Ulster:Europe's Vietnam

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30th May 1974: Downing Street

Harold Wilson and Merlyn Rees sat in Wilson's private office on the second floor. The mood was bleak and the pressure on both men was visible. Two days earlier the Ulster Workers Council had forced the ruling executive at Stormont to resign and Westminster to re-impose direct rule.

The powerlessness of both Tory and Labour Governments to bring some kind of peace to the embattled province had been cruelly highlighted and certainly for the two men in that room the options open to them were slender and lacked any hope.

The only choice open to them was immeasurable in its magnitude and would lead to international condemnation but both men had had enough. As Wilson picked up the phone, Rees wept.
 
Triggering factor...

Given that the situation in Northern Ireland in OTL was pretty dystopian, the chance of worsening are not low ...
The title is implying at least a significant and long lasting military engagement .. I am interested to see how you get that and if the analogy with the Vietnam war suggested in the Title, persists and as it does ... if it is done.

Maybe something like what happened in Amritsar, but in Ulster,unlikely as it seems? I can not imagine what could be the unthinkable option and will make of the triggering factor, in TTL.
 
31st May 1974 8PM

"Good Evening, This has been one of the most intense and draining weeks that I have experienced as Prime Minister. The situation in Northern Ireland has become so dire that any rational, reasonable solution is now unworkable.

Over the last 24 hours I have discussed what could be done with my colleagues and three options became apparent.

Firstly, declare martial law. This option was disregarded almost straightaway because such a move would alienate both communities in the province.

Secondly, change the constitutional status of Ulster. Again disregarded as it would not deal with the immediate issue at hand specifically calming the province.

This left the option of asking the United Nations for help. Under normal circumstances this would be unthinkable as it would call into question our commitment to Northern Ireland.

We are committed to Northern Ireland and will remain so unless or until the wishes of the majority of the people change.

However the fact that our institutions, our people and our soldiers are in danger and are facing two intractable groups in the province have made it clear that it is those factors that are providing impetus for the troubles makes any internal settlement impossible at this time.

With that in mind I yesterday called my good friend Kurt Waldheim, the secretary general of the UN. I proposed that a special meeting of the UN be called to discuss the idea of an international peacekeeping force be sent to Northern Ireland.

As a precursor to this I have instructed non-essential British citizens to leave the province as soon as possible. Should the UN agree to the proposal then that will lead to a phased withdrawal of 95% of British citizens from the province. A small contingent of administrators and soldiers will remain as co-ordinators between ourselves and the UN.

There will be those who say we have betrayed Ulster. I say that it is the actions of those who conducted the strike that have betrayed Ulster. It is their actions in bringing down the assembly that have led to this moment.

To the peaceful majority in Northern Ireland I say this: We are not abandoning you but we need a new option. Please continue as normal and find it in your hearts to understand and accept what will happen.

Goodnight.
 
31st May 1974 8PM

"Good Evening, This has been one of the most intense and draining weeks that I have experienced as Prime Minister. The situation in Northern Ireland has become so dire that any rational, reasonable solution is now unworkable.

Over the last 24 hours I have discussed what could be done with my colleagues and three options became apparent.

Firstly, declare martial law. This option was disregarded almost straightaway because such a move would alienate both communities in the province.

Secondly, change the constitutional status of Ulster. Again disregarded as it would not deal with the immediate issue at hand specifically calming the province.

This left the option of asking the United Nations for help. Under normal circumstances this would be unthinkable as it would call into question our commitment to Northern Ireland.

We are committed to Northern Ireland and will remain so unless or until the wishes of the majority of the people change.

However the fact that our institutions, our people and our soldiers are in danger and are facing two intractable groups in the province have made it clear that it is those factors that are providing impetus for the troubles makes any internal settlement impossible at this time.

With that in mind I yesterday called my good friend Kurt Waldheim, the secretary general of the UN. I proposed that a special meeting of the UN be called to discuss the idea of an international peacekeeping force be sent to Northern Ireland.

As a precursor to this I have instructed non-essential British citizens to leave the province as soon as possible. Should the UN agree to the proposal then that will lead to a phased withdrawal of 95% of British citizens from the province. A small contingent of administrators and soldiers will remain as co-ordinators between ourselves and the UN.

