The Irish boundary crisis and the reshaping of British politics, 1920-1925
This thesis investigates the interaction between the evolution of the Irish Question and the re-emergence of Britain's two-party political system after World War I. It challenges the contention summed up in A.J.P. Taylor's suggestion that David Lloyd George 'conjured' the Irish Question out of existence with the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921. Here, it is shown that on the contrary the Irish dispute continued to be a highly sensitive issue for successive British governments until the Treaty's Boundary Commission report was shelved in 1925. This was so because British politics was then undergoing a profound revolution. Its climax was the 1924 general election, which established the Conservatives as the dominant players in British politics, ensured Labour's place as the leading party of the left, and confirmed the eclipse of Liberalism. The first of this study's two aims is to set the Irish dispute within this wider context. Specifically, it examines how the answer to the Irish Question that was devised by Lloyd George and his Coalition partners was constructed and then dismantled as a result of this revolution. The second aim of this thesis is to demonstrate that the Boundary Commission was only one element in
Matthews, Charles Kevin
The Irish boundary crisis and the reshaping of British politics, 1920-1925. This thesis investigates the interaction between the evolution of the Irish Question and the re-emergence of Britain's two-party political system after World War I. It challenges the contention summed up in A.J.P. Taylor's suggestion that David Lloyd George 'conjured' the Irish Question out of existence with the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921. Here, it is shown that on the contrary the Irish dispute continued to be a highly sensitive issue for successive British governments until the Treaty's Boundary Commission report was shelved in 1925. This was so because British politics was then undergoing a profound revolution. Its climax was the 1924 general election, which established the Conservatives as the dominant players in British politics, ensured Labour's place as the leading party of the left, and confirmed the eclipse of Liberalism. The first of this study's two aims is to set the Irish dispute within this wider context. Specifically, it examines how the answer to the Irish Question that was devised by Lloyd George and his Coalition partners was constructed and then dismantled as a result of this revolution. The second aim of this thesis is to demonstrate that the Boundary Commission was only one element in
irish boundary crisis reshape british_politics investigates interaction evolution irish question re_emergence britain party political_system world_war challenge contention sum taylor suggestion george irish question existence anglo irish treaty show contrary irish dispute continue highly sensitive_issue successive british_government treaty boundary commission report british_politics undergo profound revolution climax general_election establish conservatives dominant player british_politics ensure labour place lead party leave confirm eclipse liberalism first study two_aim set irish dispute within_wide context specifically examines answer irish question devise george coalition partner construct revolution second aim boundary commission element