The Great Famine was one of the (if not the) worst catastrophes to ever hit Ireland. The enormity of the death toll and the emigration that followed meant that, even today, the Irish population today (counting both the Republic and NI) is still smaller than what it was before the famine.
So, was there any way the British government could've handled things better? Could they, for example, stop or at least restrict food exports? Would a Peel ministry that doesn't fall apart over the repeal of the Corn Laws be more likely to give some sort of relief for the Irish than the Whigs were?
So, was there any way the British government could've handled things better? Could they, for example, stop or at least restrict food exports? Would a Peel ministry that doesn't fall apart over the repeal of the Corn Laws be more likely to give some sort of relief for the Irish than the Whigs were?