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History Ireland

Whose Mission, Whose Orders?

British Civil-Military Command and Control in Northern Ireland, 1968-1974

by (author) David A. Charters

Publisher
McGill-Queen's University Press
Initial publish date
May 2017
Category
Ireland
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9780773549265
    Publish Date
    May 2017
    List Price
    $45.95
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9780773549289
    Publish Date
    May 2017
    List Price
    $34.95

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Description

The 1998 Good Friday Agreement that ended the conflict in Northern Ireland left intriguing questions unanswered: who made the crucial decisions about the use of the British Army during the Troubles - the politicians or the generals? And how did these decisions shape the army’s operations on the ground?

In Whose Mission, Whose Orders?, David Charters pulls back the curtain on secret debates between British politicians and generals, as each struggled to assert their control over army operations. Consulting original sources, Charters examines the roles played by politicians, generals, and senior civil servants in the initial deployment of troops in 1969, the internment operation, the removal of the “no-go” areas, and the Ulster Workers' Council general strike. The case studies highlight the army’s dualistic character as both a professional force and a skilled political player. Despite its political function, Charters argues, politicians did not always listen to the army’s military advice, leading to unsound decisions that aggravated and prolonged the unrest.

Illustrating the complex and dynamic balance of civil and military objectives that informed security policy and operations during the conflict in Northern Ireland, Whose Mission, Whose Orders? offers new perspectives on command and control in unconventional warfare.

About the author

David A. Charters is a retired professor of military history at the University of New Brunswick.

David A. Charters' profile page