Oliver Cromwell: The Man Who Killed a King

Summary

The video script narrates the complex life and legacy of Oliver Cromwell, an English Puritan and military leader who rose from humble beginnings to become a significant figure in British history. Cromwell is best known for his role in the English Civil War and the execution of King Charles I. Despite his controversial actions, including war crimes and the establishment of a military dictatorship, he is also recognized for his advocacy of religious freedom and his impact on the development of parliamentary democracy. The script explores Cromwell's personal transformation, his military prowess, and the political turmoil that characterized his era. It concludes with the ultimate dissolution of his Protectorate and the restoration of the monarchy, highlighting the cyclical nature of power and the complexities of historical interpretation.

Takeaways

• 👑 Oliver Cromwell was a key figure in the English Civil War, known for signing Charles I's death warrant and becoming the Lord Protector of England.
• 🏰 Born into modest circumstances, Cromwell rose from a farmer to a leading Puritan and advocate for religious freedom, despite his military and political ambitions.
• 🛡️ Cromwell's military prowess was instrumental in the Parliamentary victory during the English Civil Wars, where he led his cavalry to decisive victories at battles like Marston Moor and Naseby.
• 🔍 His personal transformation from a humble farmer to a military leader was marked by a spiritual awakening that aligned him with the Puritan movement.
• ⚔️ The script details the political unrest and conflicts that arose during the reigns of James I and Charles I, which set the stage for the English Civil War.
• 🏛️ Cromwell's actions in dissolving Parliaments and his eventual rise to power echo the very behaviors he opposed in the monarchy, highlighting the complexities of his character.
• 🇮🇪 Cromwell's campaign in Ireland was marked by brutality, with the massacres at Drogheda and Wexford leaving a dark stain on his legacy.
• 📜 Despite his military successes, Cromwell struggled with governance, as evidenced by the multiple dissolutions of Parliament and the failed Protectorate system.
• 👥 Cromwell's rule was not without support, but his actions and the perceived betrayal of his principles led to a loss of allies and a tarnished reputation.
• 👑 The Protectorate's end and the restoration of the monarchy under Charles II rendered much of Cromwell's efforts seemingly in vain, as the old system was reestablished.
• 🏛️ Cromwell's legacy is a mix of military genius and political failure, with his actions contributing to the development of modern democratic ideals, despite the setbacks and reversals that occurred after his death.

Q & A

Who was Oliver Cromwell and why is he significant in history?

Oliver Cromwell was an English Puritan who rose to become a military dictator and is most famous for signing the death warrant that led to the execution of Charles I in 1649. His actions challenged the concept of the Divine Right of Kings and he played a central role in England's civil war.

What was the political climate like in England during the reign of Charles I?

The political climate during Charles I's reign was tense, marked by religious conflicts and disagreements over taxation. Charles I's support for a form of Anglicism that appeared close to Catholicism and his insistence on raising taxes without parliamentary consent led to a growing Puritan movement against his rule.

How did Oliver Cromwell's personal experiences influence his political and religious beliefs?

Cromwell's personal experiences, particularly his severe spiritual illness and subsequent conversion to Puritanism, had a profound impact on his political and religious beliefs. He emerged as a staunch defender of the Puritan faith and an advocate for religious freedom.

What were the key events that led to the outbreak of the English Civil War?

The key events leading to the English Civil War included Charles I's attempts to raise taxes without parliamentary approval, his dissolution of parliaments that opposed him, and his conflict with the Puritan movement. The war began in 1642 when Charles I raised an army and the Parliament responded by raising their own forces.

How did Cromwell's military career begin and what were his early achievements?

Cromwell's military career began during the English Civil War when he successfully defended Cambridge against a royalist attack. He later raised a mounted army, which proved to be highly effective, and became known for his leadership at the Battle of Edgehill and the Battle of Marston Moor.

What was the outcome of the English Civil War and how did it affect Cromwell's status?

The English Civil War ended with the defeat of the royalist forces and the capture of Charles I. This victory elevated Cromwell's status, and he became a prominent figure in the new government, eventually leading to his rise as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland.

