What campaigns did the IRA do?

Answer 1

The IRA was first formed as the IRB, standing for Irish Republican Brotherhood. This organistaion fought against the British in Dublin in Easter, 1916 but was defeated and the leaders executed. The IRA then conducted a guerrilla war against British rule in Ireland, fighting for Irish independence and led by Michael Collins. When the British granted most of Ireland independence in 1921, but kept control over the North-eastern part of the country, a civil war broke out in Ireland as to hether to accept the treaty or not. The IRA split, with the ones willing to accept the treaty forming the first Irish National Army and the rest becoming known as "Anti-treaty forces". Eventually the Irish Army won, but not without heavy bloodshed and the assassination of their leader Michael Collins. The IRA kept a reasonably low profile during the 1930s and 40s, althought they actively supported Nazi Germany in their fight against Britain and often stole weapons from army bases on mainland Britain. During the 1960s they began to conduct a terror campaign against the British in Northern Ireland, to try and unite this part of Ireland with the Irish Republic. However, the IRa eventually split once more, into the Official IRA (which did not participate in much fighting after this) and the Provisional IRA. The Provisional IRA conducted a prolonged terrorist campaign against British forces in Northern Ireland, targeted civilians in Northern Ireland who were loyal to the British regime and conducted a bombing campaign on mainland Britain. They also carried out attacks on British forces in Gibraltar and Germany . Eventually, the British government began to talk to the Provisional IRA about making peace. This caused another split in the IRA as the hardline terrorists, this time called the Continuity IRA, continued to fight against the British. As the group of terrorists became smaller in Northern Ireland as more people started to want peace, the IRA split again, this time only a small group of "Dissident Republicans" opposed to peace in Northern Ireland staying active. This group is known as the Real IRA and is still a terror threat to the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and mainland Britain today.