Experience Of Warfare/New Model Army Flashcards
Cromwell’s military beliefs
Wanted good relationship with his men
Wanted discipline
Didn’t recruit officers based off of their social class but by skill
Trained his men well
The new model army
Winter of 1644-45, Parliament raised a national army which would be paid and successful soldiers would be given command rather than politicians.
New to the civil war, Cromwell was one of the proposers but had to give up command as an MP.
-Sir Thomas Fairfax was to command. Cromwell second in command.
-Three of parliaments armies disbanded to provide the men. Half of the infantry were pressed.
(Recruitment) Tudor system
The recruitment methods of the medieval period gave nobles lots of power, sometimes enough for them to challenge the king. Tudors went back to the militia system- outlined in the statute of winchester 1285.
(Recruitment) key features of militia system
General musters every couple of years where men 16-60 would show their arms and armour and do some training.
-monarch appointed Lord lieutenants who oversaw each militia.
-when troops had to serve overseas, the government would tell Lord Lieutenants how many mem his county had to send. They were usually pressed (forced).
(Recruitment) Trained bands
Set up in 1573 as Tudor system wasn’t providing enough well-trained men. A proportion of men from each county met once a month over the summer to train.
(Recruitment) Muster Masters
1580s, with danger of Spanish invasion, professional soldiers would run training. They were typically lower class men who gentlemen, who’d been in charge before, weren’t happy with. In 1590s, counties began paying muster masters and, due to social attitudes, gentlemen became muster masters instead.
(Training) musketeers
Musketeers would have to learn complex manouevers to be effective in large groups
(Training) How well did new training work?
-Wars against scotland were successful
-was never properly tested; Spanish army never landed in the Netherlands for example.
-for overseas wars, there were few volunteers so unemployed and prisoners were usually forced to go and working men were often pressed. Some richer people would get away through bribary.
English civil wars
-many amateur soldiers
-nobility and gentry still often thought they had the right to command and didn’t like being commanded by professional soldiers
-troops often refused to serve too far away from home ans would often take “free quarter” (taking supplies from locals). Both sides pressed their infantry and after three years of fighting they became experienced soldiers.
A standing army
A full-time, professional force
Advantages of a standing army
Troops better trained
Makes the state (and ruler) more powerful- they ‘own’ it
Can respond quickly to invasion/conflict
Provides a deterant
Disadvantages of a standing army
Can interfere in politics (1645-1660)
The power given to the state/ruler can be dangerous
Very expensive
Standing army timeline
1645: parlaiment forms the New Model Army to win the civil war
1648: second civil war leads to Oliver Cromwell becoming protector of England, Army retained
1660-80: Charles II returns as king and retained the army due to threat of war
1688 onwards: Army renewed each year to maintain principle of no standing army
1775: standing army formalised
