Quote Originally Posted by Burney View Post
Essentially, yes. The anti-Treaty forces wanted to continue the war until all war aims (ie a united, independent Ireland) were met. The war took the form of skirmishes, assassinations and ambushes (in one of which Collins was killed in West Cork). There was one instance of a rising in Dublin, where the Anti-Treaty forces seized the Four Courts. Amusingly, the British Army had to lend the Pro-Treaty government artillery in order to put this down.
Ultimately, it was a war between pragmatic compromise and impossible, die-hard idealism
But if the anti-treaty lot had got control of the south, and then fought for the north, they'd have been at war with the UK. Which had a huge number of battle hardened men, a RN that done for the Krauts, more heavy artillery that you could shake a stick at and planes.

Don't fancy their chances.