Final answer:
England exercised colonial rule over Ireland, with tensions culminating in the Easter Rising of 1916 and eventually leading to the Irish Free State's formation in 1922 through the Anglo-Irish Treaty.
Step-by-step explanation:
England exercised colonial rule over Ireland, a relationship that evolved over centuries. The political tensions centered around the contentious issue of home rule for Ireland remained unresolved for an extended period. During the early twentieth century, the Anglo-Irish relationship reached a pinnacle of strife, particularly with the Easter Rising of 1916 when the Irish Nationalists staged a rebellion against British rule in Dublin, marking a significant escalation in the fight for Irish autonomy.
The concept of home rule emerged as a compromise that would have allowed Ireland to have its own parliament to deal with domestic issues, reducing the control exercised from London. However, the outbreak of World War I and opposition from Protestant Unionists in Northern Ireland, who favored the union with Britain, delayed any resolution. The issue of Irish independence was finally addressed through the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921, which led to the creation of the Irish Free State in 1922, granting 26 southern counties of Ireland a form of autonomy, while the 6 northern counties, with a largely Protestant population, remained part of the United Kingdom.