The main cause of famine is an oomycete called Phytophthora, which will lead to potato rot and then crop failure. Potatoes were the main food source for Irish people at that time. This disaster, coupled with many social and economic factors, caused a large-scale harvest loss, which seriously hit the livelihood of poor farmers. The Great Famine had a profound impact on Ireland's society, culture and population. Many historians divide Irish history into two parts: before and after the famine. During the potato famine in Ireland, Britain still imported a large number of grains from the United States, some of which were even transshipped through Irish ports. But the hungry Irish can't afford food, and the aid provided by Britain is very scarce, which eventually leads to a high proportion of Irish people starving to death.
Potatoes are the only crops that Irish people depend on to make a living in the19th century, while the British, as landlords, only care about the export of grain and livestock. Natural disasters and political oppression forced people to revolt, but eventually failed. The tragedy that more than one million Irish people died of famine aroused Irish national consciousness. Under its guidance, 1922 established a free country of Ireland.
The cause of famine
The main cause of famine is potato late blight caused by an oomycete called Phytophthora infestans. Potato was the main food source of Irish people at that time, and with many socio-economic factors, a large-scale crop failure seriously hit the livelihood of poor farmers. Famine has a profound impact on Ireland's society, culture and population. Many historians divide Irish history into two parts: before and after the famine.
Predatory rule
The poverty caused by the British colonial policy of plundering Ireland in an all-round way is the deep cause of this crisis.
The prosperity of the British Empire was developed by the expansion and plunder of the colonies. Ireland, as its first overseas colony, first became its plundering target because of geopolitical relations. From the middle of17th century, Ireland's land was almost completely occupied by British landlords, most of whom lived in England and only cared about the export of grain and livestock, so most of Ireland's agricultural income was exported abroad. Due to the serious land annexation in Ireland, most Irish farmers became tenants of British land nobles. Because of the small land area, they have to grow potatoes to support their families.
In addition, since the merger, Ireland's prosperous industry and commerce have been impacted by British industrial products, which can be freely imported and manufactured under better economic conditions. Therefore, the Irish people live almost entirely on land, and there is no way out for industry. Cruel colonial plunder caused extreme poverty among farmers, and more than half of Irish people lived on potatoes. This excessive dependence on a single crop and the poor people who are not concerned by society have become social hidden dangers buried by the full-scale outbreak of the Great Famine in Ireland.
Poor rescue
Britain's rescue measures are weak and slow to respond. At that time, Britain was in the heyday of the Victorian era, had completed the industrial revolution and was recognized as the factory of the world. Britain is ahead of the world trend in terms of colony, political system and economic development. It is a huge colonial empire with nearly a quarter of the earth's land and nearly a quarter of its population. Britain was a symbol of prosperity, development and civilization at that time, and its national strength ranked first in the world. Even four years before the Great Famine, in order to open the door to China, Britain spared no effort to send warships from India to launch the Opium War. At this time, Britain is making every effort to prepare for the first World Expo in human history.
But in the face of the unprecedented famine in Ireland, it was indifferent, allowing the disaster to spread and letting the Irish people throw bodies everywhere. Even later, the disaster is critical. When the first grain carrier arrived in Ireland, the corn for disaster relief was inedible. Even if the corn is inedible, the application requires extremely complicated procedures. Even Britain has hindered spontaneous humanitarian assistance.
According to the Turkish newspaper Zaman Today (20 12+02 65438+ 10), Sultan Abdul Merced of the Ottoman Empire announced that he would donate 1000 to the hungry people in Ireland. But Queen Victoria asked the Sudan to donate 1000, because the Queen herself only donated 2,000. Therefore, after Sudan donated 65,438+0,000 pounds, Sudan "quietly" transported Minlang elegy grain to Ireland to help the hungry. In addition, in 1847, American Indian Choctaw also raised $7 10 to donate to the hungry people in Ireland.
Selfish law
Britain abolished corn laws during the Great Famine (1846) for its own benefit, which destroyed Ireland's right to freely import grain to Britain, and also made Ireland's wheat lose its monopoly position in the British market, thus destroying Ireland's agricultural economy. Since the abolition of corn laws, most English landlords in Ireland have changed from growing wheat to running animal husbandry, ignoring the famine in Ireland. It greatly weakened the ability to resist famine, which aggravated the development of famine to a considerable extent.
To rob/rob a house in case of fire-fish in troubled waters.
In the worst years of famine, Ireland still exported food to Britain. Ireland was a net exporter of food during the famine. This inhuman practice of taking advantage of the fish in troubled waters and ignoring the lives of the Irish people quickly turned this natural disaster into a man-made disaster. And the famine from 1782 to 1783, Ireland closed its ports, and all food prices fell sharply to save themselves.
Historical background
/kloc-At the beginning of the 9th century, tourists who traveled all over Ireland were horrified to find that it was so poor. The living conditions of rural residents are at the bottom of Europe. People sometimes blame this backwardness on religion, sometimes on political turmoil, rapid population growth or lack of enterprising spirit, while more compassionate people think it is caused by the tyranny of landlords and poor management in Britain.
Irish people are descendants of ancient Celts and have lived on the island of Ireland for generations. In the 5th century, with the introduction of Roman Catholicism, Irish people gradually believed in Catholicism. At the end of the 8th century, Ireland had a unified civilization and laws, but there was no unified country politically. /kloc-at the end of 0/2, King Henry II of England took advantage of the split situation in Ireland, led his troops to land on the island of Ireland, forced the governors to swear allegiance by force, and began to conquer Ireland. During the Tudor dynasty, Britain strengthened its control over Ireland and set out to establish legal and political order on the island.
The real conquest began in16th century. In the next two centuries, wars, rebellions and land expropriation all marked the expansion of the British authorities. Some areas were completely ravaged by English, Welsh and Scottish colonists, and the residents were driven away, and then immigrated in various ways to increase the population.
1603, the Stuart dynasty entered Britain and then colonized Ireland in a planned way. Encouraged by * * *, a large number of Protestant immigrants from Scotland and England came to elster Province in the north. A large area of land in Ireland was occupied, most Catholics were driven to the desolate west, and a small part almost stayed as tenant farmers. After nearly 10 years of colonial activities, Britain finally successfully established a Protestant colony in elster, and Protestant immigrants have surpassed local Catholics, thus sowing the seeds of conflict. During the British bourgeois revolution, Cromwell launched a colonial war against Ireland. A large number of Catholics were slaughtered and the land was divided up by British immigrants.
By the end of 17, Ireland was completely under British control.
Under the influence of the North American War of Independence and the French Revolution, the Irish launched a large-scale anti-British uprising. The British authorities carried out cruel repression, and passed the Anglo-Irish Merger Act in 180 1, which formally incorporated Ireland into the territory of the British Empire, and Ireland completely lost its political and economic independence. After the merger, Protestantism was declared the state religion of Ireland, while Catholics were deprived of their basic political and civil rights. The ethnic conflicts between Britain and Ireland are more intense, and the Irish people's struggle for national liberation is constantly rising. "Catholic Liberation Movement", "Cancellation of Merger Movement", "Fenia Party" Armed Uprising and "Young Ireland Movement" all shook the ruling foundation of Britain again and again.