BBC - Spotlight on the Troubles - A Secret History - 1 of 8

Tells the story of the spiral of Northern Ireland into violence in the late 1960s, the attempts of the British Government to get control of the situation, the growth of the provisional IRA, the murky relationship between the security forces and Loyalist paramilitaries and the long, tortuous path to to the end of the violence after almost three thousand deaths over a period of a quarter of a century of violence.

The Spotlight team traces how, in the 1960s, suspicion led to unrest between unionists and nationalists, undermining Northern Ireland's government. The arrival of the British Army in August 1969 brought a break in the conflict, and the soldiers were greeted as protectors by many nationalists. That relationship was spoiled by fatal errors and calculated acts of violence. New information about Martin McGuinness's role at that time is brought to light. Ending with the breaking up of the Northern Ireland government, when IRA members believed they were about to force the British Army out of Northern Ireland.

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