History Unit 4

• The further development of Civil War

  • The strengths and weaknesses of the leadership of the Royalist cause
  • The strengths and weaknesses of the leadership of the Parliamentary forces
  • The emergence of the New Model Army
  • The attitude and actions of Charles I
  • The failure of attempts to reach a political settlement
  • The Second Civil War and the reasons for the victory of Parliament
• The impact of the growth of ideas and dissent during the Civil War

  • The emergence of political and religious radicalism
  • Lilburne and the Levellers
  • Fifth Monarchists
  • Ranters and other radical groups
  • Political and religious divisions
  • The reaction in Wales to religious change
• The significance of the end of monarchy and new experiments in government

  • The reasons for and impact of the trial and execution of the King
  • Rump Parliament as an experiment in radical republicanism
  • Oliver Cromwell and the Protectorate
  • Cromwell's personality and approach to government and his refusal of the Crown
  • The limits of religious toleration
  • The role and impact of the Major Generals
  • The problem of the succession to Cromwell
  • The political vacuum after the death of Cromwell
• The significance of the restoration of the monarchy

  • Negotiations for the return of monarchy under Charles II
  • The reasons for restoration
  • The legacy of the English Revolution by 1660
• It is important to note that the most common reaction was neutralism or a lack of commitment to fight for one side or the other
• Reasons for neutralism


  • Localism – loyalty to own area rather than to Crown or Parliament
  • Fear of social revolution
  • Lack of understanding about why the war was happening. Initially Parliament lacked any clear war aims
  • Both sides tried to seize territory so it became a war of attrition, of small skirmishes and sieges. Territory changed hands and so people changed sides or simply ran away. There was no clear pattern to the war geographically and so it seemed confusing and people swapped sides
  • The longer the war dragged on tbe more difficult it became to get support for it
• Royalist support


  • In 1642, the King controlled most of the north of England, the south west and Wales. He had control of important cities like Oxford and York. He controlled most of the north of a line drawn from Bristol to Hull
  • Most rich nobles supported the King (75%). The gentry and rich merchants were fairly evenly divided
  • Monopolists supported the King
  • Catholics supported the King
  • Loyal subjects like the Verney family, Falkland and the Earl of Clarendon supported him
  • Those who thought there were prizes on offer when the King won
  • Prince Rupert, Charles' nephew and brilliant cavalry. The King had the best cavalry
• Parliamentarian support


  • Mainly the south and east of the country, including London. London was strategically important due to being a good source of cash, the London Trained Bands, being the centre of government and psychologically important as the capital city
  • The Navy mainly supported Parliament (led by the Earl of Warwick who stopped royalists from getting supplies abroad) and controlled useful ports such as Hull, Plymouth and Bristol
  • Parliament had control of the armouries in London and Hull
  • A fair number of nobles and half of the gentry/merchants supported Parliament
  • Those who opposed monopolies and high taxation
  • Puritans, those who opposed Arminianism and wanted Godly reform
  • The leading commanders for Parliament were the Earl of Essex (methodical but uninspiring commander) and the Earl of Manchester (a moderate general)
• There were also pockets of support for both sides all over the place e.g. even though Wales was Royalist, Parliament had support in Pembrokeshire and around Wrexham. Territory also changed hands as the war progressed
• Reasons why the war lasted so long

  • Neither side had a clear military advantage e.g. at the Battle of Edgehill
  • Peace negotiations failed – The King proved to be untrustworthy
  • Parliament was not united in its cause – It was divided over its war aims and what terms to give the King
• Strengths of the Royalist cause

  • Led by the recognized lawful ruler
  • More support from the aristocracy and higher gentry who had money and military experience
  • Focused strategic objective: to take London
  • The King's war effort began with the Commissions of Array being issued in 1642, ordering wealthy men to raise their counties forces for the King
  • By 1643 a more systematic organization emerged. Country committees of wealthier gentry were formed to raise money and recruit soldiers
  • By 1643 the King grouped counties into military districts and placed them under the command of regional aristocratic governors (grandees). The country was divided into 6 military zones
  • The Council of War in Oxford was an effective administrative organization in the early years of the war
• Weaknesses of the Royalist cause

