War by Other Means: The Problem of Political Control in Irish Republican Strategy

Abstract

This article examines the interaction between the Irish political party, Sinn Fdin, and the paramilitary group known as the Irish Republican Army (IRA). It argues that the relationship between Sinn Féin and the IRA turns the conventional Clausewitzian understanding of political control of the military on its head. Rather, in the Irish republican movement the military has had the dominant role in devising military and political strategy and Sinn Féin's role has been to support the movement's military campaign. The article traces the stresses that this relationship has had on the political development of militant Irish republicanism from its modern emergence in 1916, and then examines the consequences these have for the future of Irish republicanism and the peace process in Northern Ireland.