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The exact start and end dates of the modern Troubles are difficult to pinpoint, but most people would agree they started with the civil rights demonstartions of 1968-1969 and ended in 1997 with the signing of the Good Friday Agreement (GFA). The original "cause" was really not religion, as is often stated, but rather discrimination and lack of civil rights. In the late 1960's, the Catholic minority in Northern Ireland began protesting for equality in housing, jobs, and voting, all areas in which they had been discriminated against. The predominantly Protestant police and British Army met these protests with brute force, because it was in the interest of the ruling parties to keep Catholics out of power and thereby assure that politicians in the north of Ireland remained in favor of remaining part of the United Kingdom (UK). On Bloody Sunday (January 30, 1972), a civil rights march in Derry, Northern Ireland, resulted in British Soldiers murdering 14 unarmed civil rights demonstrators. As a result of that event and many others, many Catholics began to abandon the peaceful civil rights tactics (which were aimed at winning equal rights within the British province for the Catholic minority) and instead began fighting for the British troops to leave the province altogether and for the north to reunite with the independent Republic of Ireland to the south. This fight for freedom and independence empowered the Irish Republican Army (IRA), which fought for this cause until the GFA was signed in 1997.

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Unionists wanted Northern Ireland to remain as a part of the United Kingdom, and generally saw themselves as British, while nationalists wished for it to be politically reunited with the rest of Ireland, independent of British rule, and generally saw themselves as Irish.

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The cause of the Troubles in the North of Ireland leads back to the 1920s. While Ireland was still one country, under British rule there was something called the 'Government of Ireland Act' in 1920. This partitioned the island into two separate states. The new state consisted of 6 counties in the Protestant dominated north-east of the island. Traditionally Protestant held the political view of Unionism and have a proud culture of 'being British.'

This new state was set up in such a way that it oppressed the Catholic/Nationalist minority, who made up about one third of the population. The Unionist Protestants always had the majority in politics with Nationalists rarely getting any say in matters. This was backed by Britain as it was seen as a secure way of holding onto some part of the island.

Anyway, this oppression was similar to that of the blacks in America. Nationalists had little to no civil rights and were openly discriminated against. As a result this led to the Civil Rights Movement being established in the North. Although making some progress, when marching or doing work out on the ground they were often harassed by the RUC (Northern Irish Police - Royal Ulster Constabulary)

As you can imagine, this led to a very hostile feeling in Nationalist areas. This erupted in 1969 when, in Derry, an Orange Order (A sectarian protestant group) march through the 'Bogside', a Nationalist area, in their annual celebration of the defeat of the Catholic King James in the 1600s. The Unionist marchers ignited the anger of the residents and commenced a riot known as 'The Battle of the Bogside' which lasted 2 days. This riot saw the re-introduction of British troops back onto the streets on Northern Ireland, something that hadn't been seen since the 1920s.

That incident is seen as the beginning of the troubles. The IRA re-emerged to defend the Nationalist community from Unionist abuse. Although, at this stage, quite small and poorly armed, they were not very effective. But did keep many Unionists at bay. From here para-militant groups began campaigns on either side. The Loyalist groups began campaigns against Nationalist civilians. Republicans began campaigns against British troops, RUC and Loyalist para-millilitres.

One thing to keep in mind. There is often a miss-conception that 'The Troubles' was a religious war. This is NOT the case. It was political. Although quite often Unionists/Loyalists were Protestant and Nationalists/Republicans were Catholic they were not exclusively mutual. There was Catholic Unionists and Protestant Nationalists. This was a political war.

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The political causes for the Irish revoltion:

Britain was looking for more land Germany and other European countries did not allow them to take there land without a fight?

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Toby Rogers

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Q: What caused the political turmoil in Northern Ireland?
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