Britain's Long War British Strategy in the Northern Ireland Conflict 1969-98

by Neumann, Peter R.

• ISBN13: 9781403917799
• ISBN10: 1403917795
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-03-04
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Summary

Britain's Long War assesses the process of strategic change within the British Government's position on Northern Ireland, starting with Westminster's first intervention in 1969 and ending with the Belfast Agreement in 1998. Drawing on a vast range of primary sources including recently released cabinet papers, Peter Neumann analyzes the aims, strategy and restraints of British policy in Northern Ireland.

Author Biography

Peter R. Newmann is a Research Fellow in International Conflict, Kingston University.

Table of Contents

List of figures and tables	vii
Foreword	viii
Acknowledgements	x
Abbreviations	xi
1 Introduction	1	(16)
Strategic theory	3	(5)
Historical background	8	(9)
2 The Strategic Tradition of the British Government in Northern Ireland	17	(26)
The constitutional instrument: Ireland as a place apart	17	(7)
The military instrument: minimum force versus internal conflict	24	(6)
The political Instrument: British political culture In a divided society	30	(5)
The economic instrument: peace through prosperity	35	(3)
Conclusion	38	(5)
The Evolution of British Government Strategy in Northern Ireland
3 Avoiding Responsibility? London on the Defensive, 1969-72	43	(27)
The border Is not an issue? The emergence of an Irish dimension	43	(8)
A swift exit? From peace-keeping to counterinsurgency	51	(7)
Too little, too late? Abandoning the Stormont system	58	(7)
Prosperity for everyone? Outspending the conflict	65	(2)
Conclusion	67	(3)
4 No Quick Fix: Execution and Failure of British Strategy, 1972-75	70	(29)
Back to square one - from Sunningdale to Direct Rule	70	(7)
Buying time - military objectives and political aims	77	(8)
Struggling for stability - power-sharing and constitutional turmoil	85	(7)
The end of prosperity - 'Tory socialism' and cautious reforms	92	(4)
Conclusion	96	(3)
5 Going it Alone? Direct Rule under Pressure, 1976-82	99	(24)
Exposed? The Fragility of Direct Rule	99	(6)
'Beating the terrorists?' The contradictions of Normalisation	105	(6)
Honest broker? The impossibility of an internal settlement	111	(6)
'Bread and circuses'? The limits of economic development	117	(4)
Conclusion	121	(2)
6 Sharing the Burden: the Refinement of British Strategy, 1982-88	123	(25)
Consensus - the re-emergence of the Irish dimension	123	(6)
Holding the ring - the limits of counterinsurgency	129	(6)
Exclusion - the ambiguities of marginalisation	135	(6)
New deal - the advent of fair employment	141	(4)
Conclusion	145	(3)
7 The War is Over? Success and Failure of British Strategy, 1989-98	148	(31)
Agreeing the Irish dimension? The limits of constitutional change	148	(6)
Bargaining for peace? The response to the Republican stalemate	154	(8)
Reaching agreement? The making of an inclusive settlement	162	(12)
Peace through prosperity? The creation of the 'peace dividend'	174	(2)
Conclusion	176	(3)
8 Conclusion	179	(10)
Appendices	189	(4)
Notes	193	(25)
Select Bibliography	218	(7)
Index	225