The Irish War of Independence often conjures up images of guerrilla fighters on lonely

mountainsides, trench coats pulled tight on the run from the black and tans. And while that is

certainly part of the story, Ireland's struggle for independence unfolded against the backdrop

of a world in crisis.

The British Empire was in decline.

Its colonies in India and Egypt were also pressing for freedom.

Across Europe, old empires had collapsed in the ruins of the First World War.

Germany and Russia had been gripped by revolution and civil war. Meanwhile,

in the United States, racial tensions were soaring as African Americans demanded equality.

It was in this turbulent world that the IRA sought international allies, what one Republican

journalist would call their brothers in pain.

They also had to navigate a shadowy world of gunrunners and smugglers to arm their campaign back in Ireland,

all the while confronting many great political and social questions of their age.

This overlooked international dimension to the Irish struggle for independence

is the focus of a groundbreaking new series, Brothers in Pain.

Hello and welcome to the Irish History podcast. My name is Finderwer. And today I'm joined by Dr. Brian Hanley, who hosts this new series, Brothers in Pain,

to preview what's coming in the next 10 episodes.

Now, while we get into the story itself in a minute, this new series marks a major departure

for the show.

So for the coming months, there's going to be two episodes of the Irish History podcast each

week.

While I'll continue my normal show coming out on Wednesdays, Brothers in Pain, hosted by

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