irish and English names, but for simplicity's sake we will be using the English pronunciations and spellings. Please feel free to email us with any questions you have regarding this topic or the conference in general at ​[email protected]​ and ​[email protected]​. Position papers are required for this particular committee and should be submitted to the chairs by the opening of debate.​ We look forward to seeing you at CAMUN 2018! Best, Abby Nicholson ’19 and Lex Keegan Jiganti ’19, co-chairs CAMUN 2018: Easter Rising of 1916 Page 2 of 6 Overview The histories of England and Ireland have been intertwined since the Middle Ages, the two places formally coming under the same govern in 1801 with the formation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. 100 years later, The Easter Rising of 1916 was a rebellion that sought to overthrow British rule of Ireland and set up an Irish republic. In the midst of the chaos of World War I, a number of Irish people organized in secret to fight for what they believed was their right to sovereignty. The major groups involved were the Irish Republican Brotherhood, the Irish Volunteers, and the Irish Citizen Army. After months of careful planning as well as support from Germany, the revolt culminated in the occupation of the Dublin Post Office in which there was a reading of a proclamation declaring the establishment of a republic. This event lead to six days of armed struggle between the Irish rebels and British military forces in which approximately 450 people were killed and over 2,500 were injured.1 Ultimately, the rebellion did not achieve its goal of establishing an Irish republic and resulted in the execution of 15 of its leaders and the arrest of over 3,000 people, many of whom were innocent. However, it did awaken a transformative national consciousness of the Irish in their desire for sovereignty and separation from British rule, laying the groundwork for the eventual civil war that would split the Irish people in two.2 Central Groups Involved The Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) was a “small, secret, revolutionary body” formed in 1858 to work towards the establishment of an Irish Republic. The IRB was the main group that planned and oversaw the strategic elements of the rebellion, with prominent members including: Denis McCullough, Joseph Plunkett, Thomas MacDonagh, Patrick Pearse, ​Sean MacDermott, Eamonn Ceannt, Tom Clarke, and John Devoy.3 The Irish Volunteers (or Irish Volunteer Force, IVF) was a military organization established in 1913 by Irish nationalists with the intention “​to secure and maintain the rights and liberties common to the whole people of Ireland.” The original plan of the Irish Volunteers during the rising was to disarm and arrest the British authorities at Dublin Castle and introduce the idea of Irish independence. However, the IRB wanted to use the Irish Volunteers as an offensive military force against the British. When Eoin MacNeill, head of the organization, discovered the IRB’s plans, he confronted Pearse and sent out orders to his members prohibiting fighting. However, he was only able to put off the Rising for a day and ultimately the Irish Volunteers took part. Other members of the group included Roger Casement and Bulmer Hobson.4 1 http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/britain_wwone/easter_rising_01.shtml ​ 2 http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-35873316 ​ 3 http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/easterrising/profiles/po17.shtml ​ 4 http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/easterrising/profiles/po16.shtml ​ CAMUN 2018: Easter Rising of 1916 Page 3 of 6 The Irish Citizen Army (ICA), founded in 1913 by James Connolly, Jack White, and James Larkin, was a small group of trained trade union volunteers that sought to defend workers' demonstrations from the police. With only about 220 members participating in the Easter Rising, the group had a relatively small presence. However, the group was much more unified than the other organizations, and were admired for their professionalism and skill. Additionally, it was James Connolly who was in charge of the forces in Dublin and eventually gave the orders to surrender. Other members included Kit Poole and Michael Mallin.5 The Cumman na mBan (“The Irishwomen’s Council”) was formed in 1914 to be a female-driven complement to the Irish Volunteers. The IRB decided to incorporate them into the uprising alongside the ICA and the Irish Volunteers. While some of the women, such as Constance Markievicz, were allowed to fight on the front lines, most of the members supported the efforts by providing Red Cross aid, gathering supplies, and being messengers. Other important members of the group included Winifred Carney and Elizabeth O’Farrell. 6 Committee Members ● Tom Clarke ○ Mastermind of the operation ○ Lifetime member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood ○ Fought Against the demands of the Irish Volunteers who saw this as a form of treason ○ Has a wide range of contacts in the IRB and can control their field operations ● Seán MacDermott​ (Seán Mac Diarmada) ○ Member of the IRB military council ○ Important member of Sinn Fein ○ Publisher of a newspaper ● ​Patrick Pearse ○ Important leader of the IRB ○ On the governing council as well as the military council ● ​Thomas MacDonagh ○ Leader of a brigade of Irish Volunteers ○ Key to the fighting in Dublin ○ Very charismatic, was able to convince people to join the cause ● Éamonn Ceannt ○ Member of the IRB ○ Director of Communications ○ Member of seven-man military council ● Eoin MacNeill ○ Founder of the Irish Volunteers ○ Served as the Chief of Staff of the Irish Volunteers 5 http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/easterrising/profiles/po14.shtml ​ 6 http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/easterrising/profiles/po13.shtml ​ CAMUN 2018: Easter Rising of 1916 Page 4 of 6 ○ Key to arming the Irish Volunteers ● Denis McCullough ○ Former President of the IRB ○ Ties to the Irish Volunteers ○ Ties to militants in Belfast ● Bulmer Hobson ○ Leader of Fianna Éirean ○ Leader in the IRB ○ Opposed the revolt and tried to stop it ● ​Roger Casement ○ Accomplished activist ○ British Servant ○ Ties to activists in Britain ○ Attempted to get aid from the Germans ○ Was able to gain funding for the revolt ● John Devoy ○ Ties to the Stateside Irish group Clan Na Gael ○ Connections to the Germans ○ Well respected leader in exile ○ Owner and publisher of the Gaelic American, an important Irish-American newspaper ● James Connolly ○ Leader of the ICA ○ Important member of the Irish Volunteers ○ Unpredictable in allegiance ○ Very focused on the Marxist aspect of the revolt ● Michael Mallin ○ Second in command of the ICA ○ Served as Chief of Staff of the ICA ○ Has military experience - served 14 years in the army ● Kit Poole ○ ICA commander ○ Serves directly under Michael Malin ○ Member of the ICA’s provisional Council ● ​Joseph Plunkett ○ Leader of the IRB ○ Comes from a wealthy family, still has ties to money ○ Worked to bring Irish prisoners of war to fight in the rebellion ● Elizabeth O'Farrell ○ Cumman na mBan ○ Served as a computer during the revolt, sending vital dispatches ○ Lead the nurses and medical care during the revolt ● Constance Markievicz ○ Cumann na mBan and ICA ○ Founder of Fianna Éireann ○ Leader of Cumann na mBan CAMUN 2018: Easter Rising of 1916 Page 5 of 6 ● Winifred Carney ○ Only woman present at initial occupation of post office ○ Leader of the women's textile union in Belfast ○ Secretary to James Connolly Questions To Consider 1. What role should you play in the Easter Rising? 2. What organizations and people will you align yourself with? 3. Which of your actions were most successful? Which were unsuccessful? 4. Is armed action a more successful tactic than peaceful protest? 5. How could the uprising have been planned more effectively? 6. How do women factor into the fight for independence? 7. What is the best way to fight for independence? At what cost? 8.