Was Oliver Cromwell a hero or villain? | English Civil War
Summary
TLDRThe video script explores the complex legacy of Oliver Cromwell, debating whether he was a hero or a villain. It acknowledges Cromwell's role in freeing Britain from monarchy and establishing a government by and for the people, while also condemning his brutal actions in Ireland and other parts of the British Empire. The discussion highlights the challenges of judging historical figures by modern standards, emphasizing the need to understand their context and motivations.
Takeaways
- 🎵 Music: The video begins and ends with music.
- 🤔 Difficult Question: The discussion revolves around whether Lenin was a hero or a villain.
- 🗣️ Cromwell's Views: Cromwell had controversial views on Catholics, leading to bloodshed and murder.
- 🏛️ British Rule: Cromwell demonstrated that Britain could be ruled without a king or an established church.
- 📜 John Milton: Despite changing his mind later, John Milton initially supported Cromwell's new order.
- ⚖️ Commonwealth: Cromwell's rule promoted a government for and almost by the people.
- 🛡️ Major Generals: Cromwell's use of military governors led to accusations of military occupation.
- 🤝 Local Cooperation: Cromwell needed the cooperation of local elites to govern effectively.
- 📅 Historical Context: Cromwell's actions should be understood within the context of the 17th century.
- 🩸 Atrocities in Ireland: Cromwell's conduct in Ireland was brutal and led to lasting tensions.
- 🎖️ High Stakes: The conflicts were seen as battles of divine significance, with severe punishments for perceived wrongdoings.
- 🔙 Historical Repercussions: Cromwell and his supporters faced harsh retribution after the monarchy was restored.
Q & A
Was Lenin a hero or a villain according to the speaker?
-The speaker does not explicitly label Lenin as a hero or a villain but suggests that he freed the Russian people from centuries of oppression.
What were some of Oliver Cromwell's views that the speaker finds reprehensible?
-The speaker mentions that Cromwell had reprehensible views about Catholics, which resulted in bloodshed and murder.
What significant achievement is attributed to Cromwell in the script?
-Cromwell is credited with showing that it was possible for the British nation to rule without the formal need for kingship or an established church.
How did John Milton initially feel about the new order established by Cromwell?
-John Milton was initially quite happy and even venerated the new order, although he changed his mind towards the end.
What was the role of the major generals in Cromwell's England, as mentioned in the script?
-The major generals had a role in governing, but the speaker argues that the idea of England being under military occupation is not an accurate account. They were pursuing godly rule and needed the cooperation of local elites.
What does the speaker suggest about Churchill's actions in comparison to Cromwell?
-The speaker suggests that Churchill, despite receiving positive press, also committed terrible acts in the Indian subcontinent and the Northeast, similar to the issues Cromwell faced.
How does the speaker describe Cromwell's conduct in Ireland?
-The speaker describes Cromwell's conduct in Ireland as atrocities and suggests it has lasting impacts, such as contributing to the current issues with a hard border between Ireland and the UK.
What was the fate of Cromwell and the Regicides after the return of the monarchy?
-Cromwell and the Regicides, who put Charles I on trial and signed the death warrant, were either executed or disinterred and had their bodies desecrated after the return of the monarchy in the 1660s.
What is the speaker's view on the role of historians when evaluating historical figures like Cromwell?
-The speaker believes that historians should not give marks out of ten but try to understand the project of the historical figures, acknowledging that their actions may be reprehensible by today's standards.
What high stakes were at play during Cromwell's time, according to the speaker?
-The speaker suggests that during Cromwell's time, the stakes were extremely high, with the presence of God in the land and the belief that wrong actions would be punished.
Outlines
😐 Complex Legacy of Lenin and Cromwell
The script discusses the complex nature of historical figures, specifically Lenin and Cromwell, and their impact on society. It questions whether Lenin was a hero or a villain, highlighting his role in liberating the Russian people from the oppressive rule of the czars. Cromwell is portrayed as a man of his time, with both commendable and reprehensible actions. His legacy includes the establishment of a government that did not rely on monarchy or an established church, which was revolutionary for his era. The script also addresses the negative aspects of Cromwell's rule, such as the role of major generals and the brutal treatment of Ireland, which has lasting implications for current political issues. The discussion emphasizes the importance of understanding historical figures within their context rather than judging them by modern standards.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Lenin
💡Cromwell
💡Antichrist
💡Commonwealth
💡John Milton
💡Major Generals
💡Godly rule
💡Churchill
💡Regicides
💡Hard border
💡Imperial project
Highlights
Difficult question of whether Lenin was a hero or villain, highlighting his role in freeing Russians from oppression but also his controversial views and actions.
