What was the most important reason for the Kings return Flashcards
What were the four most important reasons for the restoration of the Monarchy
- Political weakness of the republic
- unpopularity and disunity of the army
- Contribution of Monck
- Importance of London
How did the Political weaknesses of the republic contribute to the restoration of the Monarchy
-Oliver Cromwell’s problem as protector was that,
despite the military power on which he could rely, he
was not willing to use force to impose a settlement of
his liking
-The Protectorate established in 1653 had attempted to establish a workable system based off a written constitution
- However with the abandonment of the protectorate in
1659 there was a power vacuum which successive
regimes were unable to fill.
-Lacking constitutional credibility and sustained only by the authority of an increasingly divided army, the republic had no claim on the nations loyalty
How did the unpopularity in the army contribute to the restoration of the monarchy
-Period 1658-60 showed that military rule was
unwelcome to the majority of those in positions of
social and political influence
-The cost of maintaining the army meant heavy taxation,
-Taxation was what caused the grievances between
parliament and Charles
-No political settlement that involved the maintenance of
high taxation would be acceptable to the established
classes
How did disunity within the army contribute to the restoration of the Monarchy
-Rivalry among the armies leaders and unrest amongst
its troops
-example of this is the disintegration of Lamberts forces
as they attempted to prevent Monck’s march southward
-Unpaid, badly provisioned and reluctant to obey orders
How did the importance of London contribute to the restoration of the Monarchy
–Since 1640s was one of the most dependable sources
of parliamentary strength
-Throughout the 1650s backed various governments
-However in 1659, large numbers of Londoners had
become so embittered by the costs of military rule that
they were willing to contemplate a return to the
Monarchy
-Organised first serious civilian challenges to army rule and organised tax boycotts
How did the contribution of Monck contribute to the restoration of the Monarchy
-George Monck’s particular skill was being able to play
the role of a moderate throughout the period leading
up to the restoration
-Made him acceptable to the growing body of people
that wanted peace and stability
-his ability to influence, rested on a reliable army, similar
to Cromwell
-He was able to use his military authority to impose a
civilian settlement
-Without Monck, Royalist restoration would have been
much harder
Did people want a return to the monarchy ?
-In 1660 a restored Monarchy offered hope of a return to
political and religious stability
-end of armies influence
-re-establishment of traditional ruling class
-Sufficiently powerful incentives to convince all but the most extreme religious or political radicals that the republic had outlived its usefulness
