In the Second Civil War he served equally ably, empowered by his religious fervour, handily beating a Scottish army at Preston, after which he reentered into politics with renewed vigour and significant celebrity, becoming the ‘Lord Protector’ of the new Commonwealth of England in 1649 after the execution of King Charles I. Recognising the exceptional value of cavalry as an offensive arm, he is credited with having introduced the concept of ‘close order’ cavalry to England – riders charging literally knee-to-knee into the enemy – and despite his lack of experience, he was a significant force of personality, always a good thing to have in a leader!Īt Naseby, his forces were instrumental in routing the Royalist horse and bringing an end to the First Civil War. He also contributed greatly to what became known as the New Model Army despite a complete lack of any formal military training. This was due in part to his desire to have “godly, honest men” as his captains, Cromwell being a man of staunch Puritan faith.
By Marston Moor in the summer of 1644 he was a lieutenant general of Horse under the Earl of Manchester, proving himself to be an excellent commander of cavalry. This was later expanded to a regiment, which saw good service in the early years of the conflict. Originally the Member of Parliament for Cambridge and a somewhat obscure figure, Cromwell originally recruited a troop of cavalry when the Civil Wars broke out. We’ll start at the top with Oliver Cromwell himself – one of the most divisive figures in British political history.
0 kommentar(er)
