The 'Troubles' in Northern Ireland between 1968-1998 is one of the topics studied in GCSE History. One subject looked at is the role of the security forces at the time.
In 1969 serious inter-communal strife erupted in Northern Ireland, which the local security forces were unable to control. While London considered its options, there seemed to be a real chance of Protestant/Catholic bloodshed if nothing was done soon.
Discover more about the role of the security forces during the Troubles in Northern Ireland in this quiz.
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You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Changing relations: Northern Ireland and its neighbours, 1965-98
The government of Southern Ireland felt that it had a responsibility to protect the minority Catholic community in the North
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The troops' arrival undoubtedly prevented a massacre, and reassured - temporarily - fearful Catholics
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This was a shocking event, in which armed troops gunned down unarmed demonstrators on the streets of a British city
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This early enquiry left in many people an uneasy feeling that justice had not been done
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The Northern Irish authorities had difficulty in getting witnesses to testify against known paramilitaries. Internment was an attempt to overcome this problem
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These methods were revealed in the 1970s and were thereafter discontinued. However, allegations of "torture" persisted, and the damage had already been done to relations between British troops and local Roman Catholics
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In the absence of a political settlement the security forces were left to battle it out with paramilitaries from both sides of the sectarian divide
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Small elite units could be highly effective in the circumstances of Northern Ireland
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When the troops were deployed to the Province in 1969, few can have thought that they would be kept there for anything like as long as this
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A hostile population and the proximity of the Republic made this an especially hazardous region
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