The Historical Evolution of Northern Ireland

154 1 year, King Henry VIII of England upgraded Ireland to a kingdom and became king of Ireland at the same time. Since then, the British government has gradually expanded its control over Ireland. After continuous bloody conflicts, 1603, the nine-year war ended, and England completely controlled Ireland for the first time. 1607 After the earl fled, the Gaelic aristocratic rule in Ireland ended, and James I expanded its colonization of Ireland. Ulster, Northern Ireland, became the main immigration place for a large number of Scots and English immigrants to Ireland Island, which laid the foundation for the Protestant population in Northern Ireland in the future. /kloc-in the 0 th and 7 th centuries, these Protestant immigrants had a serious conflict with the local Catholics in Northern Ireland, and finally ended in the victory of Protestants. Through the criminal law, the British government established the political dominance of Protestants throughout Ireland.

180 1 year, Ireland merged into Britain. From 65438 to 0829, the British government promulgated the Catholic Liberation Act, which abolished the discriminatory policy against Irish Catholics. With the development of Irish autonomy movement, Irish Protestants are worried that Irish autonomy or independence will make them a minority in a country with a Catholic majority, so they become unionists and advocate Ireland to stay in the United Kingdom. At the beginning of the 20th century, with the growing autonomy movement in Ireland, Protestants in Ulster Province organized Ulster volunteers. In response, Catholics organized Irish volunteers.

In the general election of 19 18, in Ireland, Sinn Fein, which advocates Irish independence, won 73% of the votes. However, Sinn Fein lost the election in six counties of Ulster where Protestants dominated. 1920, the British government promulgated the Irish Arbitration Act, which merged six counties in Ulster with Protestants as the leading group to form Northern Ireland, and the remaining three counties in Ulster merged with three other provinces to form Southern Ireland. 192 1 year, after the Irish War of Independence, the Irish Free State was established according to the Anglo-Irish Treaty, and six counties in Northern Ireland became Northern Ireland, and decided whether to stay in the Irish Free State within one month after the signing of the Treaty, while the Northern Ireland Parliament chose to leave the Irish Free State and stay in the UK.

Most northern Irish (unionists) want to stay in Britain, but a considerable number of minorities (nationalists) want to join Ireland. From 1960 s to 1990 s, the struggle between the two factions was armed. 1972, Northern Ireland's autonomy was cancelled. Since the mid-1960s, the two main semi-military organizations have reached an unreliable ceasefire agreement. 1998 After the signing of the Northern Ireland Peace Agreement, the Labour government agreed to form a local self-government in Northern Ireland.

On June 5438+1October 65438+April 2002, it was necessary for the British government to announce the suspension of the operation of the local self-government in Northern Ireland and return the control of Northern Ireland to the central government. On May 8, 2007, after democratic unionist party reached an agreement with Sinn Fein, the coalition government composed of four parties was sworn in, which meant that Northern Ireland officially resumed decentralized self-government.