Cromwell's historical significance as a man of his times with some reprehensible views, especially towards Catholics, resulting in bloodshed.
Cromwell demonstrated that the British nation could rule without a kingship or established church, an impressive achievement.
John Milton initially venerated the new order under Cromwell, indicating its acceptance among intellectuals of the time.
Cromwell's Commonwealth argued for government by and for the people, a radical idea for the period.
Criticism of Cromwell often focuses on the role of major generals and perceived military occupation, but this view is not entirely accurate.
Governors under Cromwell pursued godly rule, working with local elites for political power, a common practice of the time.
Cromwell's actions, while seen as reprehensible today, were typical for a 17th-century figure dealing with difficult and pressing issues.
The brutal Cromwellian conduct in Ireland had lasting impacts, contributing to current issues with a hard border between Ireland and the UK.
Understanding Cromwell's impact on Ireland can provide insights into the present, highlighting the importance of historical context.
Cromwell and the Regicides faced severe consequences after the return of the monarchy, including execution and desecration.
The high stakes of the period, with God's presence in the land and divine punishment for wrong actions, shaped the actions of figures like Cromwell.
Historians should aim to understand the projects of figures like Cromwell rather than simply assigning moral judgments.
The imperial project in Ireland and Jamaica under Cromwell is not one we would pursue today, but understanding it is crucial for historical context.
Cromwell's legacy is complex, with both positive achievements and negative actions that must be considered in historical analysis.
Transcripts
[Music]
I think that's a really difficult
question yeah was Lenin a hero or
villain he frayed the Russian people
from centuries of oppression from the
czars Cromwell was a man of his times
and had some pretty reprehensible views
about Catholics which resulted in
bloodshed and murder there's no doubt
about that
but in terms of the times if you're
fighting the Antichrist you can't you
know have a boxing match you have to win
and you Cromwell showed that it was
possible for the British nation to rule
without the formal need of kingship or
an established church and that that's a
pretty impressive thing to have achieved
and the fact that a man as rigorous as
John Milton was quite happy in although
he changed his mind towards the end but
quite happy to venerate this new order
it was a Commonwealth it was an argument
that said government was for the people
and almost by the people now the great
things that are thrust against
Cromwell's reputation is the role of the
major generals you know if you read the
wrong pamphlet England is under military
occupation but that's not really an
accurate account they did in fact have
governors who were military figures but
they were pursuing the same old phrase
Godley rule and all forms of political
power at this period worked by brokerage
you couldn't just turn up even if you
were the New Model Army and occupy and
make people do things you had to have
the cooperation of local elites and
local figures so Cromwell I believe is
one of those tricky figures you know
Churchill gets a lot of
positive press but he did terrible
things in the Indian subcontinent and in
the Northeast and he set the troops on
unions Cromwell had it precisely those
sorts of problems he had to deal with
difficult and pressing issues and he
dealt with them in the way a 17th
century person would which to us is very
very reprehensible and and certainly the
Cromwellian conduct in Ireland they were
atrocities and you know if you if you
want to look into the past to learn a
little bit about the present
understanding the Cromwellian impact on
Ireland is why the issue of a hard
border between Ireland and the the UK
now is such a problematic one because
that was so brutal now I'm not making
excuses for cromwell and i think in one
sense it's not the role of the historian
to give people marks out of ten but to
try and understand what their project
was we can say that you know an imperial
project in ireland or even in the
Jamaica's is not a very good one and
that we wouldn't pursue it today but it
happened so we need to understand why it
happened yeah we should always remember
as well that Cromwell and the Regicides
all of those figures who put Charles the
first on trial and sign the death
warrant were of course either executed
or disinterred and had their bodies
desecrated by the return of the Royal
monarchy in the 1660s so these people
were pretty unpleasant as well you know
what we always forget is were playing
for very high stakes God was in the land
or not and if you did the wrong thing
you got punished
[Music]
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