This book marks the first comprehensive study of the British
Conservative party during the struggle over Home Rule between 1912 and
1914. A struggle in which the Tories, rather than see Ireland achieve
self-governing status along similar lines to Canada, Australia and South
Africa, eschewed constitutional precedents, destabilised the British
state, encouraged civil disobedience and fomented IrelandÃ?Â?Ã?Â-s drift
into civil war. The purpose of this work is to explain how and why these
extraordinary actions occurred.