Pearson Edexcel · A-Level · History
Course version: 9HI0 · Version from Sept 2015
Ireland and the Union, c1774–1923 - 2 British reaction: from resistance to…
Full specification wording
Paper 3, Option 36.2: Ireland and the Union, c1774–1923 - 2 British reaction: from resistance to acceptance: Changing attitudes of British politicians to agitation and rebellion in Ireland c1774–1922; the significance of Pitt the Younger, Gladstone, Asquith and Lloyd George.
British politicians shifted from coercion to conciliation as Irish agitation and rebellion exposed the Union's fragility.
Checked against the Pearson Edexcel 9HI0 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 2 of 2
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
British politicians shifted from coercion to conciliation as Irish agitation and rebellion exposed the Union's fragility. Pitt the Younger combined repression of the 1798 rebellion with the Act of Union (1801), believing Catholic emancipation would follow; George III blocked it. Gladstone moved from disestablishing the Church of Ireland (1869) to Land Acts and Home Rule bills (1886, 1893), splitting his party. Asquith's government faced the Ulster Covenant, Larne gun-running and the Curragh incident, then passed the 1914 Home Rule Act suspended by war. Lloyd George's 1921 Treaty created the Free State. Assess significance by weighing each leader's aims, constraints and consequences.
What earns the marks
- Pitt the Younger: responded to the 1798 rebellion with coercion and the Act of Union, expecting emancipation to follow; the King's refusal left a grievance that shaped later agitation.
- Gladstone: shifted from Church disestablishment and land reform to Home Rule, arguing moral duty; his bills failed and split the Liberals, showing the limits of parliamentary conciliation.
- Asquith: balanced Home Rule with Ulster unionist resistance, including the Curragh incident and gun-running; the 1914 Act was suspended, so his significance lies in crisis management rather than settlement.
- Lloyd George: negotiated the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty, accepting partition and dominion status; this ended large-scale rebellion but left unresolved questions about the North and the oath.
- Overall judgement: attitudes changed because rebellion, war and electoral pressure made coercion costly; each leader's significance depends on whether they advanced, delayed or reshaped the settlement.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Treating Pitt as simply anti-Catholic.
Put it right by explaining he favoured emancipation but was blocked by George III, so his significance is the Union plus unrealised conciliation.
Assuming Gladstone's Home Rule bills passed.
Put it right by noting both failed, and that their significance lies in converting a major party to Home Rule and splitting it.
Crediting Lloyd George with a united Ireland.
Put it right by explaining the Treaty accepted partition and dominion status, leaving the Boundary Commission and civil war divisions.
Exam tips
- Anchor each leader to a specific measure or crisis, then explain how it changed British attitudes rather than listing events.
- Compare leaders explicitly: for example, Pitt's coercion-plus-Union against Gladstone's legislative Home Rule and Lloyd George's negotiated treaty.
- Reach a judgement on relative significance, using criteria such as durability, impact on rebellion and effect on party politics.
Try the lesson
The start of the Paper 3, Option 36.2: Ireland and the Union, c1774–1923 - 2 British reaction: from resistance to acceptance: Changing attitudes of British politicians to agitation and rebellion in Ireland c1774–1922; the significance of Pitt the Younger, Gladstone, Asquith and Lloyd George. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Which British Prime Minister was responsible for the Act of Union of 1800, which abolished the Irish Parliament?
Listen
British politicians shifted from coercion to conciliation as Irish agitation and rebellion exposed the Union's fragility. Pitt the Younger combined repression of the 1798 rebellion with the Act of Union (1801), believing Catholic emancipation would follow; George III blocked it. Gladstone moved from disestablishing the Church of Ireland (1869) to Land Acts and Home Rule bills (1886, 1893), splitting his party. Asquith's government faced the Ulster Covenant, Larne gun-running and the Curragh incident, then passed the 1914 Home Rule Act suspended by war. Lloyd George's 1921 Treaty created the Free State. Assess significance by weighing each leader's aims, constraints and consequences. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Pitt the Younger: responded to the 1798 rebellion with coercion and the Act of Union, expecting emancipation to follow; the King's refusal left a grievance that shaped later agitation. Gladstone: shifted from Church disestablishment and land reform to Home Rule, arguing moral duty; his bills failed and split the Liberals, showing the limits of parliamentary conciliation. Asquith: balanced Home Rule with Ulster unionist resistance, including the Curragh incident and gun-running; the 1914 Act was suspended, so his significance lies in crisis management rather than settlement. Lloyd George: negotiated the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty, accepting partition and dominion status; this ended large-scale rebellion but left unresolved questions about the North and the oath. A common slip: Treating Pitt as simply anti-Catholic. Instead, explaining he favoured emancipation but was blocked by George III, so his significance is the Union plus unrealised conciliation. Exam tip: Anchor each leader to a specific measure or crisis, then explain how it changed British attitudes rather than listing events.
Put the events in order
Put these events in the order they happened, earliest first.
- 1. Gladstone disestablished the Church of Ireland
- 2. Gladstone introduced a Home Rule bill
- 3. Asquith's government passed a Home Rule Act suspended by war
- 4. Pitt secured the Act of Union
- 5. Pitt responded to the Irish rebellion with coercion
- 6. Lloyd George negotiated the Anglo-Irish Treaty
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Coercion versus conciliation
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Union and emancipation
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Home Rule and party politics
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Rebellion, war and partition
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
See every definition
- Coercion versus conciliation
- The choice between repression of Irish agitation and rebellion and a more conciliatory approach, as British politicians shifted from resistance to acceptance.
- Union and emancipation
- Pitt the Younger's combination of the Act of Union with the expectation that Catholic emancipation would follow, which George III blocked.
- Home Rule and party politics
- Gladstone's move to Home Rule bills that failed and split the Liberals, showing the limits of parliamentary conciliation.
- Rebellion, war and partition
- The pressures that made coercion costly and led Lloyd George's 1921 Treaty to accept partition and dominion status.
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Test your understanding of Paper 3, Option 36.2: Ireland and the Union, c1774–1923 - 2 British reaction: from resistance to acceptance: Changing attitudes of British politicians to agitation and rebellion in Ireland c1774–1922; the significance of Pitt the Younger, Gladstone, Asquith and Lloyd George.
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