Military preparations for war Flashcards
Raising armies
• Initially
Both sides initially relied on volunteers.
Raising armies
• Trained bands
As there was no professional standing army in England, the county trained bands were used by both sides
Charles raising armies
• Welsh Marches
Charles marched west to the Welsh Marches, which proved to be a fruitful recruiting ground. He was able to recruit soldiers from most of the counties he visited in the summer and autumn of 1642
Charles raising armies
• North
In order to raise an army, Charles initially travelled north before his declaration of war and based himself at York.
Parliament raising armies
• London
London contained the most effective of the trained bands, which proved to be invaluable in the early stages of the conflict.
Parliament raising armies
• Eastern Association
In order to improve the efficiency of the trained bands under parliamentarian control, the Eastern Association was created, consisting the militias of Norfolk and Lincolnshire.
Parliament raising armies
• Earl of Manchester
The counties of the Eastern Association was commanded by the Earl of Manchester from 1643
Parliament raising armies
• Counties in Eastern Association
The counties of the Association were some of the wealthiest and agriculturally rich in the country and, as a result, the army was well financed and resourced
Taking sides
• Neutral
It was possible to remain neutral, and attempts were made to form neutrality pacts in 22 English counties.
The nobility taking sides
The majority of the nobility joined Charles’s side. Many of them felt an inherent loyalty to the monarchy or felt that joining Charles was the best way to secure their financial assets
The gentry taking sides
The gentry were split, with many initially choosing to side with the King.
Whig’s view on the gentry
Whig historians concluded that the gentry who sided with parliament were expressing their aversion to Charles’s behaviour in blocking constitutional change
Marxist view on taking sides
They believed that economic factors were the primary motivation in side-taking because those gentry who had suffered economically under the monarchy were more likely to side with the opposition
Revisionist’s view on taking sides
The role of religion is crucial in explaining patters of allegiance.
Religious impact of taking side
Those who followed a more ceremonial style of worship and valued the Prayer Book were more likely to support Charles, whereas ‘low church’ Puritans were more likely to follow parliament.
