Alternate Irish War of Independence senarios?

King Thomas

Banned
What happens if...

1-Micheal Collins dies in the Easter Rising early on from a random bullet hitting him in the head? Or is picked out as a leader of the rising and executed with the other leaders who were shot by the British? Without him, would the IRA have been as effective?

2-No executions of the leaders of the Rising, with ten year prison sentences instead, meaning not much sympathy for their cause?

3-What if the leaders of the Rising were given ten year sentences "without the right of correspondence" and then executed secretly?

4-No Black and Tans and much more "hearts and minds" work on the British side?
 
1) Huge divergence, Collins was the IRA's most able commander and ran their intelligence operation, a key player in establishing the Treaty Irish State and winning the Civil War
2) See Gonzo's timeline "Killing Home Rule with Kindness". Basically the whole heroic martyr imagery and consequent upwelling of sympathy is gone.
3) ASB. The British Government of the day could be authoritarian but basically upheld the rule of law and, cynically, there was no prospect that they wouldn't get found out, ending their own careers in disgrace.
4) The demand for local self-government was sufficiently strong that the genie would not be put back in the bottle but, also assuming 2 above, probably a more friendly move to self-government and Dominion status
 
3) ASB. The British Government of the day could be authoritarian but basically upheld the rule of law and, cynically, there was no prospect that they wouldn't get found out, ending their own careers in disgrace.

It might not be so far out there - there were those three journalists who were killed in secret and buried below quicklime and who were revealed to have done so by Dillon in parliament - and this was before the last two were due to be shot. So while it is highly unlikely, it isn't out there if a British officer oversteps the boundary or is found to be legally insane (like that fellow who shot the unarmed teenager around this time.)
 
Yes, I take the point, but these aren't obscure or marginal figures. Leaders of a failed rebellion publicly sentenced. The prison authorities might not strive officiously to keep alive but active steps to terminate in circumstances where they are out of harms way for the foreseeable future?
 
If the happens, when everyone finds out that the leaders were executed, which they will, all Hell will break lose.
On top of that, many politicians will have the careers destroyed.
There would be a lot of pissed of Irish people.
But the thing is, when will they find out? Who will find out first?
The more extreme side of the IRA would be super pissed.
I presume De Valera survives?
 
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