What were the consequences of Cromwell's actions in Ireland?

Cromwell's actions in Ireland, particularly the massacres at Drogheda and Wexford, were brutal and resulted in significant civilian and military casualties. These events are still remembered for their cruelty and are considered atrocities.

How did Cromwell's rule as Lord Protector impact the governance of England?

Cromwell's rule as Lord Protector introduced a new constitution, the Instrument of Government, which split power between Cromwell, a council of state, and a new Parliament. However, his rule was also marked by the dissolution of Parliaments that opposed him and the establishment of a military dictatorship, which was unpopular and short-lived.

What was the fate of Cromwell's political achievements after his death?

After Cromwell's death, his son Richard briefly succeeded him, but the Protectorate effectively ended with the restoration of Charles II to the throne in 1660. Cromwell's political achievements, including the changes made during the Interregnum, were largely reversed.

How is Cromwell's legacy viewed in the context of the broader history of revolutions?

Cromwell's legacy is complex. While he committed atrocities and his personal ambition led to a failed revolution, he was also a great general and leader who challenged the concept of the Divine Right of Kings. His actions contributed to the development of ideas that later influenced the founding fathers of the United States.

What was the significance of the execution of Charles I in the context of the Divine Right of Kings?

The execution of Charles I was a significant event because it challenged the idea of the Divine Right of Kings, which held that monarchs were chosen by God to rule and could not be removed from power. Cromwell's role in this event symbolized a shift in the balance of power and the potential for political change.

Outlines

00:00

🏰 Rise of a Military Dictator: Oliver Cromwell

This paragraph introduces Oliver Cromwell, an English Puritan who rose from humble beginnings to become a military dictator. He is best known for signing the death warrant of King Charles I, leading to the king's execution in 1649. Cromwell's actions challenged the Divine Right of Kings and set the stage for significant political upheavals. Born into a well-connected Protestant family, he experienced a profound spiritual awakening that led him to become a staunch defender of Puritanism. His early life was marked by political stability, but the reign of Charles I and the king's controversial policies on religion and taxation ignited the growing Puritan movement, of which Cromwell became a leading figure.

05:01

🛡️ The Path to Civil War: Cromwell's Military Career

This section delves into Cromwell's transformation from a farmer to a military leader during the English Civil War. Initially lacking combat experience, Cromwell's strategic acumen and organizational skills quickly became apparent. He played a pivotal role in securing East Anglia for the Parliamentarians and was instrumental in the formation of a highly effective cavalry force. Cromwell's leadership at the Battle of Marston Moor and other key engagements earned him the nickname 'Ironside' and recognition as a formidable military commander. His military successes were crucial in the eventual defeat of the Royalist forces and the capture of King Charles I.

10:02

⚔️ The English Civil Wars and Cromwell's Ascendancy

The narrative continues with the tumultuous period of the English Civil Wars, highlighting Cromwell's significant contributions. After the first war, he attempted to broker peace with Charles I, advocating for a new constitution to prevent the king's abuses of power. However, Charles's intransigence led to the second civil war, during which Cromwell quelled the Royalist uprising and defeated the Scottish forces supporting the king. The discovery of Charles's involvement with the Scots resulted in his trial and execution. Cromwell then faced the third civil war, where he once again demonstrated his military prowess by defeating the Scots at the Battle of Worcester, effectively ending the civil wars in Britain.

15:03

🤴 The Lord Protector and His Rule

This paragraph explores Cromwell's rise to power as the Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Initially reluctant to assume absolute power, he eventually accepted the title and established a new constitution, the Instrument of Government. This document aimed to create a balance of power between Cromwell, a council of state, and a new Parliament. However, the new Parliament's resistance to his authority and his own actions, such as dissolving it and establishing a military dictatorship, drew comparisons to the monarchy he had helped overthrow. Despite these setbacks, Cromwell's rule saw some progressive measures, including the guarantee of representation for Scotland and Ireland.

