Abstrakt
The Second World War marked a watershed in the history of Ireland, or the Irish Republic as it is known today. For the first time in history, Irish politicians acted entirely independently of Great Britain.
The vast majority of the Irish political scene, with Eamon de Valera as Taoiseach, agreed that it was in the national interest to stay out of the war and remain neutral. However, to fulfill their resolution they had to keep in mind both domestic and international factors and to make most of their diplomatic skills.
The paper analyzes the period between September 1939 and June 1941. It argues that it is possible to trace a pragmatic rationale behind the decisions of the Irish government and that domestic and international issues, and especially how these were seen and interpreted by the Irish political and diplomatic elite, influenced the shape of the policy and its modifications.
At the same time, the role of Irish nationalism and the desire for complete sovereignty must not be underestimated.