The civil war ended as a draw? It didnt. Liam Lynch the commander is chief of the irregulars (IRA) was killed in the Tipperary mountains and his successor (cant think of the name) called for a truce. Thats a surrender as far as im concerned. In any case the IRA were doomed because if the Free state army got into trouble, the Brits would come on board to help them.
Westside.
wanted the best 69 (05-09-10)
One thing about the Civil War that few ppl know. Tom Barry, commander in chief of the Cork IRA flying column was asked about the Civil war and said if he had his way around again he would have shot one person, DeValera. I was told this by ppl who drank with him on the night he said this. He hated DeValera and saw him as a traitor who turned on his own men.
which he was,
Westside
wanted the best 69 (05-09-10)
wanted the best 69 (05-09-10)
wanted the best 69 (05-09-10)
Frank Aiken was his name. He didn't call for a truce - he simply declared a ceasefire, ordered his men to dump their arms and go home.
Yeah, I agree about the likelihood of British intervention - after all, it was their treaty. But you'd be hard pressed to count the Irregular ceasefire as a surrender. Why no follow up arrests, internments or executions? After all, it was publi knowledge who the Irregular leaders were. The fact that the National Army made no attempts to "mop up" the remaining Anti-Treaty leaders might indicate that they were not prepared to pursue a "victory". Although the clear military victory belongs to the Pro-Treaty side, their victory was not completed.
I don't know anything about Tom Barry's drinking habits, but perhaps he'd had one too many when he blurted this out. Also, because you didn't hear it from his mouth, it's a secondary source (and in court the judge would yell at you for bring up hearsay as evidence).
Okay, this is an obviously provocative line. How do you figure that de Valera was a traitor to the Republic who turned on his own men?