The Attitude of the Russian Social-Democrats to Solving the «Damned Irish Issue» during the World War I

The paper investigates the extremely urgent issue in modern political life of Western Europe of the possibility of gaining independence by components of any empire from its metropolis. This problem is considered on the example of the UK. In September 2014 there will be a referendum on Scottish independence, and «damn the Irish question» was the same current in the early 20th century. Prominent Russian social-democrats paid close attention to the ways of solving this issue, strongly defended the right of peoples to self-determination, considered this principle as essential foundation of national relations and advocated the independence of Ireland. Therefore, active reaction to the events of Dublin uprising in April 1916 was given in their publications. The uprising was brutally suppressed by the British authorities, but still played a major role in the future of Irish Republic gaining independence from Britain.