‘Easter Uprising’

Easter is the most important festival of the year for Christian regions in Europe. Last year, amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, Pope Francis called for temporary peace in Ukraine, but the warring nations refused to suspend hostilities. Maybe religion is not enough to stall the war.

On April 24, 1916, around 1,000 Irish armed independence fighters rose and seized key positions in Dublin city, which is called “the Easter Uprising.” Ireland had been under British rule for a long time, and the Irish persistently fought back. In 1912, the British Parliament ratified the Irish Home Rule Bill. However, World War I broke out shortly after that, delaying the implementation of this Act.

It sparked discontent amongst the public, but a significant number of people were dissatisfied with home rule itself. They wanted immediate independence instead of self-rule. As the war raged on, the British tried to conscript the Irish to fill the shortage of troops, which fanned the flames of Irish discontent. Armed activists and independent movement organizations took advantage of such discontent and planned an armed uprising. They even managed to keep in touch with Germany, which promised to provide weapons.

The uprising seemed to be a success at first, but the public unexpectedly showed a lukewarm response. The arms sent by Germany were caught by the British Navy and never made it to the fighters for independence. Britain immediately mobilized its army to crack down on the rebels. On April 30, the leadership surrendered to the British at their stronghold, the Central Post Office, citing the need to prevent the sacrifices of innocent citizens.

The uprising ended up a disastrous failure, but the British were as harsh in Ireland as ever. Innocent citizens were arrested and imprisoned, and rebellion organizers were gunned down without delay. Britain’s crackdown was so heavy-handed that the Easter Uprising revived the fighting spirit of the surrendered Irish. It was the birth of the IRA, which became a byword for terrorist organizations until the 1980s and even the 1990s. Not all IRA members were radical, but some became extremists in the following years, as the issues of Northern Ireland’s independence and the British army’s excessive use of force continued.

Blood begets blood, and evil produces greater evil. We dream of a just world, but it’s been said that justice only blooms in a bloody mat. What really needs to be revived is pure white justice.