Sinn Fein Year of Success 1918 + British actions
Irish Convention
LG replaced Asquith-wanted to halt SF + salvage IPP
aim to get internal settlement over HR instead from Downing Street
met for first time at Trinity College 25th July 1917
52 Nationalists, 26 Ulster Unionists, 9 SUs, 6 Labour + 2 Libs
SF not invited
Convention failed-Ulster Unionists implacable abt Ulster + need for permanent partition-led to fall out w/ IPP + SUs
Redmond prepared to allow some partition in order to get HR in 26 counties + improve position of IPP- prepared to abandon fiscal control over customs- fall out in IPP-announced on Jan 4th 1918
Redmond realised compromise over fiscal control too far-pulled out-humiliating for IPP
ultimate failure struck another savage blow to electoral chances of IPP + SF massive propaganda boost
1918-Year of Triumph
IPP managed to win 3 by-elections Feb-April 1918, S Armagh, E Tyrone + Waterford=sobering effect on SF
April 1918 after major German offensive on W front, LG enforced conscription in Ireland-army needed 150,000 troops-Military Service Bill April 10th 1918-passed April 16th
IPP, SF + Labour met together at Mansion House-De Valera drafted anti-conscription, "resist conscription by most effective means at our disposal"-general strike April 23rd everywhere except Belfast
public turned to SF, as Redmond + IPP linked w/ Irish involvement in war, SF always anti-war
coming together of SF + Catholic clergy, enormous benefit, ended perception that SF were nothing more than dangerous + unpredictable revolutionaries
British shelved plans of conscription
May 1918 new Viceroy, Lord French, 17th ordered arrest of entire SF leadership, Collins knew of plot and let them be arrested due to good publicity it would cause-73 arrested, public mood even more pro-SF + jailed Griffith won by-election victory in E Cavan
July, fake German Plot within SF French banned all meetings of SF, IV, Cumann na mBan + Gaelic League-heightened public indignation
WW1 ended, General Election, SF 4 point manifesto
abstain from Westminister
SF would use "any and every means available to render impotent power of England to hold Ireland in subjection"
establish own Constituent Assembly
go to Paris Peace Conference to stake Ireland's claim for independence
won 73 seats, Unionists won 26 + IPP only 6
first election under Universal Franchise, all men 21+, women 30+, Irish electorate from 700,000 to 2 million