October 16, 1890

Clonakilty, Ireland

August 22, 1922

Beal na Blath, Ireland

Leader of the Irish independence movement

"Think, what have I got for Ireland? Something she has wanted this past 700 years. Will anyone be satisfied in the bargain? Will anyone? I tell you this, I have signed my death warrant."

The story of Irish independence from Great Britain covers more than a century of fighting and bloodshed. During and after World War I (1914–18), Michael Collins was a military leader of the pro-independence forces that eventually took control of the island nation. During the final battles, which raged from 1916 to 1922, Collins played a number of key roles: military strategist, finance minister, and treaty negotiator.

But, eventually, Collins agreed to a treaty short of full-fledged independence. His decision enraged some supporters of Irish...