The Irish rebelled against the British, but then, they'd tried the same thing in 1867. And 1848. And 1798. Every time, different tactics were tried, and every time, the Irish rebels sought outside help.
Foreign nations stood by and watched, not willing to get involved.
While some wonder what the patriots of the past might think about Ireland's present day problems, some of us wonder what might have happened in the past if present actions were applied.
What if France or Germany or the United States had intervened in 1916?
What if there had been an international outcry over the harsh treatment of Irish Catholics at British hands, similar to the outcry over the repression of the Libyan regime?
Irish-Americans were lobbying their elected representatives prior to 1916, hoping to force regime change through political pressure, but there was no will to call the mighty British Empire to task. Alas, Ireland was impoverished by centuries of pillage, and the Corrib gas fields were unknown.
How different things would be if foreign nations had eyeballed all that fossil fuel, trading assistance for deep discounts and guaranteed supplies.
The French went to America's aid at the behest of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, but it wasn't out of Christian charity. There was much to be gained by an alliance that was supposed to enrich France and impoverish England. America had vast resources. Ireland in 1916 had the worst tenements in Europe.
What might have become of Ireland if American aid arrived in 1916? That's a matter for authors of alternative fiction to ponder and imagine.
No comments:
Post a Comment