John Collins: The Biography of the Revolutionary

John Collins is one of the most famous Irish revolutionaries. Personality is rather ambiguous, in British society there are still heated debates about the evaluation of this person's activities. Undoubtedly, John had a great influence 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 Cork County in 1890. His father was a farmer. The economy brought some profit, but it was impossible to call Collinses prosperous. Father was not young, so John's upbringing was also done by his brothers. Michael, the father of the child, in the past was in the Irish separatist movement Shin Fein. In his youth, he was active in the struggle for freedom of Ireland. However, later he retired from business and began to engage in farming. 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.

Since his childhood John has established himself as a talented young man. He studied well and quickly grasped new information. As he grew up without a father, he spent a lot of time with his old friends. In particular, the smith James Sentry had a serious influence on the boy. From him, he adopted the spirit of Irish patriotism. The principal of the school where Collins studied was a member of the radical Irish Republican Brotherhood. He paid close attention to the young man, since he saw in him the future fighter for the independence of "the old lady of Ireland."

After graduation, John Collins goes to London, where he goes to college. Life in British society further strengthens his hatred for the United Kingdom. He finishes training and takes a job at the post office. He also joins the secret cell of the Irish Brotherhood. There, he quickly won the trust and respect among the permanent members. Already at the age of 19 he is represented by the top management of the organization.

Preparation for performance

In 1914 Britain entered 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 takes part in it directly. According to the plan of the separatists, a sharp national speech will bring significant success, since the British army is weakened by participation in the war. They were also inspired by the revolutions that took place in other parts of Europe. In particular, it seemed like the doomed October Revolution in Russia.

Easter rebellion

After 2 years, the date was already chosen - April 24. It was the next day after Easter. Separatists believed that this is a very convenient date, because in Ireland there was a significant stratum of ardent Catholics. So, on Monday, large-scale protest rallies began in Dublin. Radical groups like the "Irish Volunteers" and the "Civil Army" took control of the main administrative buildings of the capital. John Collins led the intelligence. I personally took part in clashes with the British army. He defended the postal service with a weapon in his hands. After the suppression of the protests, the war for the independence of Ireland began.

The fight for freedom

John Collins developed effective tactics of fighting the British troops. Prior to this, the insurgents crowd occupied separate buildings and then tried to hold them, becoming an easy target. And given the numerical and qualitative superiority of state troops, it was impossible to counter them effectively. Therefore, Collins proposed the creation of small mobile groups. They had to suddenly attack British soldiers, take trophies and hide. Already in the first days it brought a serious result.

Further negotiations began with the British government. The Irish were allowed to have their seats in the parliament (which was before that). However, an obligatory condition was the division of the country into several parts - independent South Ireland and North, which remained in the kingdom. Revolutionary John Collins sided with the supporters of this treaty. Because of this, some members of the IRA decided to kill him. On August 22, 1922, a detachment of John was attacked. After a half-hour battle, Michael John Collins died.