OLIVER CROMWELL: BIOGRAPHY, CIVIL WARS, COMMONWEALTH, DEATH - ARTE - 2024

Oliver Cromwell (1599 - 1658) was an English military man, statesman, and politician. He is recognized for having been one of the main leaders during the civil wars in England and for being one of those responsible for the regicide of Carlos I.

He took the reins of the country during the republican period known as the Commonwealth of England between 1653 and 1658. Cromwell was a supporter of religious Puritanism and considered his success, as well as that of his army, to be related to the religious fervor they constantly demonstrated.

Oliver Cromwell, After Samuel Cooper, via Wikimedia Commons.

This character has aroused many passions and conflicting opinions. For some he is considered a ruthless dictator, but others assign him a fundamental role for the political organization of Great Britain.

He was selected as a member of Parliament on several occasions while Carlos I was in charge of the kingdom. During the English Civil War he took part on the side of the parliamentarians, among whom he stood out for his military capabilities. He stood out for being the creator of the "Ironside" or "iron sides".

He was also one of those responsible for the emergence of the New Model Army, nicknamed "roundheads" or "round heads" for their haircut in the Puritan style. Little by little this force ceased to be a volunteer militia to become a professional army.

Eventually the army developed a different agenda than Parliament with Cromwell as its leader. After the regicide of Charles I, Ireland and Scotland were subjected to the newly created Commonwealth of England.

From 1653 Oliver Cromwell served as "lord protector" of England, Scotland and Ireland and ruled until his death in 1658. After his death, Charles II ascended the throne and the monarchy was restored.

Biography

Early years

Oliver Cromwell was born on April 25, 1599 in Huntingdon, England, the result of the union between Robert Cromwell and Elizabeth Steward. Other males had been born from this union, but Oliver was the first to survive childhood and, consequently, his father's heir.

He was related to Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII's adviser. However, the family enjoyed little of the fortune of Oliver. The reason was that, although his father came from the male branch, he was the youngest of the sons. Still, his father was a gentleman by birth.

Oliver received his first teachings at the local Huntingdon Grammar School. When he was old enough he was sent to the University of Cambridge and entered Sussex College, where he was in contact with Puritan ideas.

Family

Oliver's ancestors date back to Thomas Cromwell, Henry Tudor's adviser and once right-hand man. At this time when their union with the crown was close, they gained good positions and properties that would pass from hand to hand within the family.

Thomas Cromwell had no children, but Richard, one of the descendants of the union between his sister Katherine Cromwell and Morgan Williams, adopted his uncle's last name and served as his assistant at Henry VIII's court.

Richard Cromwell knew how to make his own way in the favor of the king, who gave him the priory of Hichinbrooke and then that of Ramsey Abbey. He was knighted in 1540 and when his uncle Thomas was no longer in good standing with Henry, Richard was not expelled from court.

Enrique Cromwell, son of Richard, was also close to the Tudor court, but in his case with Queen Elizabeth I. Due to the great fortunes he had, he was nicknamed the "Golden Knight."

The heir to this great fortune was the eldest of Henry Cromwell's sons named Oliver. One of their main jobs was to receive the king to provide entertainment, such as hunting activities.

Oliver was also knighted by the sovereign James I. But the fate of his younger brother, Robert Cromwell, was different, since being a minor his inheritance was modest and limited to a small property.

Youth and marriage

Robert Cromwell died when Oliver was 18 years old and in Cambridge, so he was unable to complete his academic education. Later, he returned to take control of his inheritance, as well as the responsibilities as head of the family.

Some historians have argued that he entered one of the Inn of the Court or "Court Inns", in which he received training to practice as a lawyer in England at the time. Specifically, it is said that he was at Lincoln's Inn, although there is no record to support such claims.

In 1620 he married Elizabeth Bourchier, the daughter of a leather merchant. During their first years of marriage they settled on their lands in Huntingdon. He had 9 children with his wife, the oldest was Robert, who died at the age of 18.

His second son named Oliver also died young, he was 22 years old. He then had a girl named Bridget, followed by Richard, Henry, and Elizabeth.

Another of their children, James, passed away in infancy and the Cromwells eventually welcomed their two youngest daughters Mary and Frances.

Conversion

Oliver Cromwell's mental health was poor in the late 1620s. He suffered from severe depression that forced him to seek medical help.

During these years he also had impasses with important figures within the government in the town of Huntingdon and was forced to sell most of his properties.

The family relocated to a rented property in St. Ives, which meant a great social setback for the Cromwells.

It seems that at this time his conversion to Puritanism or his "spiritual awakening" occurred. He himself narrated that experience to a relative in a letter and addressed in the lines the way in which God changed his life and made him walk from darkness to light.

He believed that he had been at the head of sinners, and later became one of God's chosen ones. During that period he was planning a trip to New England, but it did not materialize.

Economic improvement

He worked as a farmer for five years, more in the style of a yeoman (landowner) than a gentleman. Oliver Cromwell's financial difficulties ceased when his maternal uncle Thomas Steward passed away childless and left him his inheritance.

