Quote Originally Posted by gaelic cowboy View Post
It is not unusual for people to turn down an offer for something they believe in for other baser concerns or just complete disbelief of the offer.

De Valera turned down complete reunification of Ireland by Churchill despite of and over any unionist concerns to join WW2.

Dev rejected it for several reasons

1: He didn't trust Churchill one bit, if it had being Chamberlain who made the offer he may have been tempted.

2: To go in with Britain could end badly for Ireland if they lost, at the time everyone assumed the war was basically over an Germany had won.(USA still not in the war)

3: Ireland was only out of a civil war (a misnomer if ever I saw one) any chucking in with Britain could topple the government.

4: Dev may have slightly feared the dilution of the Catholic ethos of the governance of our country by having loads of northeners in government. (although this may be unfair slightly)

The point is sometimes both side become so used to certain ways of thinking about each other that they can miss historic opportunities. Ireland did not trust Britain and the British could not understand the security concerns of a government who feared some of the people in it's own security apparatus.
i didn't know that, cheers.

re. politically motivated terrorist movements - grind them until they recognise they can't win, then offer them a non-violent solution on terms they are in no position to refuse.

worked with the IRA, as best as NI can be said to 'work'.....