Irish Free State

De Valera worked to remove British influence in the Free State’s government. In 1933 he abolished the oath of allegiance to the British Crown. The office of governor-general was ignored by the new administration and finally abolished in 1936. The Free State senate, which had opposed and delayed these moves, as well as special legislation to suppress the Blueshirts, was effectively abolished in 1935. In 1936 De Valera removed all references to the British king in the Free State constitution.

During the following year, he worked exhaustively on a new constitution, which was passed by referendum on June 1, 1936. The new constitution established a president as head of state and created a republic in all but name. Under the new constitution, Éire, as the Free State became known, remained a member of the British Commonwealth until 1949, when it was officially declared the Republic of Ireland.