"In what sense was Ireland "still reeling from the results of the Famine?""
Ladlordism had left huge numbers of tenants landless, and in most cases, homeless
The land disturbances, due to the fact that the break-up of the old landed estates, were largely benefiting the already wealthy farmers, the poorer ones being more or less ignored, officially ended in 1909, but continued much later in the impoverished west.
Rural Ireland was in a mess under British rule as it had served as "England's Breadbasket" and that is how the rural economy had been developed.
Ireland also inherited from British rule the problems of unemployment, emigration, uneven geographical development and lack of a native industrial base.
Industrial developed in the Northern Counties which Britain retained as part of the United Kingdom - that was the legacy of Empire as it was in all the former colonies.
"What choice?"
I've given the choice - are you suggesting that any country should submit to religion-driven bullies?
The treaty was signed under the threat of, should it be refused, Britain would invade.
If Lloyd George, who made the threat, was prepared to send troops to secure a treaty, then he should have been prepared to send troops to defend any treaty that was signed.
The treaty was signed to favour a Loyalist minority because the minority supported British policy.
Britain sent in armed thugs in the form of the Auxiliaries and the Black and Tans, to ascertain that they got the best deal in whatever treaty was signed
The signing of the enforced treaty has been the cause of the spilling of more blood that would ever have been shed if the Loyalists had taken up arms - and that blood is still being split nearly a century later
The latest concern in the North is the massive drain on the British taxpayer in order to police the on-going sectarian marches.
You are an ultra-nationalist, and well known to be one - and I didn't misunderstand you, whatever you might adapt it to since you said it, you wrote "The policy was to place as many people as possible on the side they would choose."
Fairly unequivocal.
Unless you have anything new to add, I think we're done here.
The days of Empire are over - they were on their last legs when the treaty was signed, yet Britain retained six counties, which it still holds.
Jim Carroll