20:05

👥 The Aftermath and Legacy of Cromwell's Rule

The final paragraph discusses the aftermath of Cromwell's death and the rapid unraveling of his achievements. His son Richard's brief and ineffective rule as Lord Protector led to the restoration of the monarchy with Charles II. Cromwell's body was posthumously disinterred and subjected to a symbolic execution, reflecting the rejection of his rule. Despite the reversal of his political legacy, Cromwell's role as a military leader and his contribution to the defeat of a tyrannical king had lasting implications, influencing future liberal revolutions. His complex legacy as both a despot and a figure who challenged absolute monarchy is acknowledged.

Keywords

💡Oliver Cromwell

Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who is best known for his role in the English Civil War and the execution of King Charles I. As a central figure in the video, he represents the shift from a monarchy to a republican form of government. His actions and beliefs are a focal point of the video, illustrating the conflict between the Divine Right of Kings and the rise of the Puritan movement.

💡Divine Right of Kings

The Divine Right of Kings is a political and religious doctrine that asserts that kings derive their authority directly from God, and therefore cannot be held accountable by earthly powers. In the video, Cromwell's actions challenge this concept, suggesting that kings are not inherently holy or infallible, which is a significant theme in the narrative of the English Civil War.

💡Puritan Movement

The Puritan Movement was a religious reformation within the Church of England in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritans sought to 'purify' the Church of Roman Catholic practices, emphasizing a more personal and direct relationship with God. In the video, Cromwell's rise to power is closely tied to his Puritan beliefs, which played a significant role in shaping his political and military actions.

💡English Civil War

The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political disputes between the Parliamentarians and the Royalists from 1642 to 1651. The war resulted in the trial and execution of Charles I, the exile of his son, and the replacement of the English monarchy with a Commonwealth. The video script details Cromwell's involvement and leadership in the war, which ultimately led to the overthrow of the monarchy.

💡Charles I

Charles I was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1625 until his execution in 1649. His reign was marked by disputes with the Parliament, leading to the English Civil War. In the video, Charles I is portrayed as a monarch whose policies and beliefs contributed to the conflict with the Parliamentarians, culminating in his trial and execution.

💡Regicide

Regicide refers to the act of killing a king or a sovereign. In the context of the video, the term is used to describe the execution of Charles I, which was a pivotal event in the English Civil War and a significant departure from the traditional concept of the Divine Right of Kings. Cromwell's involvement in this act is highlighted as a key aspect of his legacy.

💡Long Parliament

The Long Parliament refers to the English Parliament that sat from 1640 to 1660, during the Civil War and the Interregnum. It was initially called to address issues with King Charles I's rule and later played a crucial role in the trial and execution of the king. The video mentions the Long Parliament as a key institution that opposed Charles I and supported Cromwell's rise to power.

💡Lord Protector

The title of Lord Protector was given to Oliver Cromwell in 1653 after the dissolution of the Rump Parliament, making him the head of state of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland. The video discusses how Cromwell initially resisted the title but eventually accepted it, illustrating the shift in his role from a military leader to the ruler of England.

💡Rump Parliament

The Rump Parliament was the name given to the remaining members of the Long Parliament after Pride's Purge in 1648. It was a significantly reduced and more radical body that supported Cromwell's military campaigns and was eventually dissolved by him. The term is used in the video to describe the political body that Cromwell interacted with and later dismissed.

💡Instrument of Government

The Instrument of Government was a written constitution that established the powers and duties of the Lord Protector and the government of England, Scotland, and Ireland. It was created after Cromwell became Lord Protector and outlined a system of checks and balances. The video script mentions this document as part of Cromwell's attempt to formalize his rule and establish a new political order.

💡Restoration

The Restoration refers to the event in 1660 when the monarchy was restored in England with the return of Charles II to the throne after the period of the Commonwealth and the Protectorate. The video concludes with the Restoration, highlighting how Cromwell's efforts to establish a new form of government were ultimately reversed, and the monarchy was reestablished.

Highlights

Oliver Cromwell, an English Puritan turned military dictator, is most famous for signing the death warrant leading to Charles I's execution.

Cromwell rose from humble beginnings as a farmer to challenge the Divine Right of Kings.

His family had ties to nobility and the Protestant Reformation, influencing his strict Protestant outlook.

