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The Local Memory of Repression and Who Fights

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Soeren HennORCiD

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

Abstract

How does the local memory of past repression affect whether individuals fight for, or rebel against, the government perpetrator? We theorize how information about past repression is transmitted across generations over time to shape long-run patterns of loyalty and rebellion toward the state. We assess this argument by studying how the legacies of the 1845–1849 Irish Famine affected the decisions of subsequent generations of Irishmen to fight for or against Britain. Leveraging data on over 150,000 Irish combatants, we show that individuals in places more severely affected by the Famine fought in the pro-British Irish Militia and the WW1 British military at lower rates. By contrast, they rebelled against Britain at higher rates. Additional quantitative analysis provides evidence consistent with the theoretical argument: constituencies more severely affected by the Famine voted for the pro-Irish and anti-British Sinn F ́ein party at higher rates. Our paper demonstrates how the local memory of past repression can play a crucial role in shaping long-run patterns of conflict participation behavior.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Henn SJ, Huff C

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: World Politics

Year: 2024

Volume: 76

Issue: 2

Pages: 219-258

Online publication date: 13/04/2024

Acceptance date: 31/08/2023

Date deposited: 08/09/2023

ISSN (print): 0043-8871

ISSN (electronic): 1086-3338

Publisher: John Hopkins University Press

URL: https://doi.org/10.1353/wp.2024.a924506

DOI: 10.1353/wp.2024.a924506

ePrints DOI: 10.57711/t2pb-zg92

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