Re-organisation of pro-Treaty Army and Provisional Government

Introduction from the Chronology

The pro-Treaty army is re-organised and there are changes in the Provisional Government.

More Detail

Five command areas were set up: (1) Emmet Dalton in charge of the Eastern Command (made up of old 4^th and 5^th Northern Divisions, the old 1^st and 2^nd Eastern Divisions, Carlow and the two Wexford Brigades); (2) Sean MacEoin in charge of the Western Command which took in the old 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th Western Divisions and much of the midlands); (3) J T Prout in charge of the South-Eastern Command (Kilkenny, Waterford, South and Mid-Tipperary); (4) O’Duffy in charge of the South-Western Command (Clare, Limerick, Kerry and Cork) and (5) JJ O'Connell in charge of the Curragh Command (old 3^rd Southern Division). 

Kevin O’Higgins became Assistant Adjutant General; Joseph McGrath became Director of Intelligence and Diarmuid O’Hegarty became Director of Organisation. (It is unclear if O’Higgins and McGrath left their political posts.)

Cosgrave became chairman of the Provisional Government and Minister of Finance while Collins was involved in military activities. 

(Curran, Regan and Kissane say July 12^th.) 

Hopkinson says that “Tensions between civilian members of the Provisional Government and the army was apparent from the early days of the war.  … The cabinet showed increasing impatience with Collins and Mulcahy for not supplying them rapidly enough with information on military developments.” 

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