Cromwell experienced a profound spiritual conversion that led him to become a defender of the Puritan faith.

Charles I's reign was marked by conflict with Parliament over taxes and religious reforms, leading to the English Civil War.

Cromwell's military career began with no experience, but he quickly became a key figure in the Parliamentary forces.

He recognized the need for a strong cavalry and successfully raised a formidable force.

Cromwell's leadership at the Battle of Marston Moor was pivotal in securing a victory for the Parliamentarians.

Despite being an MP, Cromwell was allowed to continue serving in the military due to his military prowess.

Cromwell's cavalry played a decisive role in the Battle of Naseby, effectively ending the first English Civil War.

After the war, Cromwell attempted to negotiate with Charles I for a new constitutional settlement.

Cromwell's response to the second English Civil War was swift, leading to a decisive victory against Scottish forces.

Charles I was executed, and Cromwell did not immediately seize power, leaving the Rump Parliament in control.

Cromwell was eventually made Lord Protector, establishing a new constitution with a balance of power.

His rule saw periods of military dictatorship and attempts to dissolve and reconvene Parliament.

Cromwell's actions in Ireland during the rebellion were marked by atrocities and cruelty.

Despite his efforts, Cromwell's legacy was largely dismantled after his death, with the restoration of Charles II.

Cromwell's body was posthumously disinterred and executed, symbolizing the rejection of his rule.

Though controversial, Cromwell's actions laid the groundwork for future liberal revolutions.

Transcripts

he's the man who killed a king Oliver

Cromwell the English Puritan turns

military dictator is today most famous

for signing the death warrant that led

to Charles the First's bloody execution

in 1649 over a hundred years before the

American and French Revolutions shook

the globe this small time British farmer

from the British sticks proved with

steel that the Divine Right of Kings was

not so holy after all what possessed a

guy who worked in agriculture to drop

his tools one day and go and commit

regicide the story is even more

fascinating than you probably think from

his humble background Cromwell would

rise to become a leading Puritan and

tireless advocate of religious freedom

even as he committed war crimes on the

battlefields violence and pursued

personal empowerment with a terrifying

zeal an idol for some an ogre to others

this is the true story of the man who

spearheaded England's civil war

[Music]

[Music]

