Rev Left Radio [BEST OF] Irish Republican Army: Anti-Imperialism, Guerrilla Warfare, and National Liberation
Jun 8, 2025
David Swanson, a Marxist organizer and host of Radical Reflections, dives deep into the Irish Republican Army's history and its significant role in resisting British imperialism. He explores the evolutionary journey of the IRA, its guerrilla warfare tactics, and its connection to anti-colonial movements globally. Swanson discusses the impact of pivotal events like the Easter Rising and the moral dilemmas faced by the IRA. The conversation also touches on the legacy of revolutionary figures, illustrating the IRA's relevance in contemporary struggles for national liberation.
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Easter Rising's Marxist Awakening
- The Easter Rising of 1916 ignited a new class-conscious republicanism intertwined with Marxist ideas in Ireland.
- It inspired the formation of the IRA as a proletarian-led force aiming to build a socialist republic in Ireland.
IRA's Rise and National Mandate
- The Irish War of Independence saw the IRA emerge as a community-rooted fighting force linked to Sinn Féin's electoral success.
- Ireland voted as a whole only once, in 1918, giving a mandate for full independence and republicanism.
Civil War's Class Contradictions
- The Irish Civil War was a bitter class and political split that fractured the IRA.
- The pro-treaty side formed the bourgeois Irish Free State, while the anti-treaty side fought for a socialist republic but was defeated.
