The significance of the political dimension of armed rebellion on the example of Northern Ireland

Abstract

At the beginning of the last century, after several unsuccessful armed uprisings against the central government, insurgents in Ireland realized that the fight with weapons was not enough and united in the political organization Sinn Fein (Irish: Sinn Fein - "We ourselves"), respecting the security grammar (Ejdus, 2017: 30), they managed to determine what was the danger they are fighting against, what was the reference object of security (what was endangered), who was the one who protected security (subject of security) and most importantly what were the means or measures to protect security. The subsequent mobilization of forces at the political level, the expansion and deepening of the conflict led to success, especially for the population in Northern Ireland who bore the brunt during the second thirty-year escalation of the conflict (armed insurgency) in the 20th century. The activities of Catholic rebels and Protestant loyalists in the second half of the twentieth century (from 1968 to 1998) confirmed the liberal view that political and economic order reduces tensions between social groups, but also the realistic view that the entire field of security is political, as well as Galula's statement that opposing an insurgency is eighty percent a political and only twenty percent a military struggle (Galula, 1966: 63). Rebel approach, motives, interests and goals, as well as the conditions (environment) were such that the repression and engagement of the army for the implementation of police tasks such are arrest, internment, maintenance of public order and peace (Alderson, 2009: 29), instead of contributing to solving conflict, in fact contributed to decades of instability. After this, the political segment of internal conflict gained importance because the military (hard) power, as a way of achieving goals (political results), did not have a decisive influence any more. The weapons that led to success at the strategic (state) level were the processes of political reconciliation, improvement of socio-economic conditions and diplomatic relations with the Republic of Ireland. At the tactical (local) level, these were investments in education, employment, housing and local government reform. So it can be concluded that the political dimension used to have and still has the biggest significance in this and similar conflicts.