ROUNDHEADS,
ROYALISTS AND RADICALS
The wars forged the careers of talented, self-made Parliamentarian
soldiers who took on their own king... as well as a dashing prince
Frontline
A great-great-nephewof theTudorstatesman
ThomasCromwell,OliverCromwellwasborn
intoa minorgentryfamilyandeducatedat
SidneySussexCollege,Cambridge.Elected
to ParliamentastheMPforHuntingdonin
1628 heneverthelessworkedasa gentleman
CHARLES I 1600-49
THE BRAVE BUT STUBBORN KING
WHOSE FAILURE TO DEFEAT PARLIAMENT
RESULTED IN HIS OWN EXECUTIONThe man almost solely responsible for the Civil
Wars was a diminutive, stammering king who
was only the second Stuart monarch to rule in
England. Charles began the wars by raising his
standard in Nottingham on 22 August 1642 and
throughout the first conflict he was constantly
engaged in military affairs.
Basing the Royalist headquarters in Oxford,
the king did not command in battle and left
tactical decisions to more experienced generals.
Nevertheless, Charles was present at eight of
the 15 large battles fought between 1642-46
and showed conspicuous personal courage.
His presence could be inspirational and it
helped to contribute to Royalist victories at
Cropedy Bridge and Lostwithiel.
However, Charles’s limited grasp of strategy
and failure to prevent feuding among his
generals led to the division of his forces. This
resulted in a catastrophic defeat at Naseby
where the king had to be personally led away by
his bodyguard when defeat was certain. After
surrendering, Charles’s continual plots to renew
Royalist fortunes during his imprisonment led to
the outbreak of the second war. This resulted in
his beheading in 1649.farmer for much of his early life and suffered
from depression. Cromwell also developed
uncompromising Puritan beliefs and when he
was re-elected as the MP for Cambridge in
1640 he became a solid supporter of anti-
Episcopalian Parliamentarians.
Cromwell sided with Parliament when war
broke out in 1652 and secured Cambridgeshire
for the Roundheads. He witnessed the effect of
Prince Rupert’s cavalry during the final stages of
the Battle of Edgehill and decided that Parliament
needed a similar force. Despite having no prior
military experience he formed a well-disciplined
unit of cavalrymen known as the “Ironsides”.
Risingto prominence in the Army of the
EasternAssociation,Cromwell played a major
rolein Parliament’svictory at the Battle of
MarstonMoorwherehis unexpected talent
forcommandingcavalry was on full display.
TheNewModelArmywas formed shortly
afterwardsandCromwell as appointed as
lieutenantgeneralof horse under Sir Thomas
Fairfax.Thepairthenwon the decisive Battle
of NasebywithCromwell becoming one of the
mostpowerfulmenin England.
Cromwelltooka leading role from 1648
whenhewontheBattle of Preston and
relentlesslysupportedCharles I’s trial and
executionin 1649.Hefought a successful
butinfamouscampaign against Royalists in
Irelandbeforetakingon the Covenanters who
proclaimedCharlesII as King of Scots. Fairfax
resignedhiscommission and Cromwell won
twocrushingvictories
exactlya yearapartat
DunbarandWorcester.
Thesebattlesended
theCivilWarsandthe
formerfarmerbecame
LordProtectorof England,
ScotlandandIrelandundera
militarydictatorship.Forallhis
controversies,Cromwell’scareer
wasastonishingandheis now
recognisedasoneof thegreatest
commandersin Britishhistory.OLIVER CROMWELL
1599-1658
THE MILITARY GENIUS WHO ROSE
FROM OBSCURITY TO CONQUER AND
RULE THE ENTIRE BRITISH ISLES
Despite his reputation as a
regicide, Cromwell was later
referred to as “Your Highness”
while Lord Protector, but
refused the crown when it was
offered to himAnthony van
Dyck painted this
portrait of Charles
I in armour. The
king overcame a
sickly childhood
to become an
adept horseman,
marksman and
fencer