  • Areas under King's control generally poorer
  • Clubmen, men who tried to defend their localities from both armies, hampered the Royalist forces
  • The King relied on local men to raise local taxes and they expected local money to be spent on local defences
  • The Royalists should have enjoyed an immediate advantage in terms of a clear command structure. Instead Charles' armies were riddled with personal rivalries, confused command structures and wounded pride
  • The King signed the Cessation Treaty with the Irish Catholics in September 1643. This was a ceasefire agreement which would allow Charles to bring back English soldiers to fight. Rumours spread about the King using Irish Catholic soldiers which raised Protestant fears and led to some Royalists defecting to the Parliamentary cause
  • George Goring was an able general but unfortunately was often drunk and failed to stop his men from plundering and beating up civilians which damaged the King's cause
  • Indecisiveness and division also negatively affected the royalist cause. Edward Hyde wanted to settle with Parliament and Henrietta Maria wanted total victory. Charles was a poor war leader
  • The Earl of Newcastle did not march his northern Royalist army to support the London attack in November 1643
• Divisions within the Royalist side

  • Cavaliers (Royalist hawks who wanted a complete military victory against Parliament)
  • Moderates (e.g. Edward Hyde, Lord Falkland)
• Strengths of the Parliamentary forces

  • Parliament managed to control areas that were relatively rich compared to Royalist areas
  • Control of the navy gave Parliament the advantage
  • Pym organized an efficient system of raising finance
  • The army was re-organised on a bigger regional basis. The Eastern Association (20,000 strong) was formed under the Earl of Manchester. It became Parliament's most effective fighting force
  • Pym organised the Solemn League and Covenant – an alliance with the Scots in 1644 which provided a further 20,000 troops
  • The King negotiating with the Irish rebels also increased support for the Parliamentary cause
  • Pym held the Parliamentary war effort together
  • Parliament had control of London and the London Trained Bands
  • The Committee of Both Kingdoms did eventually create and maintain the New Model Army
• Weaknesses of the Parliamentary forces


  • The Committee of Both Kingdoms (Parliament and the Scots) failed to effectively co-ordinate armies in the field
  • Parliament was struggling financially
  • Military mistakes were made as a result of poor tactics
• Divisions within the Parliamentary side

  • Peace Party (e.g. Denzil Holles, John Maynard)
  • War Party (e.g. John Pym, John Hampden)
  • Radicals (e.g. Henry Marten)
• Even after Marston Moor, neither side seemed in a position to win. Why?
• Reasons for deadlock in 1644

  • The Oxford War Council (Royalist) and Committee of Both Kingdoms (Parliament and the Scots) failed to effectively co-ordinate armies in the field
  • Even Parliament's finances struggled – less and less reached London
  • Both sides suffered mutiny, disorder, desertion and plunder
  • Impressment produced poor morale and poor soldiers
  • Both sides suffered disease epidemics e.g. typhus
  • Parliament's alliance with the Scots did not work well. The Scots were worried about their homeland
  • Military mistakes continued
  • Effects of war led to public apathy. Clubmen movement appeared in early 1645 in south of England and South Wales
  • Moderates on the parliamentary side offered the King terms at Uxbridge. He refused but the Hawks were now frightened into action especially as the loyalty of the Scots was now in question
• Significance of the New Model Army

  • Promoted talented officers
  • Used volunteers if possible and paid well
  • Well trained
  • Went for men with strong Puritan beliefs – fighting for God
  • Well disciplined – fines for swearing etc
  • Paid for quarter and attracted clubmen
  • Always fought with superior numbers
  • Its main aim was to crush opposition armies and not just to try to gain territory
  • NMA also worked in a co-ordinated manner with other Parliamentary armies
• Four months after its creation the NMA destroyed the King's army at Naseby in 1645
• After Naseby the King had no means of forcing the local populations of gentry to support and supply. They began to reason that withdrawal of support or even swapping sides was the best way of making sure the war ended quickly
• By 1646 Charles was more a fugitive than the commander of an army. He opened negotiations with the Scots, preferring to surrender to them than to Parliament. He left Oxford in disguise at the end of April but eventually surrendered to the Scottish army. The first Civil War ended August 1646
• Attitude and actions of Charles I

