t First World War Created The Opportunity, The Irish Republican Brotherhood Provided The Means' Is This An Adequate Explanation For The Outbreak Of The 1916 Rising?
The first World War created the opportunity, the Irish Republican Brotherhood provided the means' Is this an adequate explanation to an extent as the First World War did provide the right opportunity as the Republican slogan at the time was England's difficulty is Ireland's opportunity'. Yes the IRB did prove the means to an extent, however there are other factors such as Ulster resistance to Home Rule, New Nationalism, The Military Council, Pearse and Connolly and Britain. All these factors played a part in providing the right conditions for the outbreak of the 1916 Rising.
The outbreak of WW1 in 1914 provided the IRB revolutionaries with the opportunity to strike at England during her greatest difficulty in her history. WW1 spilt the Home Rule movement into two different camps, those who supported the war and those who didn't. The war also caused many Home Rulers to question Home Rule, under Home Rule they would still have to fight in a war for Britain, many began to question this as the war went on. The Great War created a political vacuum within Ireland, as the IPP and Redmond had not been seen in public since the Woodenbridge Speech, radical Nationalists such as the IRB used this to their advantage. Thus the IRB were able to increase their influence virtually overnight.
The War Office's bad handling of the Nationalist volunteers and the Governments refusal to form a Home Defence Force for Ireland contributed to the increasing Anti British feeling in Ireland. The Coalition Government formed in 1915 also played a key role, Carson of the Ulster Unionist was a member of the Cabinet, whereas Redmond had turned down the position. It was thus clear to the Irish Nationalists that any cabinet that enlisted Carson within its ranks was unlikely to implement Home Rule. The War also removed the crème de la crème' of Redmond's National Volunteers, as by 1915 it's most enthusiastic and most able-bodied members were in France.
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