they would shoot soldiers, if Irishmen
were shot. The Protestant Ulster
Volunteer Force—an extreme and
illegal paramilitary unit—quickly
joined in, offering to shoot a Catholic
in return for every soldier shot by the
IRA. The Times quoted a Belfast
citizen saying: “Anyone who isn’t
confused here doesn’t really
understand what is going on.”That year, there were 25 deaths, 213
shootings, and 155 bombings. The
British stood firm. They cracked down
even harder—and in 1971, there were
184 deaths, 1,020 bombings, and 1,756
shootings. Then the British drew a line