Original sentence: During the Irish War of Independence (1919-1921) Montgomery was the Commanding Officer of the County of Cork, Ireland's largest county by area and a bitterly contested region
Edited sentence: Cork is acknowledged by both Irish and British commentators as having been among the most bitterly contested regions.During the Irish War of Independence (1919-1921) Montgomery was the Commanding Officer of the County of Cork, Ireland's largest county by area.These reprisals were counter-productive from the British point of view, sending many previously moderate nationalists into the arms of the IRA, whose Cork brigades were among the most active.This conflict was notable for the ferocity of the reprisals carried out by Crown forces in what was nominally the United Kingdom, such as the burning of homes and businesses, torture, and murder