Abstract
W.T. Cosgrave led the first independent government which won the Civil War. Nevertheless, its party, the Cumman na nGaedheal (later named Fine Gael, in 1933) never managed to secure popular support, and was on the decline until 1944 and the retirement of Cosgrave.
The Treaty needed the vote of at least a part of the nationalists to be adopted by the Dail. Michael Collins, thanks to his prestige due to his role in the IRB and the IRA, managed to create a division in their ranks. Griffith and Collins advocated a passage from an ideal nationalism to a pragmatic realpolitik. It would still be possible to push further the freedom given by this treaty, thanks to what was granted in it.
The treaty was only a "stepping stone". Collins also managed to move the debate from politico-philosophical considerations to the field of material consequences of a reject: war with Britain. "Rejection of the treaty means your national policy is war". He carefully prepared this move; almost all the IRA generals declared that the IRA could not stand a new war. The vote was close: 64 against 57. Most of the credit must be given to Collins in securing support for the Treaty. The idea of the stepping stone managed to rally many republicans, such as Batt O'Connor who wrote "We can get the Republic when we are strong enough and England weak enough".
