Border campaign (Irish Republican Army)

Quick Facts: Who was Border campaign (Irish Republican Army)?

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Border campaign (Irish Republican Army)

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Guerrilla warfare campaign by the IRA against Northern Ireland (1956-1962).

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The border campaign (12 December 1956 – 26 February 1962) was a guerrilla warfare campaign (codenamed Operation Harvest) carried out by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) against targets in Northern Ireland, with the aim of overthrowing British rule there and creating a united Ireland. It was also referred to as the "resistance campaign" by some Irish republican activists. The campaign was a military failure, but some of its members felt it was justified, as it kept the IRA engaged for another generation. The border campaign was the first major military undertaking carried out by the IRA since the 1940s, when the harsh security measures of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland governments had severely weakened it. In 1939-40 the IRA carried out a sabotage/bombing campaign in England (the S-Plan) to try to force British withdrawal from Northern Ireland.

Career & Major Achievements

The final figures resulting from the S-Plan are cited as 300 explosions, ten deaths and 96 injuries. From 1942 to 1944 it also mounted an ineffective campaign in Northern Ireland. Internment on both sides of the border, as well as internal feuding and disputes over future policy, all but destroyed the organisation. These campaigns were officially called off on 10 March 1945. By 1947, the IRA had only 200 activists, according to its own general staff.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

In principle, the IRA wished to overthrow both "partitionist" states in Ireland, both Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State, both of which it deemed to be illegitimate entities imposed by Britain at the time of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1922. However, in 1948 a General Army Convention issued General Order No. 8, prohibiting "any armed action whatsoever" against the forces of the recently proclaimed Republic of Ireland, amounting to a de facto recognition of the state. Under the new policy, IRA volunteers who were caught with arms in the Republic of Ireland were ordered to dump or destroy them and not to take defensive action. From then on, armed action was focused on Northern Ireland, which was still part of the United Kingdom and which was dominated by Protestant unionists. The idea of a campaign launched from the Republic against Northern Ireland, first mooted by Tom Barry in the 1930s, gained currency within IRA circles as the 1950s went on.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1922: 1922 Milestone — In principle, the IRA wished to overthrow both "partitionist" states in Ireland, both Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State, both of which it deemed to be illegitimate entities imposed by Britain at the time of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1922.
2. 1939: 1939 Milestone — In 1939-40 the IRA carried out a sabotage/bombing campaign in England (the S-Plan) to try to force British withdrawal from Northern Ireland.
3. 1942: 1942 Milestone — From 1942 to 1944 it also mounted an ineffective campaign in Northern Ireland.
4. 1945: 1945 Milestone — These campaigns were officially called off on 10 March 1945.
5. 1947: 1947 Milestone — By 1947, the IRA had only 200 activists, according to its own general staff.
6. 1948: 1948 Milestone — However, in 1948 a General Army Convention issued General Order No.
7. 1956: 1956 Milestone — The border campaign (12 December 1956 – 26 February 1962) was a guerrilla warfare campaign (codenamed Operation Harvest) carried out by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) against targets in Northern Ireland, with the aim of overthrowing British rule there and creating a united Ireland.

Notable Quotes by Border campaign (Irish Republican Army)

“Our method of doing this is guerrilla warfare within the occupied area and propaganda directed at its inhabitants.” (1957)

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Border campaign (Irish Republican Army)

True or False: “The IRA's initial goal for the border campaign was solely to defend the Republic of Ireland from British forces.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While defense was a factor, the primary aim was the overthrow of British rule in Northern Ireland and the creation of a united Ireland.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• A. A. Milne — Historical peer (Died in 1956) (1956): Celebrated English author, famed for Winnie-the-Pooh and children's literature.
• Aileen Wuornos — Historical peer (Born in 1956) (1956): American serial killer known for murdering seven male clients in Florida.
• A. K. Fazlul Huq — Historical peer (Died in 1962) (1962): Pakistani statesman and jurist, known as Sher-e-Bangla, a founding father of Pakistan.
• Abdullah II of Jordan — Historical peer (Born in 1962) (1962): King of Jordan, a Hashemite monarch who assumed the throne in 1999.
• Ada Yonath — Historical peer (Born in 1939) (1939): Pioneering crystallographer known for elucidating the structure and function of the ribosome.
• Alan Ayckbourn — Historical peer (Born in 1939) (1939): Prolific British playwright and director known for domestic farce and ensemble pieces.
• Abdulsalami Abubakar — Historical peer (Born in 1942) (1942): Retired Nigerian Army General who oversaw the transition to democracy in 1999.
• Alexander Belyaev — Historical peer (Died in 1942) (1942): Pioneering Soviet science fiction writer, known as 'Russia's Jules Verne'
• Abdülmecid II — Historical peer (Died in 1944) (1944): Last Ottoman Caliph and prominent Turkish aesthete, head of the Osmanoğlu family.
• Agustín Barrios — Historical peer (Died in 1944) (1944): Paraguayan virtuoso classical guitarist and composer, celebrated for his prolific works.

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