Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Troubles refers to the ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted from the late 1960s to 1998. This period involved violent conflict between unionists and nationalists, resulting in over 3,500 deaths and significant political and social upheaval.
The Troubles began in the late 1960s and ended in 1998. The Northern Ireland Troubles Legacy and Reconciliation Act 2023 defines the start of the conflict as the 1st of January 1966, while the deployment of British troops occurred on the 14th of August 1969.
The main groups involved were unionists and loyalists, mostly Ulster Protestants, and nationalists and republicans, mostly Irish Catholics. Paramilitary groups such as the Provisional IRA and the Ulster Volunteer Force were responsible for the majority of deaths, while the British security forces and the Royal Ulster Constabulary also played significant roles.
The conflict was a political and nationalistic struggle over the status of Northern Ireland, not a religious war. It began as a campaign by the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association to end discrimination against the Catholic-nationalist minority by the Protestant-unionist government and local authorities.
More than 3,500 people were killed in the conflict, with 52% being civilians, 32% members of the British security forces, and 16% members of paramilitary groups. Republican paramilitaries were responsible for 60% of total deaths, followed by loyalist paramilitaries at 30% and security forces at 10%.