like many great men of history Oliver

Cromwell was born into surprisingly

modest circumstances

well modest for the landed classes of

Britain who in the dying days of the

sixteenth century we're the only ones

who really mattered the second of 10

children young Oliver was the product of

a Protestant family that had done well

out of the Reformation seven decades

earlier

rising from brewers to owners of a

smaller state he could trace a family

link back to Henry the eighth's advisor

Thomas Cromwell and his nearby

grandfather frequently entertained James

the First's royal hunting party young

Oliver may not have been rich but he was

certainly well-connected

he was also growing up in the shadow of

Britain's most notorious terrorist

attack in 1605 vengeful Catholic said

gunpowder beneath the House of Lords

intending to blow up the King

the plots discovery fired off a wave of

anti-catholic fervor across England

something that may well have helped form

young Oliver's strict Protestant outlook

terrorism beside though the reign of

James the first was mostly stable and

Oliver lived a mostly stable life he

attended school spent a year at

Cambridge University no need to be

forced to return to the family's east

anglia estate after his father died in

1620 he married Elizabeth bosha

and as that really should have been that

however in 1625 something happens that

would act as a catalyst for all the

bloodshed that was about to follow on

March the 27th James the first died his

son Charles the first inherited the

throne it was the start of a long march

towards catastrophe Charles the first

was by most accounts shy and rather

sweet fellow in private in public he was

everything the growing Puritan movement

in England feared his wife was a

Catholic he supported a form of

Anglicism that appeared dangerously

close to Catholicism oh and he was super

keen on raising taxes to send his friend

Lord bucking and gallivanting off to

fight Foreign Wars that England did not

stand a chance of winning when the new

king convened his first Parliament in

1625 it became known as the useless

Parliament because its members refused

to vote through those new taxes that

Charles wanted annoys Charles dissolved

the parliaments after just 12 days one

yet later he tried again only for the

MPS two also refused

raise taxes that would be wasted on

Buckinghams boneheaded buccaneering

so once again Charles dissolved

parliament and by the way get ready to

hear that sentence a lot while London

was indulging in high politics back in

East Anglia Oliver Cromwell was in the

grip of a severe spiritual illness

plagued for years by serious depression

he finally slipped into a funk one night

that became a fever and that nearly

became death when he finally recovered

he was a changed man

Cromwell would later describe his

experiences emerging from darkness into

light the light of Puritanism from then

on he would be a staunch defender of the

Puritan faith the road to Damascus style

conversion may explain what happened

next in 1628 Charles the first decided

once again to try raising taxes and

calls yet another Parliament's this time

cromwell decided to join using those

connections that we talked about earlier

he managed to literally get himself a

front row seat to the most explosive

Parliament in decades by 1628 Charles

had resorted to extracting money from

his subjects at sore point known as

forced loans they were as unpopular as

daylight robbery tends to be and became

even more so when buckingham used the

money not just for disastrous adventures

in Spain but also to launch an

identically disastrous war with France

that Charles had resorted to locking up

MPs who refused to pay only added fuel

to the dumbster fire that was now the

new Parliament as a young Cromwell

looked on Charles refused to accept the

new Parliament's assertion of their

rights to refuse unwarranted taxation

Parliament blamed Buckingham for

influencing the king only for a young

army officer to then assassinate Lord

Burnett Charles blamed MPs for the death

of his friends and you guessed it he

dissolved parliament he did this in

something of a fit of pique and that

piqued by the way lasted for eleven

years no Parliament would sit from March

of 1629 to April of 1644 became known as

the years of personal rule for Cromwell

personal rule was tough Sean of his

parliamentary standing he wound up

losing contact with his old network

selling his property and taking on a

small farming came

to survive by 1636 Cromwell was a broke

unimportant nobody with zero prospects

even considered emigrating to America

and joining him with the pilgrims

thankfully the 1630s closed with dew

bits of good luck for Cromwell first in

1636 is fabulously wealthy childless

uncle died and left Oliver everything

second in 1639 Charles the first did

something spectacularly stupid he tried

to force his religious beliefs on

Scotland at that time Scotland had been

in union with England Wales for less

than 40 years Scots still worshipped

Presbyterian star with none of the fancy

stuff so beloved of Charles when Charles

