To what extent was the Anglo-Irish Treaty 1921 responsible for Irish civil war?

The Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921 was a significant factor in the Irish Civil War, which took place from 1922 to 1923. The treaty was a compromise that ended the Irish War of Independence and created the Irish Free State, a self-governing dominion within the British Empire. However, the treaty was controversial and split the Irish Republican Army (IRA) into two factions: those who supported the treaty and those who opposed it. The anti-treaty IRA believed that the treaty was a betrayal of the Irish Republic, which had been declared in 1919, and they fought against the pro-treaty forces in the Civil War.

There are several reasons why the Anglo-Irish Treaty was so controversial and why it led to the Irish Civil War.

* The treaty did not establish an independent Irish republic. The Irish Free State was still part of the British Empire, and the British government retained control over certain areas, such as foreign affairs and defense.

* The treaty partitioned Ireland. Northern Ireland, which had a predominantly Protestant population, was separated from the predominantly Catholic Irish Free State. This partition was opposed by many Irish nationalists, who believed that it was a betrayal of the ideal of a united Ireland.

* The treaty required the IRA to disarm. This was a difficult demand for many IRA members, who had fought for Irish independence and believed that the IRA was the legitimate army of the Irish Republic.

The Anglo-Irish Treaty was thus a complex and controversial agreement that ultimately led to the Irish Civil War. While it did end the Irish War of Independence and established the Irish Free State, it also divided the Irish people and led to a bloody and destructive conflict.

In addition to the factors mentioned above, there were several other factors that contributed to the Irish Civil War. These included:

* Economic problems: The Irish Free State was struggling economically after the War of Independence, and this led to widespread unemployment and poverty. This made it difficult for the government to maintain order and control.

* Political rivalries: There was a great deal of political rivalry between the different factions of the Irish Republican movement, and this rivalry was exacerbated by the terms of the Anglo-Irish Treaty.

* Religious conflict: The Irish Civil War was also fueled by religious conflict between Catholics and Protestants. The Catholic Church supported the treaty, while many Protestants opposed it.

The Irish Civil War was a complex and bloody conflict that had a lasting impact on Irish society. It left the country divided and traumatized, and it took many years for the wounds of the war to heal.