The Free State government had started peace negotiations in early May, which broke down. The High Court of Justice in Ireland  ruled on 31 July 1923 that a state of war no longer existed, and consequently the internment of republicans, permitted under common law only in wartime, was now illegal. Without a formal peace, holding 13,000 prisoners and worried that fighting could break out again at any time, the government enacted two Public Safety  Acts on 1 and 3 August 1923, to permit continued internment and other measures. Thousands of Anti-Treaty IRA members  were arrested by the Free State forces in the weeks and months after the end of the war, when they had dumped their arms and returned home. On 27 August 1923, a general election was held, which Cumann na nGaedheal, the pro-Free State party, won with about 40% of the first-preference vote. The Republicans, represented by Sinn Féin, won about 27% of the vote. Many of their candidates and supporters were still imprisoned before, during and after the election. In October 1923, around 8,000 of the 12,000 Republican prisoners in Free State gaols went on a hunger strike. The strike lasted for 41 days and met little success . However, most of the women prisoners were released shortly thereafter and the hunger strike helped concentrate the Republican movement on the prisoners and their associated organisations. In July, de Valera had recognised the Republican political interests lay with the prisoners and went so far as to say:

Question: Which happened last, the ruling that a state of war no longer existed, or the enactment of Public Safety Acts?
Answer: Public Safety Acts

Question: How many days passed between the passing of the second Publc Safety Act and the general election?
Answer: 24

Question: Who got a higher percentage of the vote, the pro-Free State party or Sinn Fein?
Answer: pro-Free State party

Question: How many of the Republican prisoners did not go on a hunger strike in 1923?
Answer: 4000

Question: What happened first, the release of most of the women prisoners, or the hunger strike?
Answer: the hunger strike

Question: How many, as a percentage, of Republican prisoners went on a hunger strike in October, 1923?
Answer: 67

Question: How many days between the two Public Safety Acts passed in August 1923?
Answer: 2

Question: How many more of the vote did the  pro-Free State party win in the August 1923 election?
Answer: 13

Question: How many months after the High Court of Justice in Ireland ruled that a state of war no longer existed was it that a general election was held?
Answer: 1

Question: How many percent of voters did not vote for the party Cumann na nGaedheal in the general election in 1923?
Answer: 60

Question: How many percent of votors in the 1923 election voted for a party other than Sinn Fein?
Answer: 73

Question: How many Republican prisoners did not go on a hunger strike in October 1923?
Answer: 4000

Question: How many of the 12,000 prisoners did not go on a hunger strike?
Answer: 4000

Question: What Republican ran in the election on 27 August 1923?
Answer: Sinn Féin

Question: How many Republicans being held prisoner in Free State gaols did not participate in the hungar strike?
Answer: 4000

Question: What party lost the election on August 27, 1923?
Answer: The Republicans

Question: How many days after the High Court of Justice in Ireland ruled that the state of war no longer existed did the government enact the first Public Safety Act?
Answer: 1

Question: How many months after the Free State government started peace negotiations did the High Court of Justice in Ireland rule that a state of war no longer existed?
Answer: 2

Question: How many days after the first Public Safety Act was enacted was a general election held?
Answer: 26

Question: How many Republican prisoners in Free State gaols did not go on a hunger strike?
Answer: 4000

Question: How many days passed while the two Public Safety Acts were being enacted?
Answer: 3

Question: How many of the prisoners did not go on hunger strike?
Answer: 4000

Question: How many months after the Public Safety Acts were enacted did the prisoners go on a hunger strike?
Answer: 2

Question: How many percent of the vote did not go to the Republicans?
Answer: 73