tried to ram his religious reforms

through the Scots they went nuts known

as the bishops was the following battle

saw Scotland invade and occupying

northern England Charles sued for peace

and the Scots said essentially sure on

two conditions one no more of this fancy

religious bollocks and to pay us all of

our war expenses so completely broke

with an occupying army in the nation's

north Charles was forced to grit his

teeth and summon and other Parliament's

this attempt would go even worse than

all of his others the parliaments of

1640 got off to a farcical start known

as the short Parliament this time it

lasted only three weeks before oh yes

Charles dissolved parliament but he was

still broke so he called for yet another

parliament just six months later and

finally we reached the end of our run of

Charles dissolving things because the

second Parliament of 1640 is known

fittingly as the Long Parliament

although the Long Parliament wasn't a

straight revival of the 1628 Parliament

it did feature some familiar faces among

them was Oliver Cromwell now influential

Puritan with new connections Cromwell

became MP for Cambridge during the

eleven years of personal rule had lost

his shyness in the first week of the

Long Parliament he made an impassioned

speech attacking the Kings imprisonments

of Freeborn John in the seconds he

launched a ferocious broadside of

Charles's attempts to force his brand of

Christianity upon his people while the

speeches were partly

you know Churchill they were passionate

enough that Cromwell began to get

noticed while an act putting some of

Charles's taxes on a legal footing kept

the Kings somewhat happy Parliament also

passed bills accusing his advisers of

treason and making it illegal for

Charles to dissolve Parliament without

their consent oh and they also attacked

his Catholic wife because that's just

how things entirely went down in 17th

century Britain by 1641 things had

completely deteriorated a civil war had

erupted in Ireland royalist coup had

been crushed in Scotland then Parliament

went and presented Charles with

something called the grand remonstrance

this was basically a top-10 list with a

title the reasons we hate you you stupid

tyrants never a man to take criticism

well Charles became convinced that this

was all a Puritan plot against him on

January the 4th 16 of 42 Charles led a

group of soldiers into the House of

Commons to arrest five prominent MPs a

move unprecedented in English history

but the MPs they weren't there they'd

been tipped off and fled embarrassed

convinced the world was against him

Charles left for London on January the

10th when he arrived in his traditional

Haven of Oxford he began raising an army

in March Parliament voted to raise their

own by now everyone had a fairly good

idea of where this was heading in August

1642 the first English Civil War finally

began pitching royalist forces against

Parliament's army it would ultimately

lead to some 200,000 deaths

unfortunately for most but not all for

Oliver Cromwell this would be the moment

when he stepped out of the shadows into

the blinding light of history from the

get-go Cromwell was at the heart of the

war even though he was just a farmer

with no fighting experience one of the

very first engagements of the conflicts

came when he's successfully garrisoned

Cambridge against a royalist attack but

it would be at the Battle of Edgehill in

October where Cromwell really became a

soldier the battle was a stalemate but

Cromwell was able to witness firsthand

the effectiveness of the Royalists horse

mounted troops convinced the

parliamentarians needed cavalry to win

the war he headed back to East Anglia to

raise a mounted army it's almost

impossible to overstate how effective

Cromwell's horsemen would become by mid

60

forty-three they'd secured East Anglia

for Parliament in 1644 they wiped the

floor with Charles's own mounted troops

at the Battle of Marston Moor Cromwell

was such a natural leader of men that he

was soon promoted to left-handed general

and given the nickname iron sight his

men were professional disciplines and

loyal qualities sorely lacking in the

rest of the parliamentary army in fact

it was Cromwell's obvious military skill

that stops him from exiting the story at

this point

fed up with xrs de Kratz leading their

army Parliament passed a motion in 1645

to kick every MP and Lord out of the

military as MP Cromwell should have been

among them the Parliament passed a

second law allowing him to continue

serving under a new leader Thomas

Fairfax they knew the winning the war

rested on Cromwell's cavalry in 1645

cromwell's horseman played the decisive

role at the Battle of Naseby here they

effectively wiped out the royalist army

Charles held firm for another year but

in 1646 Cromwell took his stronghold of

Oxford Charles fled into the night

disguised as a servants he travelled

north and threw himself on the mercy of

his old enemies the Scots unsurprisingly

the Scots traded into England and with

that the first English Civil War was

over

[Music]

