Q&A · 1:36:50-1:37:50

Would the Irish Civil War become bloodier?

Britain's reason for accepting Irish separation remains: retaining most of Ireland would cost more troops and political effort than London judged it worth.

Question

Would this alternate postwar world make the Irish Civil War bloodier and harder fought?

Short answer

Probably not by much, because Britain would still judge most of Ireland too costly to hold and would avoid committing large forces to retain it.

Notes

A chat comment suggests that the altered postwar balance might make the Irish Civil War harder and bloodier. That is possible but unlikely to change Britain's central calculation. London was prepared to let most of Ireland go because retaining it required disproportionate effort while the settlement preserved the areas and interests Britain valued most. A more fractured international environment could make independence riskier for Ireland without making reconquest attractive to Britain. The government would still be reluctant to spend large numbers of troops on indefinite coercion.