Spain was recovering from a devastating civil war and Switzerland was swimming in nazi gold. Why did Ireland sit out?
2007-02-16 06:54:35 · 10 answers · asked by byzantine 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
Hatred of England due to their long history together - and they were trying to win Home rule. N. Ireland did participate on the Allies side and suffered bombing of Belfast and it's shipyards.
It recently came out that Ireland (the republic) allowed Nazis to settle in Ireland after the war.
But, as you point out about the Swiss - no one was really all that neutral.
2007-02-16 07:00:03 · answer #1 · answered by slipstreamer 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Switzerland, Sweden, Ireland and Portugal were neutral. Spain was officially neutral - and it suited everyone in 1945 to pretend that she had been neutral in fact, tactfully overlooking the fact that the Spanish Blue Division took part in Barbarossa as part of Army Group North. As an aside on Irish neutrality, there's a passage on Ireland's stance in Nicholas Monsarrat's The Cruel Sea (well worth a read) in which he expresses a view which probably had much support at the time.
2016-05-24 07:20:47 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You might be interested to know that in both world wars Ireland volunteered more men to the allied forces -per head of population- than any country other than the U.K.
Ireland was not neutral out of any attitude towards England.
The Irish constitution specified-and still does- a policy of neutrality in all wars and this was in place long before 1939.
2007-02-16 07:17:29 · answer #3 · answered by bearbrain 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋
In response to t d's comment
Sweden remained officially neutral during World War I and World War II, although its neutrality during World War II has been highly debated.[14][15] Sweden was forcibly under German influence for most of the war, as ties to the rest of the world were cut off through blockades.[16] The Swedish government felt that it was in no position to openly contest Germany,[17][18] but it did attempt to help the Allies in secret. Many refugees were saved partly because of Sweden's neutrality, among them many Jews from Nazi-occupied Europe.[19][20] (See further Sweden during World War II). Nevertheless, internal and external critics have argued that Sweden could have done more to resist the Nazi war effort, even if risking occupation.[21]
2007-02-16 08:35:17 · answer #4 · answered by Stephanie W 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
To have been in WWII you had to declare war or to be declared war on. Ireland's constitution doesn't allow this as we have to remain neutral and we weren't attacked. The USA was neutral until it was attacked. Also, a country has a policy of neutrality because its citizens wish it so. Saying it is an excuse demeans those citizens' beliefs.
2007-02-18 22:02:12 · answer #5 · answered by eorpach_agus_eireannach 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
About 250,000 Irish soldiers joined the English Army. Ireland, nevertheless, allowed German submarines to dock in Irish harbors. There is a lot more to the picture than meets the eye when it comes to details about WWII.
2007-02-16 08:26:00 · answer #6 · answered by mac 7 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Ireland and England were bitter enemies, so the Irish were not going to support the British. But of course they would never support the Nazis, so they stayed nuetral.
2007-02-16 10:03:23 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Spain was not technically neutral. It sent thousands of "volunteers" to fight on the side of the Nazi's against Russia. they also lent supplies, bases and workers to the Axis cause.
2007-02-16 07:23:22 · answer #8 · answered by jefferson 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
They had the map upside down and invaded the Azores instead of France.
2007-02-16 06:59:29 · answer #9 · answered by the_lipsiot 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Surely Sweden also was neutral?
2007-02-16 07:39:43 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