History videos and photos

BBC wrote:

Looking at a series of themes, the suffrage movement, the Irish question, the decline of the liberal party and the arts, he argues that to a large extent Britain was already in a state of flux by 1913 and many of the developments we think of as emanating from or being catalysed by the war, were actually in full flow.

In the year of Scotland's independence referendum, Linda Colley examines the forces that have united and divided Britain [and Ireland] over many centuries

Artur.PL wrote: »

pre war Warsaw (1938)
Warsaw that never will be back

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igv038Pqr34

Might be interesting to some people who like Irish Republican History or The Troubles, probably the first bombing carried out by the Provos, 2 February 1970 (they were formed 5 weeks earlier) at a British Army building on the Shankill Rd, a gelignite bomb thrown from a passing car, no injuries but a fair bit of damage done. The second part of the video is of a People's Democracy (PD) demonstration outside the Guildhall in Derry.

Also of some historical value to people interested in the Troubles, the IRA's first "economic" bombing blitz of Belfast City, occurred on 4 April 1970.

I Remember reading Brendan Hughes's account from "Beyond The Grave" by Ed Moloney that the logic behind the economic bombing in the city was to take the heat off the ghetto areas in Ardoyne, New Lodge, Markets, Ballymurphy etc... The clashes in early April 1970 in Belfast between the Army and the Nationalists were the worst since the Army arrived in August 1969. Billy McKee wanted to engage (shoot at) the British Army in Ballymurphy that night but was overruled by Gerry Adams who was the O/C of the Ballymurphy battalion & the bombing plan went ahead instead.

You can see from this quote by Freeland on the 3rd of April the day before the IRA bombs from the CAIN site how bad things were getting

"Friday 3 April 1970

 As part of a new 'get tough' policy, Ian Freeland, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) the British Army, warned that those throwing petrol bombs could be shot dead if, after a warning, they did not stop using them. If arrested those using petrol bombs could face a sentence of 10 years in prison" - https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch70.htm#Apr

So by bombing Unionist buildings in the city the IRA were forcing troops out of the ghettos & into the cities to protect economic targets, giving Nationalists a breather.

From British Pathe's report

"Background: A TIME BOMB DAMAGED AN ESTATE AGENT'S OFFICES AND SHATTERED DOZENS OF WINDOWS IN BELFAST'S LOWER DONEGAL STREET TODAY (SATURDAY, APRIL 4)

IT WAS THE THIRD EXPLOSION TO DAMAGE SHOPS IN BELFAST TODAY AND A FOURTH BOMB WAS FOUND BEFORE IT WENT OFF.

THESE WERE THE FIRST EXPLOSIONS TO DAMAGE SHOPS IN BELFAST IN SEVERAL MONTHS AND THEY CAME AFTER THE FIRST NIGHT FREE OF FIGHTING IN NEARLY A WEEK.

THE FIRST EXPLOSION BLEW A HOLE IN THE FRONT OF A FURNITURE SHOP OWNED BY BELFAST'S LORD MAYOR, ALDERMAN JOSEPH CAIRNS, IN SHANKILL ROAD, A PREDOMINANTLY PROTESTANT ARA. THE SECOND WRECKED A TAILOR'S SHOP IN ROYAL AVENUE, ONE OF THE MAIN SHOPPING AREAS OF THE CITY.

THE BOMB WHICH DAMAGED THE ESTATE AGENT'S IN DONEGAL STREET EXPLODED DURING THE MORNING RUSH HOUR. GIRLS RAN SCREAMING INTO THE STREET AS WINDOWS SHATTERED. FIVE PEOPLE WERE TAKEN TO HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT FOR CUTS AND SHOCK, BUT WERE LATER RELEASED.

LATER AN UNEXPLODED BOMB WAS FOUND IN A WALLPAPER SHOP IN ROSEMARY STREET, NEAR THE ROYAL AVENUE SHOPPING CENTRE. ARMY BOMB DISPOSAL EXPERT WERE CALLED IN TO DISARM IT. THEY DESCRIBED IT AS A SMALL BOMB.

UNTIL THE EXPLOSIONS, TROUBLE HAD RARELY TOUCHED THE ROYAL AVENUE AND THE DONEGAL ROAD AREAS OF BELFAST.

MEANWHILE, THE BRITISH PEACEKEEPING TROOPS IN NORTHERN ICELAND, IN A GRIM MOOD AFTER FIVE NIGHTS OF FIGHTING IN THE CITY, HAVE BEEN MOVING IN RAPIDLY WITH SHIELDS, BATONS AND TEAR GAS AT THE FIXED SIGHT OF TROUBLE BETWEEN CATHOLICS AND PROTESTANTS."

I thought this extremely naive of the Irish delegates & TDs to look to the US & Woodrow Wilson for help in gaining an independent Republic. With the US being involved in a number of military interventions & Wilson proposing a "Global Monroe Doctrine".