Ireland's Bloody Sunday:
Failures of Debate and Diplomacy

After six months of peace between the IRA and the British government, on July 7, 1972, IRA leaders met with the British government on Chelsea's Cheyne Walk to keep peace. This international negotiation, or diplomacy, was unsuccessful because the IRA and the British could not reach a consensus and debated continually. Consequently, two days later, the Catholic tenants of Caledon were forced out of their homes which were then given to Protestant tenants.

Two weeks later on July 21, 1972, the IRA planted 22 bombs throughout Belfast. They all exploded in approximately 75 minutes killing nine people and severely injuring 130 others. Additionally, the IRA warned people of more bombs to come in order to make the situation more chaotic and effective. The IRA claimed land in Belfast which led the British to retaliate by enacting  ‘Operation Motorman’. This commenced on July 31st and only lasted a few hours. The British Army used bulldozers to break through the barricades into the IRA's claimed land. The IRA had no weapons and didn't fight back, so the land fell back into British hands.