John Collins is one of the most famous Irish revolutionaries. The personality is rather ambiguous, in British society to this day there are heated debates regarding the assessment of the activities of this person.
Undoubtedly, John had a huge impact on the development of the struggle of the Irish people for freedom from British oppression. But at the same time, he played a decisive role in the division of Ireland, which subsequently led to a bloody civil war.
Irish Biography: John Collins
John was born in County Cork in 1890. His father was a farmer. The farm brought some profit, but it was impossible to call the Collins prosperous. His father was not young, so his brothers also took care of John's upbringing. Michael, the child's father, was a former member of the Sinn Fein Irish separatist movement. In his youth, he even showed activity in the struggle for the freedom of Ireland. However, he later retired and became a farmer. In 1896 he died. According to many historians, before his death, he said that his youngest son John would become a great man for Ireland.
John has proven himself as a talented young man since childhood. He studied well andgrasped new information quickly. As he grew up without a father, he spent a lot of time with his old friends. In particular, the blacksmith James Santry had a serious influence on the boy. From him he took over the spirit of Irish patriotism. The director of the school where Collins studied was a member of the radical Irish Republican Brotherhood. He paid close attention to the young man, as he saw in him the future fighter for the independence of the "old woman of Ireland".
After leaving school, John Collins goes to London, where he goes to college. Living in British society further strengthens his hatred of the United Kingdom. He graduates and gets a job at the post office. Also joins a secret cell of the Irish Brotherhood. There he quickly gains trust and respect among the permanent members. Already at the age of 19, he is introduced to the top management of the organization.
Preparing for the performance
In 1914, Britain enters the First World War. The leadership of various Irish underground organizations regards this event as a chance to start an armed struggle. Active preparation begins. John Collins is directly involved in it.
According to the idea of the separatists, a sharp popular action will bring significant success, since the British army is weakened by participation in the war. They were also inspired by the revolutions taking place in other parts of Europe. In particular, the October Revolution in Russia that seemed doomed to failure.
Easterrebellion
After 2 years, the date was already chosen - April 24th. It was the day after Easter. The separatists believed that this was a very convenient date, since there was a significant stratum of ardent Catholics in Ireland. So, on Monday, large-scale protests began in Dublin. Radical groups like the Irish Volunteers and the Citizen Army have taken control of the capital's main administrative buildings. John Collins was in charge of intelligence. He personally took part in clashes with the British army. He defended the Postal Service with weapons in his hands. After the suppression of protests, the Irish War of Independence began.
Fight for Freedom
John Collins developed an effective tactic against the British troops. Prior to this, the rebels occupied individual buildings in a crowd and then tried to hold them, becoming an easy target.
And given the numerical and qualitative superiority of state troops, it was impossible to effectively resist them. Therefore, Collins proposed the creation of small mobile groups. They were supposed to surprise British soldiers, take booty and hide. Already in the first days it brought a serious result.
Next, negotiations began with the British government. The Irish were allowed to have their own seats in Parliament (which was before). However, a prerequisite was the division of the country into several parts - independent Southern Ireland and Northern Ireland, which remained part of the kingdom. Revolutionary John Collins joined the supportersof this agreement. Because of this, some members of the IRA decided to kill him. On August 22, 1922, John's unit was attacked.
After half an hour of fighting, Michael John Collins died.
