ABSTRACT
This introductory chapter addresses the significance of the year 1916 in the decline of empires. It argues that the Easter Rising marked the beginning of a pivotal moment in the trajectory of anti-imperial activity set in motion by the pressures of World War I, which would culminate in the Russian Revolution of 1917. It focuses on the often-neglected global dimension of the Easter Rising as an event with roots in both the Irish diaspora and transnational intellectual contexts and with implications for places well beyond the island of Ireland. The chapter begins with a historiographical survey which acknowledges the wealth of scholarship situating the Easter Rising within the Irish, British-Irish and Irish-American contexts. It then argues for an expansion of horizons to include connections and comparisons with anti-colonial movements in other parts of the world, such as Australia, central Asia, French Canada, Scandinavia and South Africa. It explains how the combination of transnational and comparative methodological approaches distinguishes this volume from earlier examinations of both the Easter Rising and the year 1916. Finally, it outlines the various contributions that follow in the volume.