Cromwell's new possessions included a house in Ely, next to St. Mary's Church, in which he also inherited the position as a tithe collector, as well as at Holly Trinity Parish.

His economic status improved and his ties with some prominent Puritans in London and Essex were strengthened.

Politics

Oliver Cromwell had a brief foray into political life in 1628, when he was elected as a member of Parliament. He did not leave a large mark at the time and only one of his speeches against Bishop Richard Neile was recorded.

From that time it was evident that Cromwell had no sympathy for the Anglican ecclesiastical leadership which he considered corrupt. However, Carlos I quickly dissolved that Parliament and governed the next 11 years without convening it.

The war of the bishops began in 1639, being the trigger that forced the British monarch to call Parliament to try to finance the conflict. During 1640 the representatives of the kingdom met, but the convocation lasted only 3 weeks, which is why it was nicknamed the “Short Parliament”.

However, that same year Carlos I decided to call the "Long Parliament". When he began to sign Cromwell, who had been selected by Cambridge both times, he moved with his family to London.

He was linked to the Puritan families of both the lords and the commons, with whom he had been associated for years. Together they had coordinated a reform agenda, which was promoted by Parliament. This group supported tax cuts, as well as the end of monopolies and the episcopal religion.

First civil war

At first, Parliament had no intention of overthrowing the monarchy or replacing Charles Stuart in his post as king. They simply intended to separate the sovereign from the bad advisers around him.

When putting the proposals to Carlos I, he did not agree to the demands and eventually the armed conflict became inevitable. On August 22, 1642, the crown flags were raised at Nottingham and the war began..

Cromwell joined the parliamentary forces with very little military experience. He recruited a small group of men at Huntingdon and became captain of those recruits. Together with his cavalry he managed to block a shipment of silver from the king in Cambridgeshire.

He was instructed in the art of war by reading the great strategists. Cromwell argued that the selection process for parliamentary soldiers should be comprehensive, but without excluding anyone because of religion or social status.

In February 1642, Oliver Cromwell was appointed Colonel and Governor of Ely. He strove to offer good treatment and adequate payment to his soldiers, from whom he demanded impeccable discipline in return.

New Model Army

Oliver Cromwell secured East Anglia and in 1644 helped defeat Prince Rupert at Marston Moor. From that moment on, the company he led became known as the Ironside, or "iron sides," for their strength in battle.

During 1645 the members of Parliament were asked to choose between their civil responsibility and their military position, so that the interests did not mix. Cromwell was exempted from that, but almost all MPs preferred to retain their civilian posts.

The military forces began from that moment to undergo a serious restructuring. They were no longer subject to local constituencies, but could operate throughout the UK without restrictions.

The leader of the New Model Army, the name adopted by the parliamentary militia, was Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell was appointed as second in command. The new organization gave Parliament decisive victories against the royalists.

At the Battle of Naseby, the New Model Army crushed the king's greatest force in June 1645. This was followed by the Battle of Langport in July of the same year, in which Parliament won another undisputed victory.

Defeat

The royalist army had no opportunity to recover from the two great coups that parliament made on the battlefield. After that, the New Model Army went against the last bastions and fortresses loyal to King Carlos I.

England's first civil war ended on May 5, 1646, when Charles I surrendered to the Scots.

Interwar

At the conclusion of the confrontation against the British monarch, Parliament did not want the members of the New Model Army to remain active. They thought about paying what they owed the soldiers and demobilizing their forces.

However, other plans of the Parliament did not agree with the wishes of the army that had won the war: to return the command to the king and to obtain in exchange the establishment of a Presbyterian Church.

Cromwell disagreed with the last point, but could not find a compromise between the New Model Army, which wanted freedom of worship, and Parliament.

Furthermore, he did not understand the attempt to take the credit from the men who fought ceaselessly to victory with the sole objective of being able to practice their religion without being persecuted.

The parliamentarians, like the military, began to despair when they saw that in 1647 no agreement was reached with the king, who wanted to continue to drag out the discussions.

Frustrated negotiations

George Joyce took the king prisoner to have in his possession something with which the Army could negotiate terms with Parliament. At first, Oliver Cromwell tried to find an ally in Charles I, especially since the parliamentarians did not want to negotiate.

Carlos Estuardo was practically proposed to establish a constitutional monarchy, but the sovereign did not yield.

Within the army a new prominent figure began to emerge: John Lilburne, who supported the total eradication of the monarchy and its replacement by a democratic republic.

However, Cromwell continued trying to negotiate with Carlos I, conversations that finally concluded when the king escaped from the captivity of the Army in 1647.

Second civil war

In 1648, Carlos I tried to create an armed uprising that would give him back the throne with the support of the Scots. Oliver Cromwell had already put aside his conciliatory hopes, so that action by the king was translated into the start of the Second English Civil War.

