The English Civil War was a complex conflict in the mid-1600s resulting in the execution of Charles I and the establishment of the Commonwealth of England. Political and financial pressures led to multiple Parliaments and two civil wars, culminating in the trial and execution of the king. Oliver Cromwell ruled England until Charles II was restored as king in 1661.
The English Civil War was a period of conflicts waged for control of England, Scotland, and Ireland in the mid-1600s. The events of the English Civil War were incredibly complex and resulted in the execution of Charles I of England and the installation of the Commonwealth of England, a government that controlled England for nearly 12 years before the British monarchy was restored.
Charles I of England laid the groundwork for civil war early in his career. He was struggling to rule England, Ireland and Scotland, and made the profound mistake of trying to treat these territories as one entity, drawing the ire of many parts of his realm. Charles also engaged in conflicts in Europe, leading to unrest among members of Parliament. During this period in British history, Parliament was weak, held only when the monarch needed funds or other forms of support. As a result, when Charles I called a parliament into session to raise funds to pay for his involvement in Europe, the members only complained bitterly about the problems they saw in government, leading the king to dissolve Parliament in 1628. He did not convene a other Parliament for 12 years.
In 1630, Charles I attempted to institute religious reforms in Scotland but was roundly rejected. Scottish and English forces fought along the Scottish border and Charles I was short of money which led him to convene a Parliament again in 1640. This Parliament again spoke out in opposition to the monarchy and Charles I dissolved it shortly after it was formed , leading to the nickname “The Short Parliament”. Under immense financial and political pressure, the king set up another parliament and two years later England, Ireland and Scotland had descended into chaos and the First English Civil War began.
The King’s supporters were known as Royalists or Knights, and Parliamentarians were called Roundheads, after their severely cropped coiffures. During the First and Second English Civil Wars, these factions fought bitterly for control of England and Scotland, and a series of political intrigues further complicated matters. In 1648, these conflicts culminated in a wave of executions and a trial of the king for treason; he was executed in 1649.
After the king’s execution, England experienced a third civil war, which ended with the establishment of the Commonwealth. England was essentially ruled by Oliver Cromwell, a major leader in the English Civil War, from 1653 to 1658, and his son took over the government briefly before Charles II was brought back from exile in Europe and restored as king of ‘England. Charles II had learned his lessons from the English Civil War and government took the form of a parliamentary monarchy when it was re-established in 1661.
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