Oliver Cromwell

Origin and course

Going down from the first Tudors, Cromwell is born in distinguished an enough family with Huntingdon, city of the east of the country, and studies with the Université of Cambridge. Entered the Puritan movement early, it develops a spirit of religious intolerance. Persecuted like dissident, it is about to embark for the America when an order of the king prohibits the departure.

In 1620, it marries Elisabeth Bourchier and obtains a seat with the Parlement in 1628. The writer and deputy Sir Philip Warwick, drew up a not very flattering portrait of Olivier Cromwell:

“ It wore its linked cloth dress all, coarsely cut, its coarse linen, its rapière tightened against her thigh. He spoke with an eloquence full with enthusiasm. The reason for its speech was hardly reasonable: he pled for a servant who had distributed make out against the queen. I must acknowledge that the attention with which this gentleman was listened decreased much my reverence for this large assembly. ”

But when this one east dissolves, in 1629, it turns over to manage paternal fortune. Deputy of the University of Cambridge to the Long Parliament (1640), it pointed out there by its declamations against the Papism and royalty. When the civil war ( civil war ) starts, in January 1642, it is convinced that it is the sign of God for the fight against the episcopalism and the detached monarchy of the puritan businesses.

He lives like farmer-gentleman, member of the gentry until the beginning of the first English civil war, in 1642, when he leads his workmen (makes of it an army recruited by its care) to the service of the Parliament. He announces himself by his skill and his bravery, but also by his acts of cruelty. After its military service, he becomes a noticed politician, and it is only the apparently able one to control after the death of the king Charles I {{er}}.

Some authors affirmed that it was one of the founders of the Franc-maçonnerie.

Military career and policy with its apogee

In 1643, it raises to its expenses (it inherited in 1638 a rich person property) a troop of cavalry organized according to democratic principles (officers elected by the troop, ideological discussions…) : the Ironsides (Iron Coasts). The July 2nd 1644, it is illustrated in the Bataille of Marston Moor, and that of Newbury, in October. The Parliament names it Lieutenant-general of cavalry.

In 1645, the Parliament charges it with reorganizing the army on the model of its own troops (it is the New Model Army ). It beats the royalists with the Bataille of Naseby on June 14th of the same year.

The January 30th 1647, the Écossais, to which it king had gone the May 5th 1646, deliver it to the English Parliament.

The army is divided into two camps: the Independent consisted the Levelling officers, and composed by the troop. Those preach a levelling mode. Cromwell is initially conquered by their ideas. In 1648, Charles Ier flees of the island of Wight, but it is brought back soon to London. The Parliament being not very inclined to consider its sovereign legal, Cromwell organizes a purging in its rows. The lawsuit takes place from January 20th to 27th 1649), and Charles Ier is decapitated with the axe on January 30th.

One of the most successful operations of seat of the New Model Army is the Siège of Drogheda of 1649, within the framework of the Conquête cromwellienne of catholic Ireland.

The May 17th 1649, Cromwell proclaims the République , or the Commonwealth. But the relations worsen between the Parliament tail, Parliament with single room and the army; Cromwell intervenes and makes drive out the members of Parliament by soldiers and institutes a new Council of State of which it is recipient as well as a new Parliament, but whose members are this time named by the Council of State. This Council as well as the Council of the officers, fearing latent anarchy, names Cromwell Lord Protecteur of the Republic of England, Scotland and Ireland in 1653.

Its capacities are normally counterbalanced by the Council and the Parliament, but the Council is acquired to him and the Parliament is dissolved as of on April 20th, 1653:

“ Let us go, Me, or rather the Lord, we have enough of it. I will put an end to your chattering. It is appropriate neither of the interest of these nations, nor with the public property, which you sat here a long time. I thus declare you that I dissolve this Parliament. ”

By irony, it makes place a sign on the door of the room of the meetings where it is written: " Not furnished room with louer" .

Cromwell imposes a puritan Despotisme thus, makes reign the austerity, and practical a certain religious tolerance, except with regard to the catholics. It will have thus allowed the development of the Jewish community in England. The series of massacres made by its troops during the repression of the revolt of the Ireland is thus still very present in the collective memory.

In 1656, it convenes a new Parliament because it needs subsidies to carry out the war against the Spain in Jamaica, and dissolves it later ten days.

A third session is open in 1658. This Parliament, strongly purified, grants subsidies to him and asks him to become king and to restore the royalty; under the pressure of its officers, Cromwell refuses but preserves the right to designate its successor; it will indicate Richard, his son, before dissolving last once the Parliament, on February 4th of the same year:

“ All that only tends to make the play of the king of Scotland. All that it can leave only confusion and blood. I believe that it is high time to put an end to your session and I dissolve this Parliament. That God judges between you and me. ”

Since this moment, Cromwell reigns as an absolute monarch. Remainder, it removes the Jamaica with the Spanish S, and lowers the Dutch navy; it completes the reduction of the Ireland and the Scotland.

After-Cromwell

Cromwell dies out with London the September 3rd 1658, victim of the Malaria or a poisoning. His/her son Richard Cromwell succeeds to him, but for very little time, because the general George Monck governor of the Scotland, fears that the nation does not sink in chaos and seeks to restore monarchy. In February 1660, Monck and its army go on London, and with the popular support, forces the Parliament to dissolve.

Charles II returns to London and is made crown the April 23rd 1661.

To avenge death for his father, it makes exhume the body of Cromwell of the Abbaye of Westminster and to the ritual execution subjects it postmortem on January 30th, dates birthday from the execution of Charles I {{er}}. Its body is thrown in a well, and its head exposed on a pile in front of the Abbaye of Westminster until in 1685.

The period which follows the crowning of Charles II is called the Restauration .

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