Parliament’s victory in the English Civil War destroyed the political order that its leaders had originally claimed to defend. The New Model Army defeated Charles I, challenged Parliament and helped bring the king to trial. England then abolished monarchy and the House of Lords, established a Commonwealth and eventually placed Oliver Cromwell at the head of a written constitutional regime.
The war emerged from a crisis that affected three kingdoms rather than England alone. Scottish resistance, the Irish Rebellion and the conflict between Charles I and Parliament had already transformed the Stuart monarchy before the first major English battle.
From political breakdown to civil war
Charles I raised his royal standard at Nottingham on 22 August 1642. The ceremony conventionally marks the beginning of open war between the king and Parliament in England. However, neither side entered the conflict with a complete political programme or a professional national army.
Royalists claimed that they defended lawful monarchy against subjects who had exceeded Parliament’s constitutional authority. Parliamentarians argued that they protected Protestant religion, parliamentary privilege and the laws of the kingdom from corrupt royal advisers. Both sides therefore presented themselves as defenders of the traditional constitution.
The population did not divide neatly into two ideological camps. Families, towns and counties often contained supporters of both causes. Personal loyalty, religion, local rivalries, economic interests and the presence of nearby troops all influenced the choice of allegiance.
Many people tried to remain neutral. Yet armies required horses, food, weapons, accommodation and taxes. As military mobilisation expanded, neutrality became increasingly difficult to maintain.
