Excerpt From "Irish Neutrality in World War II: Eamon de Valera's Struggle to Protect Eire" An Independent Study

World War II is one of the most interesting periods of history for modern Americans. Of the many wars in which American soldiers have fought, it, along with perhaps the American War of Independence and the American Civil War, grips the minds of contemporary Americans. These were defining moments in the nation’s history: the war to found America, the war to maintain America, and the war to maintain World Liberty. Each war is uniquely remembered as being “justified” wars, or wars that America had to fight. For the case of the Second World War, America tried its best to remain at peace, and, although the U.S. Navy had started firing on German U-boats in the Atlantic a few months earlier, America only began to fight in earnest after being attacked by an authoritarian state. This World War was fought from the American point of view to save freedom, liberty, and democracy, from cruel totalitarian states. The American cause in this war was a righteous one, and those men who fought in it and the women who maintained the home-front are remembered as “the greatest generation.” Though soldiers on both sides in the war, Allied and Axis, committed honorable and terrible acts, the Allied cause is generally remembered as good, and the Axis as evil. The American knowledge of World War II is largely limited to the largest powers of the Allied and Axis sides, but there is little knowledge among Americans of the smaller countries, and hardly any of those nations that stayed out of the war entirely. This study is a look at one of those small nations that did not fight in World War II: Ireland. Ireland is not an unfamiliar country to Americans. Many Americans are descendents of Irish people who immigrated to this nation during the nineteenth century, mostly to find work and to escape famine back home in Ireland. While there are a large number of Irish-Americans in the United States, Ireland is often only remembered once a year on March 17, as people stumble out into the streets to parade, drink, and celebrate St. Patrick with a kiss for being Irish. However, Ireland, being so closely tied to American history and identity, should be remembered and studied in this country more often than once a year. This is an examination of Ireland that will mix the heritage that so many Americans derive from that island with the American interest in the Second World War: this is the study of Irish neutrality in World War II. The Irish policy of neutrality was brought about and enforced by Prime Minister Eamon de Valera. The decision to stay out of the fighting in World War