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Northern IrelandHistory

Unit 2: Peace, War and Neutrality 1939 to 1945

3 dot points across 3 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

Why did Eire remain neutral in the Second World War, and how neutral was it in practice?

Eire's neutrality and the Emergency: de Valera's policy of neutrality, the reasons for it, the Treaty Ports, and the limits of neutrality in practice.
A focused CCEA GCSE History guide to Eire's neutrality in the Second World War. Covers de Valera's policy of neutrality, the reasons for it, the Treaty Ports and Churchill's frustration, the period known as the Emergency, and the ways neutrality was bent in the Allies' favour in practice.
13 min answer →

How did the Second World War affect Northern Ireland, from the Belfast Blitz to its strategic role?

Northern Ireland in the Second World War: the Belfast Blitz of 1941, the strategic and economic role of Northern Ireland, and the arrival of American troops.
A focused CCEA GCSE History guide to Northern Ireland in the Second World War. Covers the Belfast Blitz of 1941 and the poor state of defences, the strategic value of Northern Ireland for the Battle of the Atlantic, its economic contribution, and the arrival of American troops from 1942.
13 min answer →

How did the Second World War change Northern Ireland and the Republic, and what was its legacy?

The impact and legacy of the war: the social and economic effects on Northern Ireland, the contrasting experiences of North and South, and the longer-term legacy of war and neutrality.
A focused CCEA GCSE History guide to the impact and legacy of the Second World War on Ireland. Covers the social and economic effects on Northern Ireland, the contrasting wartime experiences of the North and the neutral South, and the longer-term legacy of the war and of neutrality for relations between Britain, Northern Ireland and the Republic.
13 min answer →