FIRST WORLD WAR
The United Kingdom was a one of the
“allies” of the First World War (1914-1918), which fought against the central
powers.
In January
1916, for the first time in the history of the United Kingdom, as well as the
increase of a volunteer army that was the largest in history, known as the
Kitchener Navy, of more than 2 million men.
The war also
witnessed the first aerial bombardments in the cities of Great Britain.
The Irish
after 1916 ceased to collaborate with London and began to sue for immediate
independence.
CREATION OF THE IRISH REPUBLIC
In 1916 the nationalist rebels
participating in the Easter Rising issued the Proclamation of the Republic.
Thought this declaration they declared the establishment of an independent
state called the “Irish Republic”.
The leaders of the Easter Rising had
proclaimed a republic. Arthur Griffith’s Sinn Fein organization, which favored
the establishment of a form of dual monarchy between Ireland and the United
Kingdom, had not participated in the Uprising.
The decision to establish a republic
in 1919, instead of any other form of government, was significant because it
respondent to a total repudiation of any constitutional relationship with
Britain.
SECOND WORLD WAR
Beginning of World War II
The United Kingdom had already urged
Hitler to end its expansion after the invasions of Austria and
Czechoslovakia. September 1, 1939, the
Nazis decided to invade Poland. This attack caused the United Kingdom to
declare war immediately to Germany, thus initiating World War II.
United Kingdom in the battle of France
The United Kingdom sent troops to
Western Europe in May 1940.
The British Expeditionary Force
advanced towards the north of Belgium and tried to stop the advance of the
Germans. Finally, the British troops in European territory were defeated.
The battle of England
By the mid-1940, the United Kingdom
was the only European country that was a threat to Germany. In order to invade
Britain, the Germans had previously to attack the major military installations
of the British.
The Nazis continued
their air strikes between November 1940 and February 1941.