The Anglo-Irish Treaty was a treaty signed by England and Ireland on December 6, 1921. Michael Collins was one of the authors of this document of agreement. England allowed for a self-governing Irish Free State, but they were to remain under the British commonwealth. This is where most of the controversy was directed.
At first, Michael Collins said, "There will be no compromise and no negotiations with any British Government until Ireland is recognized as an independent republic . . . The same effort that would get us Dominion Home Rule will get us a republic,” (Wikipedia.com). He was not going to accept anything less than an Irish independence and all the demands he desired. This was a nice thought, but Britain was just about as stubborn as he was. He later came to realize that the only way to get anywhere near the independence he wanted, Ireland would have to compromise. He then said, "There would have to be some compromise in the current negotiations in London. There was no question of our getting all the demands we were making," (Wikipedia.com).
The treaty's limitations determined the limitations in the later Constitution of the Free State of Ireland, which was written in 1922. Half of the IRA and other Irish nationalists strongly disagreed with these limitations, so they were split into two groups: the anti-treaty, and the pro-treaty parties. The anti-treaty forces viewed Collins as a traitor for allowing Ireland to remain apart of the British Empire. He agreed that the treaty didn't gain them the full republic that they'd fought for, but he said the it gave Ireland "the freedom to achieve freedom," (Wikipedia.com). Without the Anglo-Irish Treaty, Ireland would not have become an Irish Free State. It was the closest they could come to independence, so they had to accept it.
At first, Michael Collins said, "There will be no compromise and no negotiations with any British Government until Ireland is recognized as an independent republic . . . The same effort that would get us Dominion Home Rule will get us a republic,” (Wikipedia.com). He was not going to accept anything less than an Irish independence and all the demands he desired. This was a nice thought, but Britain was just about as stubborn as he was. He later came to realize that the only way to get anywhere near the independence he wanted, Ireland would have to compromise. He then said, "There would have to be some compromise in the current negotiations in London. There was no question of our getting all the demands we were making," (Wikipedia.com).
The treaty's limitations determined the limitations in the later Constitution of the Free State of Ireland, which was written in 1922. Half of the IRA and other Irish nationalists strongly disagreed with these limitations, so they were split into two groups: the anti-treaty, and the pro-treaty parties. The anti-treaty forces viewed Collins as a traitor for allowing Ireland to remain apart of the British Empire. He agreed that the treaty didn't gain them the full republic that they'd fought for, but he said the it gave Ireland "the freedom to achieve freedom," (Wikipedia.com). Without the Anglo-Irish Treaty, Ireland would not have become an Irish Free State. It was the closest they could come to independence, so they had to accept it.