The Easter Crisis of 2020

It’s odd, but Easter has often provoked political crises. For example, 100 years ago, Denmark experienced what they call the Easter Crisis of 1920. A few years earlier, Ireland went through the Easter Rising of 1916, about which Netflix has recently produced a film called Rebellion. Are we going to experience the Easter Crisis of 2020?

Easter was a crisis.

Exactly 100 years ago, Denmark experienced the Easter Crisis of 1920. The king and the cabinet had a conflict that escalated into a constitutional crisis, leading to the development of a constitutional monarchy in Denmark.

Easter was also a rising. In Ireland, the Easter Rising of 1916 was a bloody milestone in the struggle between the Irish and the British. Beginning on Easter Monday, thousands of Irish men and women seized locations in Dublin and proclaimed an Irish Republic. The British Army responded with force, leading to fierce street fighting and heavy casualties. Almost 500 people died, and 2,600 were wounded.

After six days, the British Army suppressed the Easter Rising. Thousands of people were taken prisoner, and most leaders of the movement were executed.

But Britain’s reaction to the Easter Rising was not popular. Public opinion began to shift, and the result was that Ireland moved steadily toward independence.

On the centennial of the...