remarkably for a regicide or dictator

Cromwell responded to Charles's capture

by trying to force Parliament to cut a

deal with him Cromwell sincerely

believed that the only way forward was

to restore Charles the first to the

throne only with a new constitution in

place to stop him running around and

raising taxes and dissolving

Parliament's the hero of the

parliamentary cause even droid a

rebellion against Parliament that year

using his influence to force out 11

Presbyterian MPs that he considered ante

Ami if Charles the first had been just a

little bit less of a stubborn ass it

would have all ended right here sadly

being an ass was what Charles was all

about despite losing the war he refused

to accept any deal with Parliament

instead he got a secret deal with the

Scots to make the whole of Britain

Presbyterian if they're just invade and

restore him to the throne and the Scots

they agreed and so we come to the

embarrassment that is the second English

Civil War embarrassing because of its

farcical lack of coordination Royalist

uprising is paralysed Wales in southern

England in 1648 but the Scots didn't

invade until Cromwell and Fairfax had

already subdued them in August Cromwell

Road North met the Scottish army and

annihilated it so much for that

however there were two important

outcomes from this second dust-up the

first was that the army forcibly purged

Parliament of MPs who didn't support

Cromwell and Fairfax this severely

reduced long Parliament became known as

the rump the second was that Charles's

role in the Scottish invasion was

inevitably discovered with Cromwell's

blessing the rump dragged Charles before

it and held a mock trial Charles he was

sentenced to death only 59 MPs including

Cromwell dared to put their names on the

execution order on January the 30th 1649

Charles was publicly executed in London

his head lopped off and held aloft for

the crowds to see unpopular as he was

it's thought only a hundred or so men in

the whole of England wanted to see him

dead it's just a shame for Charles that

one of those men happened to be Oliver

Cromwell yet powerful as Cromwell was at

this stage he didn't just transition

straight to ruler of Britain after

Charles died it was the rump that now

held supremacy and Cromwell

was pretty fine with that they supported

his army and besides history still had

one major task for him in 1650 Cromwell

was sent to end the Irish war the Irish

rebellion had been bubbling away in the

background the entire time England was

in chaos

now that the chaos was seemingly over it

was only natural that England would want

its wayward province back sadly to

achieve the same Cromwell did some truly

terrible things

cromwell's massacres at Droid ER and

Wexford are still remembered for their

cruelty both involve Cromwell besieging

a town then offering no quarter to

soldiers or civilians thousands and

thousands died while some historians

have suggested the scale of suffering

was exaggerated those little arguments

that both sieges constituted atrocities

still they did end the Irish rebellion

and Cromwell returned to England in 1650

just in time to land himself in the mess

of the third English civil war that year

Charles's son shall ii reopened his

father's pact with the Scots and was

proclaimed king of Scotland Parliament

demanded that Scots be crushed but

Thomas Fairfax refused to attack first

so Cromwell was made commander in chief

and he was sent north in September of

1650 one he finally defeated the Scots

at the Battle of Worcester and this

marks the end of the civil wars in

Britain so what does a general he was

won three civil wars and crushed a

rebellion do in peacetime well luckily

for Cromwell a different sort of war was

now brewing in Westminster the rump was

going mad with power through 1652 to

1653 it passed no useful legislation

except to make itself immortal the

ranters come into being as a stopgap a

temporary measure until the wars were

over and new elections could be calls

and now they were voting to end

elections permanently by April 1653

Cromwell had had enough in a delicious

historic irony he sent troops into

Westminster echoing Charles's own breach

of Parliament 11 years earlier a

gunpoint he told the rump you have sat

too long for any good you have been

doing lately in the name of God go there

on GaN Cromwell gave Parliament one last

shot in July 16 53 he convened a new

National Assembly popularly known as

bare-bones Parliament's it's 140

four members were hand-picked for their

saintliness Cromwell expected them to

rule his new Puritan Britain as in

license men instead they voted to

dissolve themselves and hand all the

power over to Oliver Cromwell Cromwell

is often portrayed as a power-hungry

tyrant but all evidence indicates that

he really did try and refuse absolute

power in the end though he capitulated

the 15th century title of Lord Protector

was revived for his reign and a new

constitution was drawn up known as the

instrument of government it's split

power between Cromwell a 15 man council

of state and a new Parliament of 400

elected representatives from England

Scotland Wales and Ireland's this was

actually kind of progressive never

before had Scotland or Ireland been

guaranteed their own mb's and seats or

beards they only got 30 H not that this

mild progressive then stops the

parliamentary wheels from soon falling

off though elections to the first

Protectorate Parliament were held freely

resulting in a swath of Presbyterian

ante on e free thinking and Royalists

MPs being returned oh and also some of

the members from the rump came back

not exactly the biggest Cromwell fans

Cromwell had hoped that the new

Parliament would pass necessary

legislation to move England's offer war

