Did ireland cause the British Empire to collapse?

[L'Chaim]

During Victorian times it was said that the sun never set on the British Empire. That was because the sun rose in the east and set in the west and as a result of the empire being so vast there was always a part of it in sunlight.

Now granted that during and the Boer war and the way the British behaved in it, the Empire lost a lot of respect around the world. And after Victoria died and British troops massacred hundreds of Tibetans in 1904, Britain lost most of it's perceived decency too.

So things weren't rosy in the empire garden in the early 20th century, but the Empire kept growing and it reached it's maximum extent in 1921. But then they lost Ireland. Soon after countries in Africa and the middle east etc dropped out of the empire, either after wars or by agreement. Britain even pulled out of India (their jewel in the crown). These days there's a Common-wealth left and that's only a shadow of what the empire once was.

So what do you think. Did Ireland indirectly cause that collapse of the empire? When other members saw little Ireland breaking away, do you think they might have said "we should/could do that too? I know before then the British lost colonies in America etc. but those losses didn't seem to have any effect. But the minute they lost Ireland it seems that the Empire became like a house of cards. Did Ireland cause the collapse of the British empire?

[Auditor #9]

Hardly. Empires began rising around Britain and they gradually had less space on the world stage. Italy and Germany, Russia and Japan all diluted rather than eroded their power.

It's still a strong presence in the world if you've travelled in the Commonwealth.

[Edo]

Nah - 2 world wars and the coffers drained is what did it - they had to flog the silverware to the Yanks for cash , one of whose preconditions was that they gave up the empire.

Simple really - Ireland followed Canada and Australia and South Africa into Dominion status.

[Aindriu]

WW2 caused the British Empire to collapse as it damn nearly bankrupted the country. Britain has only very recently fully repaid its debts to the USA for the lease lend scheme arms etc. They could never have carried on supporting an Empire when they were so strapped for cash.

[NeilW]

They could never have carried on supporting an Empire when they were so strapped for cash.

Are you sure that's the way it went? I would have thought that the reason to have an empire was for it to support you...

[Aindriu]

They could never have carried on supporting an Empire when they were so strapped for cash.

Are you sure that's the way it went? I would have thought that the reason to have an empire was for it to support you...

Not strictly true. The East India Company for example had huge inputs of tax payers cash to keep it afloat at times. Malaya too had money spent in huge amounts to aid the rubber industry.

[anmajornarthainig]

I wouldn`t necessarily be as quick as others to dismiss the original thesis. There is no doubt that events in ireland, and the political climate after World War One had a major impact on the British as well as other empires. Ireland, was unquestionably an influence for Israeli, African and Indian militants. For example in 1930 there was a rebellion in Chittagong in India (now Bangladesh) which started on Easter Monday. Subhas Chandra Bose studied Irish republicanism (the Indian nationalist leader who involved himself with the Japanese during the war), Mao Tse tSung also studied Collins as did others in Israel and Africa. I would say, however, that Ireland had an impact on the manner in which the Empire collapsed rather than the fact that it did collapse. Events in Ireland pointed the way towards the manner in which an Imperial power could be defeated, if not through a crushing defeat but through eroding the appetite for involvement in a particular country`s affairs. These lessons were studied and learned by guerrilla leaders in Asian and African countries who involved themselves in liberation movements at a time when the British Empire was seriously weakened by the Second World War and when the world was also changing dramatically. The door was off it`s hinges at that point all it needed was a push.

[Auditor #9]

Is it true that the Israelis have or had a submarine called the 'Michael Collins'?

[Cogadh]

Is it true that the Israelis have or had a submarine called the 'Michael Collins'?

I'm not entirely sure about a sub but I believe there was an important Israeli who used Michael Collins as a code name due to his admiration for Collins.

[Cogadh]

Well other factors were far more important like WWII etc. However as alluded to Ireland acted as an inspiration for other countries. Ireland took on the Empire arguably when it was at its most prestigious in the aftermath of WWI and declared a republic and defended it successfully forcing the British to the negotiating table. The model that de Valera proposed in his document no.2 for the relationship between our country and Britain was remarkably similar to that of India and Britain later on. The tactics of the IRA were also studied the world over.