Third Civil War - Ireland + Scotland Flashcards
Why was it called a commonwealth and not a republic
Too radical
Vague enough to cover lots of bases and didn’t promise anything specific, whereas ‘republic’ does
What happens in march 1649
Act abolishing the monarchy and the House of Lords passes through the commons
Transition from. bicameral to a unicameral political system
In what year does the RUmp declare England a commonwealth
May 1649
What was the council of state
Sat above the rump parliament
41 members - including 31 MP’s
Responsible for major executive decisions which the king had previously been responsible for
Appointed for one year by rump in 1649 to be reappointed annually
Give a weakness of the council of state
Attendance rarely exceeded 15 and sometimes didn’t even reach the required 9
- Not a system embodied by the majority of people
Describe the structure fo the RUmp 1649
Around 300 MP’s - but only 50-100 regular attenders
Cromwell encouraged some MP’s who’d abstained after Pride’s Purge to rejoin - making the rump more conservative
Give 6 challenges the new government faced in 1649
Royalism
Ireland
Scotland
Leveller demands
Religious radicals
Unpopularity of the regime
Why did the expectation that royalist would be excluded from the political nation damage the rump’s authority
They could not maintain their authority with such a narrow franchise
Historian Worden - “when the army or the Levellers or the Rump spoke of ‘the people’, they meant the people who agreed with them, and whose judgments had not been perverted by enemy persuasion”
Give 4 why royalism wasn’t damaged by Charles’ execution
The king’s execution didn’t kill royalism or convince people that republicanism was the way forward - just drive Royalist sympathisers underground
Increase of pamphlets, ballads and drawings which created powerful evocations of Charles’ dignity. Eikon Baslike ran 46 editions in one year - portrayed Charles as a martyr
General feeling of unease that things had gone too far
Even if some of the general public cou;d admit to not liking Charles - there were only a handful of people who really wanted a republic
Did the majority of the people want a republic
NO!
Attached t the idea of monarchial government. The charge against the king had been carefully limited to target the conduct of one specific king, not the office of king
Little desire to create a republic apart from army and rump.
Small subset of population wanting to actively promote the cause of Prince Charles - formed the RUmp of the Royalist party
Give a counterpoint to the likelihood of a militaristic royalist revival that could challenge the dominance of the Rump, being dealt a catastrophic blow when five royalist leaders were executed March 1649
Perhaps the idea of a royalist militaristic revival to reinstate Charles II as monarch was reduced
But - limited number of royalists killed (5) and doesn’t deal with the hearts and minds of the English people with regards to kingship
Although the army was supportive of………………, the navy was largely……………
Republicanism
Royalist
How did the Rump effectively deal with prince’s Rupert’s royalist navy
Rupert’s fleet pursued from Ireland to Caribbean, before limping back to France in 1653
Rump appointed new officers, introduced new disciplinary codes and doubled its size 1649-52
Navy successfully dealt with offshore Royalist resistance - Jersey, Scilly Isles, Isle of Man
Give 3 successes of the Rump in dealing with royalism
Successfully overcame the royalist stronghold in the navy
Executed 5 key royalist veterans
Potentially suppressed the idea of a royalist military revival
Give 3 failures of the Rump in dealing with royalism
Fails to deal with the hearts and minds of the English people
Commonwealth instead of being called a republic
Charge if Kings executed limited to specific king - majority of political nation remained attached to idea of a monarchical government
What was the 2nd Ormond Agreement Jan 1649
- Brought Catholics and Protestants together (freedom of worship, lifting of Catholic restrictions)
- This strengthened the royalist Irish cause, with new army created with Ormond at its head.
- Charles II proclaimed king
- Forced the English parliament to take action (Ireland great footing for any continental invasion)
What happened in Cromwell’s Irish campaign
Cromwell controlled a well equipped and paid 12,000 strong army.
Had completely destroyed Ormond’s army within 9 months (swift and merciless)
1/5 Irish population killed
Started in August 1649
What is significant about Drogheda and Wexford
No greater example of Cromwell’s willingness to act with upmost brutality for a cause that he felt was justifiable before God than his command of the sieges of Drogheda and Wexford
Controversy has since raged about the extent to which he broke the conventions of 17th-century warfare by slaughtering two entire towns
Defended his actions as a “righteous judgment”
However - precedent in this strategy. Similar massacre of protestants in Germany by Catholic army in 1631. Memories of Irish rebellion in 1641
What was the effect of the Irish campaign
Cromwell had neutralised the threat fo continental invasion and broke the back of Irish resistance to the parliamentarian cause.
Ormond became the focal point of Irish discontent - because of his failure to protect him against Cromwell
When Charles made an agreement with Scotland to reject the Ormond agreement in 1650 Ormon resigned
Give some reasons why Cromwell’s efficacy was not the only reason for Irish defeat
Ormond’s forces - food and equipment running low
Rise in desertions and reputation of NMA grew
Many Irish chose survival rather than being royalist
Give 3 successes of the Rump in dealing with Irish royalism
The campaign only took 9 months - reducing the size of Ormond’s army to 3000 and neutralising threat of continental invasion
Ormond became focal point of Irish anger - resigned
Although there was widespread controversy as to Cromwell’s slaughter. It is clear that Cromwell’s aim was to brutally suppress Ireland, and that was successfully achieved
After Charles was proclaimed king in Feb 1649 in the Scottish parliament, an act was passed that defined his constitutional position (Treaty of Breda) what were the terms
King and family to become presbyterian
No catholic toleration in an of the kingdoms
REspect the presbyterian system in Scotland and enforce it elsewhere
What pushed Charles into signing Scottish treaty of Breda
Failure of Montrose’s army to raise support from Scottish highland clans for a royalist revival
Defeated and executed - forced Charles to distance himself from him
Why did Cromwell go to war with Scotland
Charles II warmly greeted din Scotland - prospect of a serious royalist revival
What happened at the Battle of Dunbar (Scotland) September 1650
Leslie commanded 22,000 royalist men and intially gained the upper hand
However, in the face of defeat, Cromwell planned a tactical masterstroke, outflanking Leslie’s troops and achieving victory
Saw this as divine providence
Cromwell quickly occupied Edenbrugh but instead of seeking eh remainder of Leslies’ army, decided not to and returned to England
Increased both royalist revival in England and Scotland
What happened post-Dunbar that was a success for Cromwell
Between 1651-2 Cromwell was seriously ill. Rather than act, the Scottish parliament failed to take the advantage due to political divisions
What was the Battle of Worcester
1 year after Dunbar - another victory for Cromwell
Most royalist soldiers dead or captured
Charles forced to flee to France
Losses in NMA were 200 compared to 3,000 Scottish men
