Factionalism within the IRA, 1921–22

The splitting of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) into a number of amorphous factions – pro-Treaty, anti-Treaty and neutral – in 1922 is often directly attributed to the Treaty settlement, hence the use of pro- and anti- to denote the various factions. However, these clear delineations, while useful, obscure the often complex and malleable views of IRA volunteers, officers and units on the question of whether to support the Anglo-Irish Treaty and, more importantly, the government that had ratified it. The rise of factionalism was not a direct consequence of the Treaty, and civil-military relations had become increasingly poor during the latter period of the Irish war of independence. The surge in IRA membership after the declaration of the Truce with Crown forces in July 1921 and the wholesale structural changes that were started in late 1920 both contributed to the creation of rival power centres within the IRA, distinct from the ostensible leadership of the organisation vested in the General Headquarters staff. This meant that by the time of the Treaty settlement, there were organised elements of the IRA that could oppose the Treaty in sufficient numbers, which meant that simply ignoring or attempting to bypass them was impossible for the Provisional Government.