Why British Troops Were Sent to Northern Ireland in 1969

Why British Troops Were Sent to Northern Ireland in 1969

The piece of coursework is about the reasons why the government

decided to send in the British troops to Northern Ireland on the 14th

August 1969, we look here at the origins and the history of the

conflict.

The most obvious reasons we think of are that riots started to break

out and the Northern Ireland police lost control, this was because

from the beginning, Catholics in Northern Ireland were a disadvantaged

minority in matters of employment, housing, education, cultural and

political participation. In 1968 a civil rights movement emerged to

protest against this discrimination, often provoking violent reactions

within the Protestant community. The Catholics were greatly influenced

by Dr Martin Luther King, and the American Civil Rights Movements

which were going on at about the same time.

Protestants also had fears, they would have to share there economy

with the rest of Ireland and the Roman Catholic Church would interfere

in the running of the country. Also they maybe threatened with

violence by the IRA to become a part of the republic of Ireland.

If we delve deeper we come to the partition in 1920, Protestants

remained part of the UK and the Roman Catholics who wanted

independence. In Northern Ireland 66% of the population were

Protestant and 34% were Roman Catholics.

This partition had its roots in the 17th-century Ulster Plantation,

which introduced Protestant settlers from England and Scotland into an

overwhelmingly Roman Catholic country, establishing a Protestant

control over the settlers and the native population in politics and

society.

The long term causes of the problems between the Catholics and

Protestant of Northern Ireland are rooted in the histories of England

and Ireland. Since the 12th century ,and the invasion of Henry II in

Ireland. Where English settlers, were given land that belonged to the

conquered Irish. These settles had more power and privileges then the

native Irish. From this time until the act of union in 1800 England

and Ireland were frequently at war with one another.