‘Dismantling the Treaty’ &

Neutrality 1932 – 1948

Anglo-Irish Economic (Trade) War 1932 – 1938Neutrality 1939 - 1945

Fianna Fáil – ‘Dismantling the Treaty’ Anglo-Irish Policy 1932 - 1948

• Anglo-Irish Economic (Trade) War (1932 – 1938): DeValera withheld Land Annuities payments; British responded by placing tarriffs on Irish exports to Britain. DeValera did likewise to British exports to Irish Free State:

• Constitution Amendment Bill (1936) & External Relations’ Act (1936): With the abdication crisis of King Edward in 1936, DeValera introduced these acts to remove all reference to the King from Irish Statute books & move the Irish Free State to an ‘External Association position in relation to the British Commonwealth

• Bunreacht na hEireann (1937): DeValera introduced & successfully passed the new constitution of the State, now known as ‘Éire’

• ‘Emergency’ (1939 – 1945) DeValera adopted a policy of ‘Strict Neutrality’ throughout the Second World War

Eamon deValera President of the Executive Council

1932 – 1937Taoiseach of Éire

1938 - 1948

‘Dismantling the Treaty’

Diminishing the Role of the Governor-

General (1932 - 36)

Withholding the Land Annuities

Payments (1932)

External Relations’ Act (1936)

Bunreacht na hEireann (1937)

Anglo-Irish Trade Agreement (1938)

Anglo-Irish Economic War (1932 – 1938)

Removing the Oath of Allegiance

(1932)

Diminishing the Role of the

Governor-General

The Governor-General • James MacNeill insulted

progressively by Fianna Fáil Government members.

• MacNeill resigned & was replaced by Domhnall Ua Buachalla. Ua Buachalla, a Fianna Fáil man, never performed any public duties.

• UaBuachalla did not occupy the Governor-General’s residence and remained hidden from public view until the position was deleted by the Constitution Amendment Act (1936)

The Oath of Allegiance

Removing the Oath of Allegiance• DeValera was determined to

undermine and delete any reference to the King of England, but had to do so within the restraints of the Statute of Westminster (1931)

• DeValera, who referred to the oath as a “relic of medievalism” quickly introduced a Bill to remove the aoth on 22nd March 1932. It was delayed by the Cumann na nGaedhael-controlled Senate until it passed in 1933.

“I ................ do solemnly swear true faith

and allegiance to the Constitution of the Irish

Free State as by law established, and that I will be faithful to H. M.

King George V., his heirs and successors by law in

virtue of the common citizenship of Ireland with

Great Britain and her adherence to and

membership of the group of nations forming the

British Commonwealth of Nations.”

Withholding the Land Annuities’ Payments

1932 - 1938

Land Annuities: • DeValera was determined to

withhold the Land Annuities’ Payments from the UK as agreed under the Anglo-Irish Treaty (1921)

• DeValera imposed duties on foreign imports into the Irish Free State, most of which were British. The British did the same to Irish exports to Britain, thereby starting the Anglo-Irish Economic (Trade) War (1932 – 1938)

Further Measures: Governor-General & Privy Council

• DeValera removed the Governor-General’s power to withhold consent from Parliament Bills

• DeValera also removed the right of an Irish Free State citizen to appeal to the Privy Council, the highest court of appeal within the British Commonwealth

• British attempted to block this move by bringing a case against DeValera to the Privy Council

• Privy Council ruled that DeValera was within his rights under the terms of the Statute of Westminster (1931)

DeValera &

League of Nations1932 - 1939

DeValera & League of Nations1932 – 1939

De Valera believed in the power of the League of Nations to protect, especially, the rights of small

nations in the world.President of the League of Nations Council:

1932 President of League of Nations Assembly:

1938

DeValera & League of Nations1932 – 1939

• DeValera criticised the League for not being more preventative of crises throughout Europe & the world.

• DeValera & the Irish Free State’s prominent position within the League helped to bolster the Irish Free State’s international recognition, which DeValera hoped would protect them if relations with Britain became worse. - De Valera supported League sanctions against Italy when it invaded Ethiopia.

- De Valera supported non-intervention in the Spanish Civil War, against Catholic bishops who pressed him to recognise Franco.

Coal-Cattle Pact (1935)• Due to the 20% tariffs on

trade between both Irish Free State & UK, many farmers in Ireland had begun slaughtering their own surplus cattle as they could not be sold

• In a bid to make both cattle and coal affordable again, both the Irish Free State and UK signed the Coal-Cattle Pact (1935) to lower the protectionist barriers on the sale of these vital exports.

Abdication Crisis & External Relations’ Act

1936

Abdication Crisis: 1936External Relations Act (1936):

“....for the purpose of the appointment of diplomatic and consular representatives....the King...is hereby authorised to

act on behalf of Saorstát Eireann for the like purposes, as and when advised by the Executive Council to do so.”

• The King of England now had only the right to sign the appointment letters of

Irish Diplomats

Constitution Amendment Bill (1936):

This removed all reference to the King & Governor General from the Free State Constitution.

When King Edward VIII abdicated in 1936 to marry Wallis Simpson, DeValera used the opportunity to remove all references to the Governor-General & the King of England from Irish Statutes:

Bunreacht na hEireann(1937)

Articles of Bunreacht na hEireann (1937)DeValera’s new Constitution declared

that: The name of the State was ‘Éire’ or

Ireland The first official language of the state

was Irish The Head of State was the President,

directly elected for a seven-year term The flag of the State was the

Tricolour of Green, White & Orange

The Taoiseach was the head of the Government

The Dáil & the Seanad were the two Houses of the Oireachtais

Divorce was made illegal (Article 41)

Articles of Bunreacht na hEireann (1937): Articles 2 & 3

Article 2

“The national territory

consists of the whole island of

Ireland, its islands and the

territorial seas.”

Article 3

“Pending the re-integration of the national territory, and

without prejudice to the right of the parliament and

government established by this constitution to exercise jurisdiction over the whole

territory, the laws enacted by the parliament shall have the

like area and extent of application as the laws of

Saorstat Éireann[3] and the like extra-territorial effect.”

Malcolm MacDonald: Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs

(1935 – 1938)

• Malcolm MacDonald, appointed as Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs in 1935, met DeValera a number of times to come to an understanding in relation to Anglo-Irish Relations

• Followed a line of appeasement towards DeValera while maintaining that Bunreacht na hEireann did not alter Ireland’s position within the British Commonwealth.

• In reality, ‘Éire’ was now a republic in all but name.

Anglo-Irish Agreement(1938)

Anglo-Irish Trade Agreement (1938)• Signed between Éire & UK

on 25th April 1938• 20% tariffs placed on each

other’s exports were to be abolished

• £10 million one-off payment by Éire to resolve Land Annuities issue

• ‘Treaty Ports’ i.e. Cobh, Berehaven & Lough Swilly returned to Éire

• UK Act returning the Treaty Ports:

Eire (Confirmation of Agreements) Act 1938

Impacts of DeValera’s Anglo-Irish Policy

(1932 – 1938)• Protectionism & Tariff War had ended Land Annuities

Payments

• ‘Dismantling the Treaty’ had successfully made Eire a republic in all but name

• DeValera’s League of Nations mission had promoted the independence of Éire which would be vital in maintaining neutrality in the coming war

• DeValera had re-balanced the unequal relationship between Eire & UK. He was also keen to normalise relations between the two countries before the impending conflict in Europe broke out. Good relations with the UK would be vital to a policy of neutrality