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OverviewCovering the period from the Armistice to 1939, the book examines the experiences of Irish soldiers who had fought in the British army in the First World War on returning home to what became the Irish Free State. At the onset of the War, southern Irishmen volunteered in large numbers and marched off accompanied by cheering crowds and the promise of a hero’s welcome home. In 1916, while its soldiers fought in the British army, Ireland witnessed an insurrection against British rule, the Easter Rising. Ireland’s soldiers returned to a much-changed country, which no longer recognised their motives for fighting and which was at war with the country in whose army they had served. It has long been believed that the returning soldiers were subject to intimidation by the IRA, some killed as a retrospective punishment for their service with the imperial power, and that they formed a marginalised group in Irish society. Using new sources, this enlightening book argues otherwise and examines their successful integration into Irish society in the interwar years and the generous support given to them by the British Government. Far from being British loyalists, many served in the IRA and the Free State army, and became republican supporters. Full Product DetailsAuthor: Paul TaylorPublisher: Liverpool University Press Imprint: Liverpool University Press Volume: 5 Dimensions: Width: 16.30cm , Height: 1.80cm , Length: 23.90cm Weight: 1.111kg ISBN: 9781781383384ISBN 10: 1781383383 Pages: 304 Publication Date: 30 September 2016 Audience: Professional and scholarly , Professional & Vocational Format: Paperback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: Manufactured on demand  We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier. Table of ContentsBiographical Notes Glossary/Terms Abbreviations INTRODUCTION Ex-Servicemen and their place in Irish History Irish Soldiers: Who were they? PART I TIME OF CONFLICT: 1919 - 1923 1. Violence and Intimidation Records of the Perpetrators Records of the Victims 2. Were Ex-Servicemen Targeted? Patterns of Violence Loyalists and Republicans The Case against Ex-Servicemen being Targeted PART ll BRITAIN: LEGACY OF OBLIGATION 1919 – 1939 3. An Imperial Obligation Employment - The Able Bodied Employment - The Disabled Employment - Transitional Arrangements and Post 1922 Pensions and Health - The Physically Disabled Pensions and Health - The Mentally Disabled Pensions and Health – Ex-Servicemen in the Free State Army Claims and Compensation Emigration Allocation of Land 4. Homes for Heroes Rental Policy and Rent Strikes Supreme Court Rulings and the Struggle to Reassert Authority Treatment of Widows and the Disabled Begrudging Gratitude PART III Ireland: State and Community: 1922 -1939 5. Equal Citizens of the State Attitude of the Government – Relationship with the Trust Attitude of the Government – Reaction to Grievances Attitude of the Government - The Political Context Government and Employment Ex-Servicemen in Politics The Courts and Judiciary The Armed Forces Commemoration and Remembrance 6. Integration into the Community Employment and Housing Discrimination Support and Integration Ex-Servicemen’s Associations Newspapers CONCLUSION Heroes or Traitors? Appendix: Sources Bibliography IndexReviewsA very timely subject for study based on extremely impressive archival research. Paul Taylor's Heroes or Traitors? is an incredibly important book. In the scale of his research he has gone very far beyond the scope and depth of previous studies to produce a volume which will change our view of how First World War veterans fared in the south of Ireland. Taylor's most important conclusion comes from his focus on practical support given to veterans. He persuasively demonstrates that the Irish Free State government gave more assistance to its veterans than was enjoyed by those in Britain. This alone represents a highly significant revision to the dominant view of veterans finding the south a cold house. Beyond this he engages in the debate on targeting of veterans by the IRA. In so doing, he makes a combative and solid case for past views being simplistic. He shows that where victims of intimidation were ex-servicemen, there was often another reason they attracted IRA attention, such as suspicions that they were police informers. Meanwhile, veterans plate an important role in the new state as part of the National Army. Overall, it is easy to take a view that because commemoration steadily became of little interest to citizens of the Irish Republic, that it was ever thus and that veterans were treated with hostility and scorn. Overall, Taylor shows that where this did happen, the reasons were far more nuanced than has been understood, and at the same time shows that veterans' practical experience were better than many believe. Heroes or Traitors? deserves to be a central text for many years to come for all with an interest in Ireland's Great War and its aftermath. Paul Taylor's Heroes or Traitors? is an incredibly important book. In the scale of his research he has gone very far beyond the scope and depth of previous studies to produce a volume which will change our view of how First World War veterans fared in the south of Ireland. Taylor's most important conclusion comes from his focus on practical support given to veterans. He persuasively demonstrates that the Irish Free State government gave more assistance to its veterans than was enjoyed by those in Britain. This alone represents a highly significant revision to the dominant view of veterans finding the south a cold house. Beyond this he engages in the debate on targeting of veterans by the IRA. In so doing, he makes a combative and solid case for past views being simplistic. He shows that where victims of intimidation were ex-servicemen, there was often another reason they attracted IRA attention, such as suspicions that they were police informers. Meanwhile, veterans plate an important role in the new state as part of the National Army. Overall, it is easy to take a view that because commemoration steadily became of little interest to citizens of the Irish Republic, that it was ever thus and that veterans were treated with hostility and scorn. Overall, Taylor shows that where this did happen, the reasons were far more nuanced than has been understood, and at the same time shows that veterans' practical experience were better than many believe. Heroes or Traitors? deserves to be a central text for many years to come for all with an interest in Ireland's Great War and its aftermath. Paul Taylor's Heroes or Traitors? is an incredibly important book. In the scale of his research he has gone very far beyond the scope and depth of previous studies to produce a volume which will change our view of how First World War veterans fared in the south of Ireland. Paul Taylor's Heroes or Traitors? is an incredibly important book. In the scale of his research he has gone very far beyond the scope and depth of previous studies to produce a volume which will change our view of how First World War veterans fared in the south of Ireland. Author InformationPaul Taylor received his doctorate from the University of Oxford, and an MA with distinction from University College London. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |
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