Trajectories of Violence in the Irish Independence Struggle, 1916 – 1923

The trajectory of violence seen in the Irish independence struggle of 1916-1923 followed a logic that was deeply path dependent. The evolution of the IRA's military tactics towards guerrilla warfare had as much to do with exigency and improvisation as it had to do with any alternative strategic vision pre-existing the Easter Rising. A complex set of factors shaped the new military approach - from the need to respond to British counter-insurgency tactics, to the unpredictable acts of individual IRA units on the ground - often acting on their own initiative, engaging in provocative action to escalate the conflict. This paper will outline those dynamics, asking how various factors related to one another in shaping the IRA's armed campaign. The paper will draw upon historical sociological qualitative analysis of both primary and secondary sources relating to the period in question.