Sjeverna Irska između rata i mira
Northern Ireland between War and Peace

Summary/Abstract: The conflict in Northern Ireland, whose modern phase began in 1969, is highly complex and it is impossible to unequivocally define it. On the one hand, it is an internal conflict with the elements of an ethnic, religious and civil strife, and on the other, this is a conflict with a critical international dimension. There have been various definitions of the conflict in Northern Ireland, but one thing is certain: this is undoubtedly one of the most prolonged and bloodiest conflicts in modern Europe, in which 3,600 people have lost their lives, and 47,000 have been injured. This conflict is an amalgam of the past and the present events, processes and relations from the aspect of four types of relationships: between the Catholics (nationalists/republicans) and the Protestants (unionists/loyalists) in Northern Ireland itself; the relationship London–Belfast; London–Dublin and Dublin–Belfast. The analysis of this conflict shows that from the perspective of conflict theory it is one of a kind. No such theory explains this conflict completely; as a matter of fact, the conflict in Northern Ireland is covered by elements of several conflict theories. The analysis also shows that the conflict in Northern Ireland can be solved only by political means. However, due to the complexity of this conflict it is not possible to reach a single solution that would satisfy the maximalist demands of all the parties. This conflict can be resolved by means of a political compromise that would create a framework for action of all the conflicting parties, the framework that would be an end in itself i.e. a way of life and not an instrument for the realization of the original (opposing) ultimate goals of those involved in the conflict.

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