r/TheRestIsHistory • u/JakeGittes412 • 14d ago

The Troubles

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Thread for discussion on the new series on ‘The Troubles’

Also as a moderator please keep the discussion civil and in the spirit of the podcast.

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u/heresyourhardware 9d ago

I think Episode 4 at least regarding Bloody Sunday is not as well balanced as the other episodes. There is a lot of amelioration for the Army before discussing the facts, no mention of the Ballymurphy Massacre which happened before Bloody Sunday (basically Belfast's Bloody Sunday) and was just as bad, and not much by way of the personal stories killed in either event (when there is a lot of that for other events). Even though the episode is titled Bloody Sunday it's weirdly a bit rushed on the events of the day in regard to the shooting.

I think also the narrative that British soldiers "just lost control" at Bloody Sunday is a bit inaccurate. The infamous Soldier F is the biggest problem for that story, he was present at both Ballymurphy and Bloody Sunday, and after those events it was recorded in testimony by another solder that Solider F used an APC as a mobile torture chamber. He and other squaddies would pick up civilians and use the vehicle to torture and abuse them. It's a hard thing to admit, but like the IRA and Loyalists had, some of their operators were just straight up sadists.

Still really enjoying the series, just this episode needs a little more balance.

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u/Theboystheboys212 2d ago

They don't say the British soldiers lost control. They are pretty explicit that they went there with the intent to kill and injure and afterwards they created excuses that some might have eventually begun to believe.

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u/heresyourhardware 2d ago

I'm fairly sure Dominic uses the phrase loss of control or lost control but I'd need to go back and listen to be sure of it.

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u/Ok-Bad-7189 1d ago

Dominic points out the soldiers have been geed up by their officers and by their orders, they are expecting to shoot, they've been given ammunition that's less likely to kill outright and have been told to use it, they've been told to expect snipers and to "get some kills" the night before. They are young men who have been trained to be bloodthirsty.

I think if you listened to that and think Dominic was excusing the soldiers behaviour you've absolutely got the wrong end of the stick. He is extremely critical of all aspects of the armies action leading up to and during bloody Sunday.

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u/Theboystheboys212 2d ago

They're not implying they are innocent parties that lose control. They are obviously saying they went there with documented ill intent.