What if Michael Collins had not been shot at Béal na Bláth and had survived the Irish Civil War? I recommend reading The Path to Freedom which can be found online here (http://www.generalmichaelcollins.com/on-line-books/the-path-to-freedom-index/), it's a fascinating read, especially the "Building Up Ireland" and "Distinctive Culture" chapters which give an idea on Collins' economic and cultural ideas for Ireland. One thing that's clear is that Collins was much more radical compared to much of Cumann na nGeadhael.
One interesting thing economically is that Collins expressed a dislike of both capitalism and 'state socialism', and supported the creation of industries along co-operative lines. He also encouraged Ireland to look to countries in mainland Europe such as Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands for inspiration.
Collins was a strong believer in Gaelic culture and the Irish language, he looked upon the island of Achill as an ideal example of an Irish society unpenetrated by Anglicisation, considered the English language a foreign tongue and saw the restoration of the Irish language to be a very important task without which the Irish people would not be truly free. This could help prevent the Irish langauge from further declining as much as it did if Collins were to implement the recommendations of the 1926 Gaeltacht Commission which Cosgrave ignored OTL and a reform of Irish language teaching methods (even in the 1940s they were known to be archaic and half-assed or 'Antediluvian' as Ailtirí na hAiséirghe put it).
A March 1922 decree that all birth, death and marriage certificates would require Irish-language versions of names was passed unanimously but never implemented due to the outbreak of the civil war, given his views Collins may implement it afterwards.
Regarding the north Collins in the Path to Freddom believed that the Boundary Commission would strip it of Tyrone and Fermanagh (something which we know was not to be) and that Northern Ireland would collapse on its own. He also stated that in an Irish Republic the six counties would have generous autonomy. However later during the civil war he stated: "we now have a force that means something in future dealings with Britain and the North East … The present fight is only training for our troops, it gives our soldiers confidence" and that "I am forced to the conclusion that we may yet have to fight the British in the North East", meaning that conflict over the north in the future would be very likely, especially after it became clear the Boundary Commission wouldn't be what the Irish government hoped it was.
It's clear from his writings that, like de Valera, he believed in gradually detaching Ireland from the Commonwealth and establishing a republic, and as a result I don't see him joining the Allies as some people have theorised before.
More controversially, could Collins have become a dictator? Ireland from the outbreak of the civil war until his death was controlled by a military council consisting of him, Eoin O'Duffy and Richard Mulcahy, the meeting of the Dáil elected in June 1922 was postponed several times and didn't meet until September 1922 after Collins' death. Heavy censorship was imposed and the right to trial before detention was suspended.
The question is if whether this would be temporary until the end of the civil war or if it would go on indefinitely. On one hand, in July Collins wrote a long memo to the Dáil reassuring them that the civil war was "a fight for national freedom' for the 'freest and most democratic system yet devised" that "the army has to recognise that it is the servant and not the master of the people" and that "the parliament was now the controlling body".
On the other hand he wrote to the IRB that "the policy of the IRB shall be to utilise every power and movement in the nation, it shall influence them in their activities and coordinate them these activities… to secure the maximum organised strength of the Nation – armed, political, social and otherwise – shall be available for its objectives" and that "while accepting the the present government of the Saor Stait the Supreme Council of the IRB is declared the sole government of the Irish Republic until full independence is achieved and a permanent Republican government is established. The authority of the Supreme Council shall be unquestioned by members", suggesting the possibility that the Irish government would controlled by the IRB either explicity (Collins, O'Duffy and Mulcahy all being IRB members) or from the shadows at least until the establishment of a republic.
Even more controversially I think that given his expressed dislike for both capitalism and socialism, his radical economic and cultural ideas, his advocacy of looking towards mainland Europe (where Italy and Germany were the clear rising stars) and his close friendship with O'Duffy (holding him in high regard and even considering him to be his successor), I think there's a possibility Collins may have had or could've come to have sympathies for fascism, especially if interwar Ireland remains economically and culturally stagnant as in OTL.
One interesting thing economically is that Collins expressed a dislike of both capitalism and 'state socialism', and supported the creation of industries along co-operative lines. He also encouraged Ireland to look to countries in mainland Europe such as Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands for inspiration.
Collins was a strong believer in Gaelic culture and the Irish language, he looked upon the island of Achill as an ideal example of an Irish society unpenetrated by Anglicisation, considered the English language a foreign tongue and saw the restoration of the Irish language to be a very important task without which the Irish people would not be truly free. This could help prevent the Irish langauge from further declining as much as it did if Collins were to implement the recommendations of the 1926 Gaeltacht Commission which Cosgrave ignored OTL and a reform of Irish language teaching methods (even in the 1940s they were known to be archaic and half-assed or 'Antediluvian' as Ailtirí na hAiséirghe put it).
A March 1922 decree that all birth, death and marriage certificates would require Irish-language versions of names was passed unanimously but never implemented due to the outbreak of the civil war, given his views Collins may implement it afterwards.
Regarding the north Collins in the Path to Freddom believed that the Boundary Commission would strip it of Tyrone and Fermanagh (something which we know was not to be) and that Northern Ireland would collapse on its own. He also stated that in an Irish Republic the six counties would have generous autonomy. However later during the civil war he stated: "we now have a force that means something in future dealings with Britain and the North East … The present fight is only training for our troops, it gives our soldiers confidence" and that "I am forced to the conclusion that we may yet have to fight the British in the North East", meaning that conflict over the north in the future would be very likely, especially after it became clear the Boundary Commission wouldn't be what the Irish government hoped it was.
It's clear from his writings that, like de Valera, he believed in gradually detaching Ireland from the Commonwealth and establishing a republic, and as a result I don't see him joining the Allies as some people have theorised before.
More controversially, could Collins have become a dictator? Ireland from the outbreak of the civil war until his death was controlled by a military council consisting of him, Eoin O'Duffy and Richard Mulcahy, the meeting of the Dáil elected in June 1922 was postponed several times and didn't meet until September 1922 after Collins' death. Heavy censorship was imposed and the right to trial before detention was suspended.
The question is if whether this would be temporary until the end of the civil war or if it would go on indefinitely. On one hand, in July Collins wrote a long memo to the Dáil reassuring them that the civil war was "a fight for national freedom' for the 'freest and most democratic system yet devised" that "the army has to recognise that it is the servant and not the master of the people" and that "the parliament was now the controlling body".
On the other hand he wrote to the IRB that "the policy of the IRB shall be to utilise every power and movement in the nation, it shall influence them in their activities and coordinate them these activities… to secure the maximum organised strength of the Nation – armed, political, social and otherwise – shall be available for its objectives" and that "while accepting the the present government of the Saor Stait the Supreme Council of the IRB is declared the sole government of the Irish Republic until full independence is achieved and a permanent Republican government is established. The authority of the Supreme Council shall be unquestioned by members", suggesting the possibility that the Irish government would controlled by the IRB either explicity (Collins, O'Duffy and Mulcahy all being IRB members) or from the shadows at least until the establishment of a republic.
Even more controversially I think that given his expressed dislike for both capitalism and socialism, his radical economic and cultural ideas, his advocacy of looking towards mainland Europe (where Italy and Germany were the clear rising stars) and his close friendship with O'Duffy (holding him in high regard and even considering him to be his successor), I think there's a possibility Collins may have had or could've come to have sympathies for fascism, especially if interwar Ireland remains economically and culturally stagnant as in OTL.
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