Last Opportunity Quotes
Under the treaty between Ireland and England that created the Irish free state, in case of war or other contingency, the Irish Free State was required to allow Great Britain to use specific seaports. However, De Valera hated the English, originally opposed the treaty, and was adamant that the Irish Free State be neutural in WWII. He therefore refused to fulfill the Irish obligation. For Churchill this was the last chance for De Valera to show that the Irish Free State was a real nation with rights and obligations. Interestingly, although De Valera did not want to assist the British fighting the Germans, over 70,000 Irishmen went to England and Volunteered to fight on the British side. There were Irish batallions fighting on the allied side but the Irish Free State was neutural. De Valera made matters worse when he allowed German agents into the Irish Free State to try and go from there to England as well as set up observation posts to guide German bombers attacking the populated city of Belfast and other parts of Northern Ireland. See {639724} for Chirchill’s later reflective commentary on the situation.
