Categorizing Political Violence: The Irish War of Independence

Matt Merrell

Political Science 150

11/6/12

Blog 8: Categorizing Political Violence

                In political science, there is always an ongoing search to create more accurate terms or definitions of political concepts. The category of political violence is no exception. There are several definitions of different types of political violence, such as civil war, revolution, terrorism, and genocide, as defined by David J. Samuels in his textbook “Comparative Politics.” He provides a definition for each of the listed terms above. With the debate of what definition most accurately defines these terms, the question arises: do these definitions work? The answer is yes. We will example a case study from the United Kingdom to prove that these definitions are sound in providing accurate descriptions of given instances of political violence.

In the years 1916-1921, an uprising began in Ireland against the British in hopes to obtain independence from the British Kingdom. The struggle was later known as the Irish War of Independence. Ireland had been pushing for independence for years, and formed a military organization known as the Irish Volunteers.

 Conflict began in April of 1916, known as the Easter Rebellion, when the Irish Volunteers seized control of the city of Dublin. They were fought off and captured in a counteroffensive by the British, and the Irish leaders were executed in an attempt to suppress the rebellion (http://www.bbc.co.uk). However, this only added fuel to the flame, and more opposition was formed. After years of guerrilla warfare by the Irish, the British declared a ceasefire, and with time, a treaty was made and independence was granted to Ireland, although conflict between Ireland and Northern Ireland, still considered part of the UK, would continue for many more years (http://www.bbc.co.uk).

How do we classify this political conflict? As defined by Samuels in “Comparative Politics,” this instance of political violence would be categorized as a “civil war.” He defines civil war as “armed combat within the boundaries of a sovereign state between parties that are subject to common authority at the start of hostilities” (Samuels, 259). This definition is a sound description of the Irish War of Independence. Ireland was under British political control at the start of conflict and fought to gain its freedom. Some may argue that this war was an example of a revolution, but Samuels makes a good distinction between civil war and revolution, stating that a revolution involves “insurgents bring[ing] about wholesale political change” (269). Although Ireland gained its independence, it never completely took over the British government. The UK remained intact after the secession of Ireland. Therefore, Ireland can only be categorized as a civil war.

Although the definition of civil war serves well, it may be a good addition to include that a civil war may or may not involve public support of the insurgency. Revolutions always hold some form of public support, but in a civil war, it is not completely necessary that the insurgents have the backing of a portion of the nations’ citizens.

Works Cited

BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 09 Nov. 2012. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/easterrising/insurrection/in03.shtml>.

BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 09 Nov. 2012. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/recent/troubles/overview_ni_article_06.shtml>.

Samuels, David J. "Political Violence." Comparative Politics. Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2013. 259-69. Print.