The Unknown Ally

Abstract

There is perhaps no more interesting and complex relationship between states than that of Ireland and the United Kingdom – a matter made all the more complicated by their disagreements during the Second World War. The objective of this thesis was to determine whether Ireland’s policy in the war could accurately be described as neutral and what effects this policy had on Anglo-Irish relations. In order to address these questions, this work studies contemporary government documents, media reporting, and personal correspondence, as well as considering pre-existing scholarship on the matter. The principal conclusion of this work was that Ireland substantially aided the Allied war effort, and that its policies during the conflict did not have any lasting negative implications for the state’s relationship with the United Kingdom.