Michael Collins and the Financing of Violent Political Struggle

Nicholas Ridley is Senior Lecturer in Policing and Security at London Metropolitan University. He has previously worked as an Intelligence Analyst at New Scotland Yard, Criminal Intelligence Department and Anti-Terrorist Unit and at Europol.He has been a trainer in intelligence and anti-terrorism for police forces in Africa, and has lectured on combating terrorist financing on courses at NATO Centre of Excellence – Defence against Terrorism.

• PART I - Violent Undercurrents pre-1914 Europe 1. Violence in pre-1914 Europe 2. Ireland - peaceful, patient and hopeful PART II – Michael Collins and the struggle for Irish independence 3. Cork, London, Dublin - and 1916 debacle 4. Collins reorganises the Volunteers… 5. And de Valera enlists America 6. The Anglo-Irish War 1919-1921 7. Collins’ Intelligence War 8. Treaty and Civil War PART III – The Sinews of War 9. Preparing in London, active in Dublin 10. Filling the war chest - the National Loan 11. Funds from America, funds in America 12. Collins, Minister of Finance 13. The Anglo-Irish Treaty- Ireland’s fiscal autonomy 14. The North 15. The Sinews of Civil War and the Republicans hamstrung PART IV 16. Later Political Violence and Insurgency and their Financing

"The comparative analysis of terrorist financing will be of value to both practitioners and academics."Dr Anthony Richard, Reader in Criminology University of East London"It has become somewhat twee to speak of the need to inform present day actions by referring to the historical past. However, as Dr Ridley ably demonstrates, through his comprehensive and lucid analysis of Michael Collins, there is clearly a great deal to learn about the characteristics and mitigation of modern day terrorist financing from an exploration of the life of arguably one of its earliest proponents."Professor Rob McCusker, De Montfort University"The historical account is fascinating, the analysis of insurgency financing invaluable"Professor Chizu Nakajima, Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, London