Frank Ryan helped the Nazis?

[bolshevik butcher]

One for the Irish comrades probably. I was reading recently that Frank Ryan, the Republican figher and socialist who led and recruited the Conolly Column who fought in the Spanish civil war after being captured went to live in Germany and help the Nazi regieme in Germany. Is this an accurate account? It seemed to me bizzare that someone who had committed so much to socialism would do this.

[Random Precision]

As I understand it his involvement with the Abwehr was an attempt to secure German support/funding for a new IRA uprising in Ireland. A couple of operations were planned and then cancelled. He was never fully trusted by the Nazis because of his socialist past, which I guess doesn't say a whole lot, but still, he never considered himself a Nazi or fellow traveler, rather he held the view that "England's loss was Ireland's gain". Essentially he was willing to make deals with the devil for the sake of Ireland, which, while despicable in itself, does not equal "helping" the Nazis, as you say.

[bolshevik butcher]

Right, thanks for your help there. I knew that sections of the IRA had done such deals with the Nazis I never fully made the connection with Frank Ryan given that I thought he came from the left of the IRA. Did he effectively abandon socialism after the Spanish Civil War?

[Random Precision]

Originally posted by bolshevik [email protected] 16, 2007 11:49 am
Right, thanks for your help there. I knew that sections of the IRA had done such deals with the Nazis I never fully made the connection with Frank Ryan given that I thought he came from the left of the IRA. Did he effectively abandon socialism after the Spanish Civil War?
Well, I don't think we can ever be sure. He probably would have said something like that to get in with the Nazis, but on the other hand it's usually not something you abandon just like that.

Although it does seem like he saw himself as an Irish nationalist above a socialist at the very least...