6 - De Valera’s Ireland

Summary

Of immediate importance to US officials in Washington and Dublin was whether de Valera’s decisions would lead to a possible confrontation with Britain. It took the Americans some time to identify and then reconcile themselves to de Valera’s political strategy once in office; de Valera had to placate his supporters but not rebuff any potential converts to his party. The chapter argues that American diplomats viewed Ireland not just in terms of domestic events but also in the international context specifically the British Commonwealth of Nations would break up and thereby weaken America’s ally. De Valera’s intention to dilute, if not end, Ireland’s constitutional links to Britain and his constant attempts to entangle America in the Irish question posed many different challenges for Frederick Sterling, Alvin Owsley and John Cudahy in Ireland.