Oliver Cromwell and The English Civil War

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Oliver Cromwell and The English Civil War

• By Jan Nápravník

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Historical background

• Number of population was increasing
• London reached 500 000 inhabitants
• Times of prosperity (in spite of Thirty Years
  War in continental Europe)
• Reign of Stuarts

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James I.

• James I. of England (James VI. of Scotland)
• 1566-1625,ruled since 1603
• Peaceful policy
• Persecution of extreme Catholics and Puritans
  
• -1605 Gunpowder Plot (Guy Fawkes)
• -The Mayflower voyage 1620

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Charles I.

• Son of James I. (1600-1649)
• Ruled since 1625
• He wanted to unite England, Scotland and Ireland
  much stronger (it was his fathers dream),but in
  fact he was keen on gaining control of the
  country
• 1629 dissolved the Parliament
• Came Eleven Years' Tyranny
• 1639 - Bishops War in Scotland. He was forced by
  shortage of funds to call Parliament in 1640
• This one lasted only 3 weeks- Short Parliament
• Since November-Long Parliament

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Charles I.

• The Long Parliament started immediately with
  reduction of Kings power
• Dissatisfaction with the King,Charles moved to
  Oxford
• 1642 broke the Civil War out

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Oliver Cromwell

• Cromwell was born in Huntington on 25 April 1599.
  
• 1620 married Elizabeth Bourchier
• Cromwell became the Member of Parliament for
  Huntingdon in 1628
• In 1630 Cromwell converted to Puritans and his
  following life and actions had a radical edge
  springing from his strong religious faith
• 1642 came The First Civil War

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The First Civil War

• Armed conflict between Parliamentarians and
  Royalists started in the autumn of 1642
• For the King Catholics, most of the Nobles and
  gentry, about half of all Members of Parliament,
  the poorer areas of the North and West. The
  supporters of the King were called Cavaliers
  because many of them fought on horseback.
• For Parliament Puritans, the more militant
  Members of Parliament, merchants, the richer
  areas of the South and East. Oliver Cromwell was
  named its commander. Parliamentarians were
  nicknamed 'roundheads' because they cut their
  hair very short.

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• Cavalier
• Roundhead

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Here you can see several battlefields between
1642 and 1645.
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Armies

• Both armies were quite weak and counted no more
  than 20 000 soldiers
• At first the Royalists were more successful,
  because of inexperience of Cromwells army,but he
  started with hard training and built the New
  Model Army. More than half of his soldiers were
  volunteers persuaded they fought for God.
• Ironsides - armoured cavalry
• Royalists were continually loosing control
• The biggest battle at Marston Moore near York
  (1644) about 45 000 soldiers, Parlamentarians
  won
• Decisive victory of Parlamentarians at Naseby
  (1645)

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The Second Civil War

• A series of Royalist uprisings throughout
  England and a Scottish invasion occurred in the
  summer of 1648. The uprisings in England were
  put down easily by forces loyal to Parliament,
  but when in 1648 unpaid parliamentarian troops in
  Wales changed sides, it brought serious problem
  for Cromwell. But he kept his reputation and won
  in Battle of Preston.
• The Pike one of the most common used weapons
  cheap and easy to make

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The Third Civil War

• Unfortunatelly, Cromwell had to still solve war
  problems. It led to to new coflicts - in Ireland
  againts Catholics ( Cromwells army was said to
  had been very cruel there),in Scotland, which was
  shocked with Charles execution and supported his
  son Charles II., and also in England.
  Finally,Cromwell won and the Charlesescape to
  France ended the civil wars(1651).
• Massacre of Drogheda in September 1649 (
  Catholics vs. Puritans)

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The execution of Charles I.

• Despite the majority of Parlamentarians wanted to
  re-elect the King, Independents decided to
  execute him. He was sentenced to death and
  beheaded in 1649.
• Charles didnt show any fear during the execution
  and died with nobleness.
• Some people dipped their handkerchiefs in his
  blood

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The Protectorate (1653-1658)

• The Republic was declared in 1649 after the
  Kings execution
• But the situation was going wrong and
  independents started misusing their power
• Cromwell was fed up with them and in 1653 he
  dissolved the Parliament
• He named himself The Lord Protector and ruled
  till his death in 1658

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Cromwells death

• Cromwell suffered from malaria and from stone,
  a common term for urinary infections.
• He died at Whitehall on 3 September 1658.
• 1661 posthumous execution of his body

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Cromwells statue in Westminster Palace
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• His Deathmask
• Cromwell on the coin

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Letter of Oliver Cromwell
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Sources

• www.historyonthenet.com
• www.olivercromwell.org
• www.wikipedia.org

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Thanks for your patience