Why did many nationalists change their view of the British army during the Troubles?

Initially, many nationalists welcomed the British army as protectors who could balance the influence of the Protestant-leaning Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC). However, this perception shifted significantly as the army engaged in aggressive efforts to disarm republican paramilitaries and implemented increasingly stringent security measures, such as internment (detention without trial), which disproportionately targeted the nationalist community.123

The relationship deteriorated further due to the army's role in segregating communities with "peace walls" and, most decisively, the events of "Bloody Sunday" on January 30, 1972. During this incident, British paratroopers shot and killed unarmed civil rights demonstrators in Londonderry. The subsequent Saville Report later confirmed that the victims posed no threat and that the shootings were unjustified, leading to a formal apology from the British government. These actions caused many nationalists to view the British army as an enemy force, fueling recruitment for the Irish Republican Army (IRA), which positioned itself as the defender of the nationalist cause.231