  • Although militarily defeated, Charles I was still in a strong position in 1646. Charles was still King and he sought to play on the divisions among the key groups
  • Experience had taught Charles to hold out for as long as possible and refuse to compromise. This was at first a politically astute move, as he wanted to play upon the divisions between the English Parliament, the Scots and the New Model Army, all of whom had an interest in a post-war settlement
• Factions in Parliament by 1644

  • Political Presbyterians (Peace party)
  • Political Independents (War party)
• By 1646 Charles was more a fugitive than the commander of an army. He opened negotiations with the Scots, preferring to surrender to them than to Parliament. He left Oxford in disguise at the end of April but eventually surrendered to the Scottish army. The first Civil War ended August 1646.
• Charles I's attitude and actions

  Although militarily defeated, Charles I was still in a strong position in 1646. Charles was still King and he sought to play on the divisions among the key groups. Experience had taught Charles to hold out for as long as possible and refuse to compromise. This was at first a politically astute move, as he wanted to play upon the divisions between the English Parliament, the Scots and the New Model Army, all of whom had an interest in a post-war settlement.
• Factions in Parliament


  • Political Presbyterians (Peace party)
  • Political Independents (War party)
• Political Presbyterians (Peace party)

  • Denzil Holles
  • Earl of Manchester
  • Earl of Essex
• Political Independents (War party)

  • Oliver Cromwell
  • Henry Ireton
  • Lord Saye and Sele
  • Oliver St John
• Political Presbyterians (Peace party)

  • Wanted to end the war through negotiation
  • Wanted a Presbyterian church to replace the Church of England
  • Wanted to consolidate alliance with Scotland
  • Socially conservative – war threatens social order
• Political Independents (War party)


  • Wanted to win the war
  • Did not want the Scots to dictate terms
  • Disliked the authoritarianism of Scottish Presbyterianism
• Charles blamed himself for signing Strafford's death warrant. He had decided never again to betray those who were most loyal to him, and refused any terms that did not pardon all the Royalists. Charles felt he had to protect the monarchy's prerogative. He had to reject any settlement that diminished the authority of the Crown. He had no way of knowing if he was negotiating with a group that was stable enough to speak for Parliament. He felt eventually his enemies would have to turn to him to save the nation from turmoil. It was the soldiers that lost patience with him long before Parliament.
• Moderate MPs (Doves) were in the majority in wanting to reach a settlement as did most people in the country. People wanted an end to the carnage and the draconian county committees with their heavy taxation and promotion of men to positions of power who were not from the traditional ruling elite but of a lower social status.
• The minority of hardline hawks did not trust the King and wanted cast iron guarantees. They were supported by the army whose pay was in arrears (£2.5m). They also wanted great changes in the church with the creation of a godly society. They did not want to have fought the war for nothing.
• In July 1646 the King was offered the Propositions of Newcastle but he turned them down outright.
• Terms of the Propositions of Newcastle

  • Religion: Charles was to accept Presbyterianism for 3 years
  • Army: Parliament to control for 20 years
  • Parliament to be called every 3 years
  • Only 58 Royalists were not to be pardoned
• Charles continued to stall. He hoped to wait for further divisions to develop among his opponents.
• The doves led by Holles tried to keep the initiative by purging the army of the radical 'independent' elements. He produced a document called the Declaration of Dislike about the NMA.
• By early 1647 the army now got so worried that it was on the verge of mutiny and began to listen to the ideas of the radical Levellers and their leader John Lilburne.
• Under pressure from ordinary rank and file soldiers army seized the King and took him to Newmarket. Cornet George Joyce wrote to Cromwell: 'we have secured the King. You must hasten an answer to us, and let us know what we shall do'. They then produced four of their own ideas for a settlement.