German Plot (Ireland) facts for kids

The "German Plot" was a fake story made up by the British government in Ireland in May 1918. They claimed that an Irish political group called Sinn Féin was secretly working with Germany. The British said that Sinn Féin and Germany were planning an armed uprising in Ireland during World War I. This uprising would have made Britain send soldiers away from the main war effort. The British government used this claim to arrest many Sinn Féin leaders. These leaders were strongly against Britain trying to force Irish men to join the army, a process called conscription.

What Was the "German Plot"?

The idea of a "German Plot" started on April 12, 1918. On that day, the British arrested a man named Joseph Dowling. He had been dropped off in County Clare by a German submarine. Dowling had been part of the Irish Brigade, a group that tried to get German help for the 1916 Easter Rising in Ireland.

After his arrest, Dowling claimed that Germany was planning to send soldiers to Ireland. Two British intelligence officers, William Reginald Hall and Basil Thomson, believed him. They convinced the authorities to arrest all the leaders of Sinn Féin.

Arrests and Internment

On the night of May 17–18, 1918, about 150 Sinn Féin leaders were arrested. They were sent to prisons in England. The British government decided to take a tougher approach to problems in Ireland. They wanted to force Irish men to join the army (conscription) and also to lock up (intern) political leaders who disagreed with them.

Why the Plot Was Invented

Many people, even at the time, thought the idea of Sinn Féin leaders planning with Germany was not true. Most Irish nationalists believed the "German Plot" was not a real mistake by intelligence officers. Instead, they saw it as a way to spread false information, known as black propaganda. The goal was to make Sinn Féin look bad, especially to people in the United States who didn't know much about Ireland.

Historian Paul McMahon believes that the British authorities genuinely thought the information was true, even though it turned out to be wrong.

Unexpected Results

The arrests did not help the British. Some Sinn Féin members were warned about the arrests and managed to escape. Others chose to be arrested to gain public sympathy and support.

By locking up the more moderate Sinn Féin leaders, the British accidentally helped a more radical group. Members of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, who were more committed to using force, were not caught. This allowed Michael Collins to become a stronger leader within the organization. He then focused Sinn Féin more on military actions.

See also

• Conscription Crisis of 1918
• 1918 Irish general election
• Irish War of Independence (1919–21)