Text 13. Oliver Cromwell

Part I

Oliver Cromwell was born in Huntingdon (Britain) on the 25th of April 1599 in the family of rich landowners.

His grandfather was sheriff and a representative of Parli­ament. His father Robert Cromwell had a small estate and repre­sented Huntingdon in Parliament. Both his father and grandfather worked in the Court as well. Oliver got his education at a Gram­mar School .

When the boy was seventeen, he entered Cambridge. At Camb­ridge Oliver studied mathematics and learned to speak and write Latin. It was the language of diplomacy at that time and educated men had to use Latin both in writing and speech. He read much in Greek and Roman history. Oliver liked sports and played football very well. The young man got an education which prepared him for all his public duties in later years.

At twenty Oliver married; his wife was his devoted friend till he died. They worked on their farm and had eight children – four daughters and four sons. Oliver was a good father and direc­ted the education of his children.

Oliver had a strong feeling of social justice and did much for the poor people of his native town. When he was twenty-eight the people of Huntingdon elected him to represent them in Parlia­ment. The public life of Oliver Cromwell had now begun.

The King of England was Charles I, a young man, who wanted to rule over England without Parliament. He needed money for wars, but Parliament refused to give it. Charles I took money from people, arrested and sent to prison those who did not agree with him. So the king was not popular with the people. In 1631 the king’s coronation to be knighted took place and people were invited. Oliver Cromwell refused to go and paid a fine.

Cromwell’s activity in Parliament was mostly directed against the oppression of people. He sat on many committees and mo­ved important bills.

In 1642 Charles I tried to arrest some members of Parlia­ment but could not do it. Then he left Parliament and never came back as a king. Members of Parliament decided to build up an army to fight against the king and gave their money to teach the sol­diers. The Parliamentary army was soon formed and the Civil War between the king and Parliament began.

King Charles I had an army of 10,000 soldiers. At the head of the army were the officers who took part in the wars in Germa­ny and Denmark. The army of the Parliament had 20,000 soldiers but very few officers. Oliver Cromwell helped to organize the ar­my and taught soldiers to fight. He was a captain, then a colo­nel, very soon a general of a corps of cavalry and at last leader of an army. He taught his soldiers tactics and discipline. In the battles he went everywhere and helped soldiers and offi­cers.

Many thousands of soldiers were killed during the Civil War. In January 1644 a Scottish army of 50,000 men came to help Cromwell. In the battle near the town of York the Parliamentary army won the victory and the king’s army was defeated. The strongholds in the north fell to Parliament one after another. In a few months the whole of the north of England was practically theirs. The battles now took place in the south and west. Cast­le after castle, town after town, regiment after regiment surrendered. Oxford, the last stronghold of the king’s army, with 3,000 men and 300 cannons, surrendered in June 1646, and in August, the First Civil War was over.

Cromwell tried to make terms with the king and work out a Constitution. But the king was taking his time and prepa­ring for a new civil war. When Cromwell learned about these pre­parations he spoke to Parliament and they decided to attack the throne and bring the king to trial for organizing a civil war in the country.

The Second Civil War began in April 1648 and lasted for a few months. At the beginning of the war many towns helped the king. The fleet revolted. The Parliament of Scotland sent 40,000 men to invade England. Cromwell headed the Parliamentary army and won the victory at Preston driving the invaders to their territo­ry. His army followed the invaders to Edinburgh, the capital of Court of Justice where King Charles I was tried.

The Court of Justice decided that Charles Stuart was a traitor to his people and must die. In January 1649 Charles Stuart was beheaded.

In this same month Parliamentary government came to power and proclaimed Commonwealth and equality of rights for all peop­le. The new Republic was not easily recognized by foreign count­ries, its agents were insulted in Europe. Scotland and Ireland did not recognize the republic, too. Cromwell prepared the army for reconquest of Ireland. The English people did not want to fight against the Irish people and Cromwell promised to give a piece of land in Ireland to every English soldier.

Answer the following questions:

1. When and where was Oliver Cromwell born?

2. What were his father and grandfather?

3. Where did Oliver study?

4. Did he have a family?

5. Why did the people of Huntingdon elect Oliver to represent
them in Parliament?

6. Was Charles I popular with the people? Why?

7. What was the direction of Cromwell’s activity in Parliament?

8. Why did the Civil War begin?

9. Who won the victory in it?

10. Why was the king taking his time when Cromwell tried to make
terms with him?

11. When did the Second Civil War begin? How did it end?

12. Did everybody recognize the new Republic?