ver fully gained all of their natural rights.Death and destruction came upon Ireland in 1916. The Irish Republican Brotherhood headed by Patrick Pearse took up leadership. Pearse led Irish Volunteers, took over several buildings and Offices, and declared it the formation of an Irish republic. Battles were fought as if the Brotherhood was fighting a conventional war. The British army defeated the Irish Republican forces within a week. Subsequent to their defeat, fifteen leaders were executed by a firing squad. The British delivered 75 death penalties. This did not have the effect the British government had hoped. The people were furious. The next conflict that would arise, the Irish vowed they would pay no attention to rules of war.When 1918 hit, the Catholics had little patience. They longed for their own ruling body. In a bold move mixing religious convictions with politics, the Irish people elected the Sinn Fein in to power; the political side of the IRA. This would lead to a war of Independence led by the IRA that lasted from 1919 to 1921. In 1920 the division of Northern Ireland was completed when the British government passed the Government of Ireland Act. The Act separated Ireland into two sovereign states. The six northern counties, mostly Protestant, became Northern Ireland. The southern twenty-six counties were mostly Catholic. With these political developments, a law was also passed stating the southern counties were free and independent. Despite these gains, the Catholics were not satisfied. A split in the IRA shortly followed the Government of Northern Ireland Act. Separate factions disputed whether the free Irish state should include the northern Protestant counties. Demonstrations, rebellions, various acts, and violence ensued. Small civil wars were fought and the IRA clashed heads with many political leaders. In this time the Protestants gained complete control over the police forces. A massive br...
