Posted on 09/11/2023 2:10:41 PM PDT by Olog-hai
Almost five decades after his death, the legacy of Éamon de Valera is in the news again. […]
On a visit to Israel, the Tánaiste (Micheál Martin) faced some criticism in local media for Ireland’s perceived anti-Israeli position and in that context was asked (by an Irish journalist) whether it had been a mistake for de Valera, as Taoiseach, to offer condolences to the German nation on the death of Adolf Hitler.
This controversial act, one of the most controversial things de Valera ever did, has been regularly resurrected in the decades since, with some using it to suggest that he was pro-Nazi. In fact, he was anything but… […]
… de Valera insisted on strict adherence to the formalities of neutrality. […]
As the war drew to a close, though, he became increasingly irritated by the US Minister (a diplomat one rank below an ambassador) in Dublin, David Gray. Gray detested de Valera, and the feeling was entirely mutual.
He kept pushing for more overt Irish assistance, and in April 1945, with Allied victory clearly only days away, he demanded that the German Legation in Dublin be handed over to him. De Valera was furious, rightly seeing that this would breach Irish neutrality and sent Gray away with a flea in his ear. […]
Which is what led to his greatest error of the entire war. When news came through on 2 May 1945 that Hitler was dead, de Valera called on the German Minister, Eduard Hempel, “to offer condolences” on his death. Despite the popular legend, he did not sign a book of condolences; no such book existed. …
(Excerpt) Read more at rte.ie ...
You know how Churchill said if Satan came out against Hitler he would find something nice to say about the devil? That was how the Irish felt about the British. If the Nazi's wanted to kill the British the Irish Communists would be happy to hold their coats.
The Irish regard themselves as "MOPE"s. That stands for "Most Oppressed People Ever". They take pride in their status as pure oppressed victims who never did anything wrong.
It is bosh of course but whatever they have to tell themselves.
Winston Churchill was convinced that after de Valera refused to allow Allied Navy to station ships there for defense of the allied convoys, that de Valelera was going to open the Irish ports to the German Navy’s submarines. He was ready to declare war on Ireland if that happened. Churchill said that de Valera was “frolicking” with the Germans... Irish soldiers were an integral part of the British Army at the time, of course, and Churchill later proclaimed that his issue was with de Valera and his government, not the I wish people. In the end de Valera was exercising Irish neutrality.
However, he did express sorrow at Hitler’s death to the German Legation in Ireland.
*Irish*
There never was any such thing as “Irish neutrality”. Ireland joining the communistic UN in 1955 proved that, and throwing away its sovereignty in 1973 to join the EU solidified that.
I’m 1000% Irish going back hundreds of generations.Ireland’s “neutrality” was a despicable act of cowardice.Thankfully a good number of Irishmen volunteered to serve in Britain’s Armed Forces.
You can’t pick your family or enemies but you do get to pick your friends.
The Irish have often chosen their friends poorly.
“Ireland joining the communistic UN in 1955 proved that”
Ironically, we, the US, was a member of the UN as well. And it was 10 years after the end of WWII.
Many of those volunteers were treated quite miserably when they returned home. A truly neutral Ireland and Irish populace would have never judged their actions and choices.
Not ironically if one considers the left-wing leadership that made the UN into what it is, never mind following the bad example of Woodrow Wilson and the prior League of Nations. Said example was made worse by Alger Hiss, whose commission drew up the UN Charter; Hiss made sure that this charter was patterned after the USSR constitution of 1936, commissioned by none other than Stalin.
Sorry, I guess I should have included a /Sarc label for ya when I typed “Ironically”
Don’t create a false dilemma/red herring here. The harm and influence that Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David could have possibly wielded was neutralized in 1936 when he became Duke of Windsor.
Ireland was (and still can be) a strategic problem for the island of Britain. Showing partiality to national socialists is anything but neutral.
Churchill did the bidding of foreign moneylenders because he lived a lavish lifestyle with dozens of servants and had borrowed heavily as had his father Randolph Lord Marlborough before him, to be bailed out but then to suffer pressure to do the political bidding of the foreigners. Churchill & Lord Gray wanted to attack Germany before the Great War because German industry was out pacing the British. Lord Halifax wanted to attack Germany when Hitler was trying to relieve his people suffering persecution by the Polish junta, where they were isolated in Danzig/Gdansk by the Versailles Treaty. Hitler wanted friendship with Britain. de Valera’s people were just coming out of hundreds of years of brutal British occupation.
Eamon de Valera was a loathsome man, but at the age of 83 he did say one accurate thing: “It is my considered opinion that in the fullness of time history will record the greatness of Michael Collins and it will be recorded at my expense.”
Left-wing propaganda.
Indeed, de Valera was a leader in the Easter Uprising. He was a true “radical” of his day - a Fenian, a devout Catholic, promoter of Gaelic language, certainly hated all things English/British.
He was captured by the Brits and only saved from execution by his American Passport, as the British didn’t want anything to interfere with American political opinion and entry into WWI.
Not a ‘red herring’ at all.
de Valera was Irish to his core.
Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David, as you so lovingly put it, was probably more German than British.
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