Oliver_Cromwell_vs_Charles_I

Oliver Cromwell was not a king by technical title but craved the power of the king. Cromwell wanted the power to rule over the country. He called himself the “Lord Protector.” Although by the end of he rule over the country he accomplished many things he was hated by the end of his reign. He was called the “Chief of Men” or the “Brave Bad Man” either way, the title king becomes insignificant when he was one of the key people in turning the country around after some of the most devastating events in history. During Charles I reign, 1625-1649, there were increasing tensions in England. Social tensions resulting from a rapidly expanding population, which caused worsening unemployment, poverty and disorder; class-based tensions caused by the increasing affluence of the middle classes or the declining position of the old aristocracy; constitutional tensions between a crown which was anxious to retain and extend its powers and a parliament which wanted more power for itself and greater rights and liberties for the people; political tensions, caused especially by the failure of royal income to keep up with expenditure and by the attempts of various monarchs to raise extra money; and religious tensions, resulting from the desire for an active monarchy within the state church, the church of England and the Protestant church. (Spievogel 2000) There were also complications from a political standpoint involving Charles I rule. The political errors and in-fighting of the 1620s and 1630s, especially the mistakes and incompetence of Charles I, who stirred up opposition by his tactless handling of parliaments, by ruling throughout the 1630s without calling a parliament, by taking an authoritarian line and exploiting to the full the fiscal and other powers of the crown, and by seeking to impose upon the Church of England a more elaborate and ceremonial form of religion. (Kishlansky n.d.) When in the late 1630s Scotland rose up against the King's religious policies and defeated his English army, Charles was forced to call parliament in 1640 and to make concessions to it, reversing some of his earlier policies. The political crisis in England continued, for many within parliament pushed for further political, constitutional and religious reforms which Charles, now winning some sympathy and support within the country, would not accept. (Historic World Leaders 2003) Charles was defeated in the First Civil War (1642–45), after which Parliament expected him to accept its demands for a constitutional monarchy. He instead remained defiant by attempting to forge an alliance with Scotland and escaping to the Isle of Wight. (Kishlansky n.d.) This provoked the Second Civil War (1648–49) and a second defeat for Charles, who was subsequently captured, tried, convicted, and executed for high treason. The monarchy was then abolished and a republic called the Commonwealth of England was declared. (Rushworth n.d.) Cromwell was appointed under a written constitution instead of royal birth order. Cromwell built his trust up through military excellence. In 1640 Oliver Cromwell first entered into a complicated political conflict. Puritans dominated the majority in Parliament were pushing to abolish the Anglican Church. (Kishlansky n.d.) Charles I refused. The Church of England--made up of Bishops appointed by the king--helped uphold his power. In its turn Parliament refused to levy taxes for the king. Charles I managed to get around this financial difficulty for 11 years, but when Scotland revolted Charles I ran out of money. With no other option he convened parliament. It was then that Oliver became elected into the House of Commons. (Spievogel 2000) The conflict eventually broke into a civil war in which Cromwell became an important general. Parliament started to make severe restrictions on his rule when it convened. When Charles attempted to take advantage of a separation in parliament the English Civil War erupted. (Historic World Leaders 2003) Having thrown his lot in with the Puritans bent on limitation of the king, Cromwell took a regiment of Calvary and fought for the parliamentary armies. Cromwell showed exceptional leadership and rose through the ranks. Through the war Cromwell became the lieutenant general and won many decisive victories for parliament. (Morrill 1990) Cromwell excelled as a general, and fought like a crusader. Despite having no previous training in the military Cromwell showed great leadership. Cromwell enforced strict discipline among his troops. Yet Cromwell, like the crusaders, gave the glory of his victories to God. Concerning his victories Cromwell said things like, “God made them stubble to our swords.” And, “Sir, this is none other but the hand of God; and to him alone belongs the glory.” (Roots n.d.) Cromwell and his men firmly believed that they fought for God’s glory, and sang hymns as they marched into battle. Such actions cannot help but to bring back memories of the crusaders, but with much more military success. (Roots n.d.) With victory against the royalists came also dissension between the New Model army and parliament. Militant Independents within the army stood for the right of the Christian to choose his own minister and opposed the Presbyterians within Parliament. Charles stood in the middle of this conflict. As a prisoner of the army negotiations continued from both sides for putting him back on the throne. However Charles took advantage of the rift of dissension between Parliament and the army and fled to Isle of Wight. Outraged by such treachery the army put Charles on trial and executed him in 1649. In the end the army purged Parliament of Presbyterians and what was left was called the Rump Parliament. (Spievogel 2000) After Cromwell put down rebellions in Scotland and Ireland arguments once again rose up between Parliament and the army. Frustrated by Parliaments failure to create a new constitution, Cromwell and a small guard of soldiers dispersed the Rump Parliament with the words, “You are no Parliament…I will put an end to your sitting.” In place of the Rump Parliament Cromwell organized a "Little Parliament" (Roots n.d.) made up of men selected by the army. This set the foundation for a military dictatorship which he came to regret. When Cromwell became installed as Lord Protector in 1653, his control reached into the domestic affairs of England. As most is often the case with military leaders, Cromwell’s accomplishments as the Lord Protector were not as admirable as those made in his military career. (Morrill 1990) The Little Parliament dissolved and gave its power back to Cromwell under the Instrument of the Government constitution. In this constitution Cromwell was the Lord Protector and was assisted by a council of state. Cromwell manipulated Parliament to fund English wars. He put down another royalist rebellion and ended favorably the Dutch war. (Spievogel 2000) Ironically however, Cromwell used more arbitrary power than Charles I and failed to set up a constitutional government. It can be said with a good deal of certainty that Cromwell excelled as a general, but contradicted that which he had fought for as the Lord Protector of England. (Spievogel 2000) Over all the two were similar rulers towards the end of their reign. They suffered from country debt, Parliamentary issue, war of religion, the country after a time of war as well as in a time of war. Cromwell preferred a more hard hand approach were as Charles I was more concerned about himself and his seat on the throne. The country no matter at what time was hard to rule and by all considerations both had a terrible demise. Roots, Ivan (1989). Speeches of Oliver Cromwell Everyman classics Jackson J. Spielvogel. Western Civilization. Belmont, VA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, © 2000. Kishlansky, Mark A. (2005). "Charles I: A Case of Mistaken Identity" no. 189, Past and Presentpp. Morrill, John (1990). "Textualizing and Contextualizing Cromwell", in Historical Journal 1990 33(3): "Oliver Cromwell." Historic World Leaders. Gale Research, 1994. Reproduced in Biography Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: The Gale Group. 2003. http://www.galenet.com/servlet/BioRC "Oliver Cromwell" Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed.17 Vols. Gale Research, 1998. Reproduced in Biography Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: The Gale Group. 2003. http://www.galenet.com/servlet/BioRC Rushworth, J. (1959). The Trial of King Charles I. Lockyer.