Dismantling the Treaty Neutrality 1932 1948 AngloIrish Economic

‘Dismantling the Treaty’ & Neutrality 1932 – 1948 Anglo-Irish Economic (Trade) War 1932 – 1938 Neutrality 1939 - 1945

Fianna Fáil – ‘Dismantling the Treaty’ Anglo-Irish Policy 1932 - 1948 • Anglo-Irish Economic (Trade) War (1932 – 1938): De. Valera withheld Land Annuities payments; British responded by placing tarriffs on Irish exports to Britain. De. Valera 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, De. Valera 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 h. Eireann (1937): De. Valera introduced & successfully passed the new constitution of the State, now known as ‘Éire’ • ‘Emergency’ (1939 – 1945) De. Valera adopted a policy of ‘Strict Neutrality’ throughout the Second World War Eamon de. Valera President of the Executive Council 1932 – 1937 Taoiseach of Éire 1938 - 1948

‘Dismantling the Treaty’ Diminishing the Role of the Governor. General (1932 - 36) External Relations’ Act (1936) Removing the Oath of Allegiance (1932) Withholding the Land Annuities Payments (1932) Bunreacht na h. Eireann (1937) Anglo-Irish Trade Agreement (1938) Anglo-Irish Economic War (1932 – 1938)

Diminishing the Role of the Governor-General

The Governor-General • James Mac. Neill insulted progressively by Fianna Fáil Government members. • Mac. Neill resigned & was replaced by Domhnall Ua Buachalla, a Fianna Fáil man, never performed any public duties. • Ua. Buachalla 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 • De. Valera 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) • De. Valera, who referred to the oath as a “relic of medievalism” quickly introduced a Bill to remove the aoth on 22 nd March 1932. It was delayed by the Cumann na n. Gaedhael-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: • De. Valera was determined to withhold the Land Annuities’ Payments from the UK as agreed under the Anglo-Irish Treaty (1921) • De. Valera 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 • De. Valera removed the Governor-General’s power to withhold consent from Parliament Bills • De. Valera 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 De. Valera to the Privy Council • Privy Council ruled that De. Valera was within his rights under the terms of the Statute of Westminster (1931)

De. Valera & League of Nations 1932 - 1939

De. Valera & League of Nations 1932 – 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

De. Valera & League of Nations 1932 – 1939 • De. Valera criticised the League for not being more preventative of crises throughout Europe & the world. • De. Valera & the Irish Free State’s prominent position within the League helped to bolster the Irish Free State’s international recognition, which De. Valera 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: 1936 When King Edward VIII abdicated in 1936 to marry Wallis Simpson, De. Valera used the opportunity to remove all references to the Governor-General & the King of England from Irish Statutes: Constitution Amendment Bill (1936): This removed all reference to the King & Governor General from the Free State Constitution. External 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

Bunreacht na h. Eireann (1937)

Articles of Bunreacht na h. Eireann (1937) De. Valera’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 sevenyear 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 h. Eireann (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 Mac. Donald: Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs (1935 – 1938) • Malcolm Mac. Donald, appointed as Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs in 1935, met De. Valera a number of times to come to an understanding in relation to Anglo-Irish Relations • Followed a line of appeasement towards De. Valera while maintaining that Bunreacht na h. Eireann 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 25 th 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 De. Valera’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 • De. Valera’s League of Nations mission had promoted the independence of Éire which would be vital in maintaining neutrality in the coming war • De. Valera 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