Michael Collins’ Treaty Controversy

1. De Valera, President of the Republic of Ireland, was dissatisfied with Corinthian signing of the treaty without the authorization of himself and his cabinet.

2. The content of the treaty is also highly controversial. De Valera and many members of his party and movement opposed Ireland as a dominion under the British Empire, and even more opposed to a symbolic oath of allegiance to the British King.

Also controversial is the British reservation of treaty ports on the southern coast of Ireland for the use of the Royal Navy. These disputes would allow Britain to threaten Ireland's foreign policy. Almost half of MPs opposed the treaty. The treaty was finally adopted on January 7, 1922, by a vote of 64 to 57. What's more serious is that most members of the Irish Revolutionary Army opposed the treaty, casting a shadow of civil war on the future.

Extended information:

The treaty signed is called the "British-Irish Treaty". The content of the treaty:

The main content of the treaty is to divide the united Ireland into two parts. In part, 26 counties in the south were formed into the Free State; 6 counties in the north were assigned to the United Kingdom. The Free State nominally enjoys full powers of self-government and self-determination. However, its foreign policy and part of its domestic affairs are still under British supervision. The Free State must be loyal to the British Crown, and laws passed by Parliament must be approved by the British Governor before they can take effect.

In addition, Britain continues to control certain ports under the pretext of defense needs. On January 7, 1922, the Irish National Assembly passed it by 64 votes to 57, and it was officially approved on January 14. According to this treaty, limited autonomy was achieved in southern Ireland, basically ending 700 years of British colonial rule. But Northern Ireland was artificially divided.

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