footing but instead they set about

reducing Cromwell's powers when they

tried to reduce the army t allows it in

January 1655 Cromwell dissolve

Parliament the new dissolution came as

word was leaking out about Cromwell

secret 1654 deal with Catholic France to

ally against Spain once again English

taxes were being used to finance

boneheaded adventuring by an overbearing

monarchy dissolved Parliament's like it

was going out of fashion the irony was

lost here on absolutely no-one and many

of Cromwell's allies began to turn

against him still he wasn't broadly

unpopular just yet as a guy called pan

Roddick discovered in March of 1655 sure

that Cromwell's rule was about to

collapse pan Roddick organised a

Royalist uprising intended to put

charles ii on the throne he gathered men

and set off across england rallying

locals to his cause only for local soup

shut their doors to him Panna cottas men

simply ran for their lives pen radix

dismal

it was crushed before I'd ever began pen

robux uprising may have been amateur

hour but it gave Cromwell the excuse he

needed to scrap the new constitution and

set up a military dictatorship England

and Wales were split into 12 district

seats under the control of a despotic

major-general hugely unpopular the

system lasted barely a year before

Cromwell was forced to scrap it and a

revived Parliament in September of 1656

only the second Protectorate Parliament

wasn't freely elected purged of

Cromwell's enemies stuffed with toady's

it finally voted in February of 1657 to

make Cromwell King oh yes he was really

made King the very thing that Cromwell

had fought so hard to rid Britain off to

be absolutely fair though Britain's

entire system of government relied on a

king or queen to give royal assent and

wave things through so having won was

something of an urgent legal matter

besides Cromwell was already a king in

all but name he was totally referred to

as his highness he lived in Charles the

first sold palace and was handing out

knighthoods to all of his friends so

yeah that's what a king does on June the

26th 16:57 protector of Britain decided

to make it official Cromwell was crowned

in a lavish ceremony that was almost in

every respect a coronation the only

difference was that he kept the Lord

Protector title instead of becoming king

if you're struggling to see the

difference here well so were many of

Cromwell's old comrades in fact they

were struggling to see the difference

between the Protectorate and the years

of Charles's personal rule King Oliver

was levying taxes to fight pointless

Wars and dissolving Parliament at the

drop of a crown

oh yes and we're not done yet because he

totally did it again in February 1658

the second Protectorate Parliament voted

to grow a backbone and readmit MPs

excluded by Cromwell and so that was it

for the second Protectorate Parliament

the last few months of Cromwell's life

saw him withdraw from public affairs his

daughter Elizabeth died of cancer in

early 1658 and it seemed something in

Cromwell some vital spark just vanished

he stopped receiving people or even

really ruling perhaps he realized what

had become and was disgusted by it

perhaps not on September the 3rd 1658

the man who was almost king Oliver

passed away that night a terrific storm

wracked England houses were torn apart

and scattered by the winds ships sank

beneath the rolling waves it was said

that the storm was Satan come to take

the Lord Protector soul although the

Protectorate would survive another year

under Cromwell son Richard it

effectively died with Cromwell Richard

would last less than a year before being

deposed and replaced with the revived

rump the rump would in turn barely

reconvened before an army general known

as George Monck marched on London and

ordered the rump to readmit its excluded

members the Long Parliament was then

revived just long enough to vote for its

own dissolution the new convention

Parliament that followed in 1660

immediately voted to restore charles ii

to the throne so the English interregnum

ended charles ii was on the throne with

the only new limitations on his powers

being those proposed by the long

Parliament's back in 1640 everything

that happens in the intervening two

decades the three english civil wars the

Irish rebellion the Protectorate the or

became effectively pointless Cromwell

had raised an army and killed a king but

within two years of his death his

achievements that all turned to dust On

January the 30th 1661

Cromwell's body was disinterred 12 years

to the day of Charles the first

execution alongside the corpses of two

other prominent parliamentarians it was

symbolically hyung-tae burned gallows

before being beheaded as late as 1685

you could still see the former Lord

protect his head on a spike outside

Westminster was all the bloodshed for

nothing without a doubt Cromwell did

some terrible things during his long

career he committed atrocities in

Ireland and his personal ambition turned

what could have been the world's first

liberal revolution into a gigantic flop

it would fall to American and French

revolutionaries over a century later to

complete what the English had started

but Cromwell was also a truly great

general their leader of men who could

stand shoulder-to-shoulder with

Washington or Bolivar without Cromwell

you have no parliamentarian victory in

the English Civil Wars without

Parliament's victory none of the ideas

that would later influence the founding

fathers gained any traction

Cromwell he was an ogre a despot a fool

and a failure he was also the man who

killed a tyrant king and in doing so

assured in our modern world

so I really hope you found that video

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