How did the Irish Republican Army use guerrilla warfare after the Easter Rising?
Following the 1916 Easter Rising, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) was established in 1919 as a successor to the Irish Volunteers to resist British rule through armed force. Under the leadership and strategic direction of Michael Collins, the IRA employed guerrilla warfare during the Irish War of Independence (1919–21).12
The IRA’s tactical approach included:
* Asymmetric Attacks: The organization conducted widespread ambushes, raids, and targeted attacks on police barracks.1
* Intelligence Operations: As the director of intelligence, Collins coordinated the revolutionary movement, which included organizing attacks on police and the targeted assassination of leading British intelligence agents in Ireland in November 1920.2
* Strategic Coordination: The campaign focused on destabilizing British administration in Ireland, forcing the British government to respond with counteractions, such as those carried out by the Black and Tans.21
These guerrilla tactics were central to the conflict until a truce was reached in July 1921, eventually leading to the Anglo-Irish Treaty.21