Northern Campaign (Irish Republican Army)

Quick Facts: Who was Northern Campaign (Irish Republican Army)?

Subject:

Northern Campaign (Irish Republican Army)

Known for:

IRA's military effort to destabilize Northern Ireland between 1942 and 1944.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Northern campaign was a series of attacks by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) Northern Command between September 1942 and December 1944 against the security forces in Northern Ireland. The action taken by the Northern Irish and the Irish governments as a result of these attacks shattered the IRA and resulted in the former being free from IRA activity by the end of World War II. In December 1956 the IRA began its Border Campaign which lasted until February 1962. The Taoiseach of Ireland, Éamon de Valera, complained about the occupation of Irish soil with the arrival of American soldiers in Northern Ireland as part of the UK war effort against Nazi Germany. This influx of foreign soldiers encouraged the northern command of the IRA, under the auspices of newly appointed IRA Chief of Staff Hugh McAteer, to reorganise and on 25 March 1942 agree a new campaign against the British military and war effort in Northern Ireland.

Career & Major Achievements

Over the first few months of the campaign, a few attacks against the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) in Strabane, Dungannon, and Belfast, resulted in the death of two RUC constables and the wounding of two others. Six IRA members, including Joe Cahill, were arrested during the Belfast incident and sentenced to death for the murder of one of the constables. A petition signed by around two hundred thousand people calling for mercy was gathered by those calling for a reprieve, and several days before the date of the executions, all but one was commuted. The sole IRA member executed was Tom Williams who was hanged at Crumlim Road gaol, Belfast, on 2 September 1942, resulting in the IRA intensifying their attacks. After the bombing of Randalstown RUC station, and more gunfire attacks against the RUC in parts of West Belfast and across the border area between Northern Ireland and Ireland, around 320 members and suspected members of the IRA, including Hugh McActeer, were arrested across Northern Ireland.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

One historian, Bowyer-Bell, reports a total of 60 armed attacks by the IRA in the three months up to December 1942, carried out by the remaining fifty to sixty IRA members still at large. In the first few months of 1943, jail breaks at Crumlin Road and Derry gaols saw 23 IRA members, including McAteer, escape. This however failed to inspire a resumption of activity. Many of the escapees had crossed the border into County Donegal in Ireland and were subsequently recaptured by the Irish Army. The few others that escaped arrest sought refuge from pursuit rather than resuming their attacks.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1942: 1942 Milestone — The Northern campaign was a series of attacks by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) Northern Command between September 1942 and December 1944 against the security forces in Northern Ireland.
2. 1943: 1943 Milestone — In the first few months of 1943, jail breaks at Crumlin Road and Derry gaols saw 23 IRA members, including McAteer, escape.
3. 1956: 1956 Milestone — In December 1956 the IRA began its Border Campaign which lasted until February 1962.

Notable Quotes by Northern Campaign (Irish Republican Army)

“"the IRA was dead and he had killed it"”

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Northern Campaign (Irish Republican Army)

True or False: “The Northern Campaign's primary goal was to force the withdrawal of British forces from Northern Ireland.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): While destabilization was key, the ultimate aim was to challenge the authority of the British military and government presence in the region.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• 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.
• 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.
• Agustín Pedro Justo — Historical peer (Died in 1943) (1943): 18th President of Argentina, leading during the tumultuous Infamous Decade.
• Akaji Maro — Historical peer (Born in 1943) (1943): Pioneering Japanese butoh performer, director, and acclaimed film actor.

Frequently Asked Questions about Northern Campaign (Irish Republican Army)