The English Civil War & the Interregnum

UK History

Chapter 8 · The English Civil War & the Interregnum

Chapter 7 covered the religious settlement of the sixteenth century. This chapter covers the century's great political crisis: the war between King Charles I and Parliament, the king's execution, and the republic that followed until 1660. The sources are two reference articles, one on the war and one on the Protectorate. They give the outline and dates of the republic well, and the war itself more briefly, and I mark where the war article leaves questions open, including how many people died.

Why the War Came

Religion

Charles I's attempts to impose High Anglican religious practices. When he tried to impose Anglican practices on Scotland, this triggered the Bishops' Wars.

Taxation

Controversial methods such as ship money created widespread opposition.

Royal Power

Parliament sought to constrain what it viewed as excessive royal authority. The Bishops' Wars forced Charles to recall Parliament after eleven years of personal rule.

A Summary of Causes, Not Their Weight The source lists these factors together and does not rank them. It does not date the Bishops' Wars or the recall of Parliament, and I did not find them. Whether the war was mainly about religion, money or power is a debate the chapter cannot settle.

The Wars, 1642 to 1651

The English Civil War is described as a series of conflicts between Royalists supporting Charles I and Parliamentarians seeking to limit royal power.

DateEvent
August 1642Charles raises his standard at Nottingham; the conflict formally begins.
1642 to 1646The First English Civil War, with battles at Edgehill, Marston Moor and Naseby. Oliver Cromwell's disciplined New Model Army proves superior to Royalist forces.
1646Charles surrenders. Disagreements over a political settlement lead to the Second English Civil War in 1648.
30 January 1649Charles I is executed, and the Commonwealth of England is established under Cromwell's leadership.
1651The Anglo-Scottish War ends with victory at Worcester.
What Is Thin Here The source names the three battles and does not describe them or give their dates. It also does not say how Charles was tried, who tried him, or on what charge, so the chapter cannot describe the trial. I did not find the number of deaths. Do not repeat any figure for the war's casualties from memory.

The Republic and the Protectorate

The Protectorate was a British republic lasting from 16 December 1653 to 25 May 1659, governed by Lord Protectors Oliver and Richard Cromwell.

DateEvent
20 April 1653Cromwell dissolves the Rump Parliament.
16 December 1653The Instrument of Government establishes Cromwell as Lord Protector for life.
1655 to 1656Rule of the Major-Generals, military governors overseeing England and Wales.
25 May 1657Parliament offers Cromwell the crown; he refuses, citing divine providence.
3 September 1658Cromwell dies; his son Richard succeeds him.
May 1659Richard resigns, unable to control Parliament or the Army.
May 1660The monarchy is restored under Charles II.
A Republic That United the Isles The regime united England, Scotland and Ireland under one commonwealth, and the Instrument of Government granted Scotland and Ireland 30 parliamentary seats each. One historian is quoted as saying the regime intended "the anglicisation of the British Isles." Military occupation forces maintained order, particularly in Scotland and Ireland. For the Irish side of this period see Irish History 6, which covers Cromwell's conquest.

Other Policies

  • Foreign affairs: it won the First Anglo-Dutch War in 1654 and invaded Jamaica through the Western Design.
  • Religious tolerance: it encouraged Jewish resettlement in England after 350 years of banishment.
Two Descriptions of the Ending The war article says the arrangement "ultimately proved unsustainable" and dissolved at the Stuart Restoration in 1660. The Protectorate article says it collapsed because of internal tensions between civilian and military authority. These are compatible, and both are the sources' own summaries, not measured findings. I did not find the sequence of events between May 1659 and May 1660, so the chapter cannot describe how the monarchy returned.
Link to the Constitution UK Politics Fundamentals 2 describes how the Crown and Parliament work together today. The conflict in this chapter is the background to that arrangement, but neither of my sources here draws the connection, so I do not describe it.
What I Did Not Verify I did not find the Personal Rule's dates, the Bishops' Wars, the Levellers, the events between the surrender and the execution, the casualty figures or the regicides' fate. The chapter is a timeline and does not explain how the two sides differed.

Hands-On Exercises

Exercise 1

List the three causes of the war the chapter names and say what the chapter does not tell you about how to weigh them.

→ Solution
Exercise 2

A student writes "Cromwell was crowned king and ruled until 1660." Correct it using the chapter.

→ Solution
Exercise 3

Build a timeline of the republic from 1649 to 1660 and mark the gaps the chapter could not fill.

→ Solution

Quick Reference

  • Causes: Charles I's religious policy, ship money, conflict over royal power; the Bishops' Wars
  • War: August 1642 to Worcester 1651; Edgehill, Marston Moor, Naseby; New Model Army
  • Execution: Charles I, 30 January 1649; Commonwealth established
  • Protectorate: 16 December 1653 to 25 May 1659; Cromwell refused the crown on 25 May 1657; died 3 September 1658
  • Restoration: May 1660, Charles II
  • Not covered: the trial, casualty figures, May 1659 to May 1660