Cromwell and his men won a quick victory in South Wales. Meanwhile, another branch of the New Model Army controlled Kent and Essex.

At the Battle of Preston, Cromwell eradicated the royalist Scottish forces although they outnumbered him almost twice. With subsequent negotiations, he wrested political power from the leaders.

After being victorious against the king, the Army launched itself against Parliament in December 1648.

An event that was dubbed by historians as the "Purge of Pride" was very important to the military's plans. This consisted of the expulsion of the parliamentarians who opposed the army, which gave way to the “Wild Parliament”.

Cromwell returned to England after the purge had concluded. When he returned, he had already cleared his mind and considered that while Charles I lived they could not find peace in the British nations.

Regicide

The trial against the English monarch Carlos I of the Stuart family began on January 20, 1649. The sovereign was accused of exceeding the exercise of his authority, as well as of waging malicious war against Parliament.

The legitimacy of those who tried to act as judges was not accepted by the king, who did not cooperate in any way with the process against him. In any case, the sovereign was executed on January 30, 1649.

Commonwealth

After the death of Charles I, the British Isles adopted a republican system which they christened the Commonwealth of England. With the new order of the state, the House of Lords was abolished, just as they did with the post of king.

Thereafter, Parliament, which had become unicameral, would also hold executive functions. A Council of State was formed with Oliver Cromwell at the head and ready to unify the British nations.

To consolidate control of the new republic, Cromwell first traveled to Ireland. He arrived in Dublin in August 1649 and in a rapid advance managed to take Wexford and Drogheda, both attacks were considered great massacres, especially by Catholics.

From there he went southeast and secured the territory as well as diplomatic alliances. The last Catholics to lay down their arms within Irish territory did so in 1652.

New king

Meanwhile, Charles II landed in Scotland, which was his family's land, and was proclaimed king there in 1650. Cromwell returned to England upon hearing this news, and in June headed north at the head of the New Model Army.

Then came the Battle of Dunbar, which was at first unfavorable to Cromwell's men. They were short on supplies and began to fall ill inside the camp.

Either way they managed to prevail over the Scots and eventually took Edinburgh. In 1651 they defeated the troops of Carlos II definitively in Worcester.

Protectorate

Returning to London, the Wildcat Parliament was fragmented, not deciding a date for the necessary elections. This led Oliver Cromwell to decide that he should dissolve Parliament in April 1653.

At that juncture began what came to be called the Parliament of Saints or "Barebone", nominated by the local churches. This made many think that Cromwell wanted to establish a religious republic.

However, in December 1653, the Parliament of Saints handed power over to Oliver Cromwell and began the period known as the Protectorate. At that time they developed a kind of Constitution which they called the “Instrument of Government”.

Although Cromwell did not hold the title of king, the position he held was analogous and had many similarities with the monarchy, for example he could summon and dissolve parliaments at will.

Organization and peace

One of the great purposes of the State during Oliver Cromwell's government was to consolidate peace in the country that had been badly affected after the civil wars. Imposing order by force was easy for him because the army was loyal to him and that is how he gained social control.

The payment of taxes for individuals was reduced and peace with Holland was achieved. Likewise, they managed to make the American colonies bow to their authority as long as they were given ample freedom to govern themselves.

In the Parliament of Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell ideas ahead of their time arose such as freedom of the press, free education, secret ballot and women's suffrage.

Likewise, he sought to grant certain religious freedom, among this was the return of the Jews to England and the permission to practice the Catholic religion in Maryland.

In 1657 he was offered the crown, and although he was tempted to accept it, he decided that it might harm everything he had achieved.

However, that year he was reelected as lord protector and the act in which his mandate was renewed was seen by many as a kind of symbolic coronation. In addition, he created a House of Peers, similar to the extinct one of the Lords.

Death

Oliver Cromwell died on September 3, 1658 in London. He was 59 years old at the time of his death, which, according to some information, was caused by septicemia due to a urinary infection, since he suffered from kidney stones or malaria.

He appointed his son Richard Cromwell, who had not inherited his qualities as a leader, statesman or military man, as his successor to the position of lord protector. The boy was soon defeated and the kingdom of Charles II of the Stuarts was reinstated.

Upon taking possession, the king ordered that on the anniversary of the death of his father, Charles I, the body of Oliver Cromwell be unearthed and symbolically executed. He was hanged and beheaded. Then his body was thrown into a pit and his head was put on a stake.

References

1. En.wikipedia.org. (2020). Oliver Cromwell. Available at: en.wikipedia.org.
2. Ashley, M. and Morrill, J. (2020). Oliver Cromwell - Biography, Accomplishments, Significance, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. Available at: britannica.com.
3. Morrill, J. (2020). BBC - History - British History in depth: Oliver Cromwell. Bbc.co.uk. Available at: bbc.co.uk.
4. Castelow, E. (2020). The Life of Oliver Cromwell. Historic UK. Available at: historic-uk.com.
5. Maurois, A. and Morales, M. (1945). England history. Barcelona: Furrow.