There will be those who say we have betrayed Ulster. I say that it is the actions of those who conducted the strike that have betrayed Ulster. It is their actions in bringing down the assembly that have led to this moment.

To the peaceful majority in Northern Ireland I say this: We are not abandoning you but we need a new option. Please continue as normal and find it in your hearts to understand and accept what will happen.

Goodnight.

based in a totaly fallacy and mis apprehension

nearly everyone in Northern Ireland is a 'british citizen' ...

while the public secotr is a big employer in NI most of those staff are Local British citizens native to Ireland ...
 
I think in the context nezza means British as in English/Scottish/Welsh.

I'd initially guessed this was going to be a unilateral cut and run (which Wilson considered in OTL.) Looks like it isn't that, at least just yet. Interested Liam Cosgrave's reaction to all this!
 
I think in the context nezza means British as in English/Scottish/Welsh.

I'd initially guessed this was going to be a unilateral cut and run (which Wilson considered in OTL.) Looks like it isn't that, at least just yet. Interested Liam Cosgrave's reaction to all this!

Panic might be my guess considering the state of the Army at the time.
 
I think in the context nezza means British as in English/Scottish/Welsh.

I'd initially guessed this was going to be a unilateral cut and run (which Wilson considered in OTL.) Looks like it isn't that, at least just yet. Interested Liam Cosgrave's reaction to all this!

If that is what he means then I'd advise a little more research on the TL.

To distinguish between Northern Ireland residents and other British citizens would be a gross failure in a governments basic duty to protect all of its citizens.

And is practically the same as changing the constitutional status of the province which was explicitly rejected.
 
...I have instructed non-essential British citizens to leave the province as soon as possible. Should the UN agree to the proposal then that will lead to a phased withdrawal of 95% of British citizens from the province. A small contingent of administrators and soldiers will remain as co-ordinators between ourselves and the UN...

I apologize for being impolite, but this is one of the daftest posts ever on AH.com. The population of NI 1974 was circa 1.6 million, all of which could have claimed British citizenship (if they had not already done so) if they wished, and about 900,000 would have identified as British. You are proposing evacuating about a million people from their homes, nearly all of whom would not wish to leave, and without the transport to do so.
 
I apologize for being impolite, but this is one of the daftest posts ever on AH.com. The population of NI 1974 was circa 1.6 million, all of which could have claimed British citizenship (if they had not already done so) if they wished, and about 900,000 would have identified as British. You are proposing evacuating about a million people from their homes, nearly all of whom would not wish to leave, and without the transport to do so.

I'm sure he meant those from Great Britain itself.
 
I have to agree, perhaps I'm wrong but are not the citizens of Northern Ireland British citizens? Not up on the details of that time but what passport did they/ or still have?
 
I'm sure he meant those from Great Britain itself.

Northern Ireland is part of Great Britain. That includes everyone who lives there.

I think it's just poorly worded; the timeline overall is fine.

"All British citizens not normally maintaining a residence in Northern Ireland and without a serious reason to be there at the present time", perhaps?
 

Nick P

Donor
Northern Ireland is part of Great Britain. That includes everyone who lives there.

I think it's just poorly worded; the timeline overall is fine.

"All British citizens not normally maintaining a residence in Northern Ireland and without a serious reason to be there at the present time", perhaps?

Not quite. This is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. But the Prime Minister is abandoning all the UK citizens in NI, which is over a million.
I'd also expect he has to justify to the Queen, among others, why a big chunk of her realm is being dropped like a hot potato because of his governments inability to govern effectively. It will ruin Britain's image on the world stage, I mean we can stand up to the Nazis and Soviets but not a handful of Irish terrorists?.
 
Quite.

It is one thing to say that the government can't protect its own subjects and needs external help from the UN. It would be likely to trigger a no confidence vote and the government would likely be out on its ear but that is at least consistent.

To deliberately discriminate between people within the state by protecting some but not others is likely to be grounds for criminal charges or even impeachment.
 

Devvy

Donor
I'm not sure how you differentiate the people from England/Wales/Scotland from the locals, given they all have the same citizenship. Not to mention, many of the unionists have been in Northern Ireland for generations - why do they have to leave their homeland?
 
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