Many years before the French orchestrated their famous French Revolution of 1789rolling aristocratic heads to establish a republicEngland did its thing through a coup led by Oliver Cromwell in 1649.
Perhaps his place in history is less due to his origin and destiny, but the so-called commonwealth (commonwealth) it was a brief republic before the French.
Let us remember, to situate ourselves in the historical context, that Europe during this stage of the Modern age was largely governed by the authority of the aristocracies and the monarchs absolute, with some exceptions. Although there were already political bodies that included some participation of other social classesHis sphere of power was very small.
The execution of Carlos I (Mercury Politicus)
1642 marks the beginning of a true civil war in England. If anything ruled the island, it was the chaos. Various conflicts had led to a general state of confusion, among which the main one was the clash of powers between the Crown and the Parliament. But there were also others, the religious tumultand the struggle between the new social classes and the more traditional ones.
In the midst of the battles between the Parliamentarian troops and the King’s men, a rebellious Puritan named Oliver Cromwellat the command of their “Iron men” (ironsides). In 1645, Cromwell won a landslide victory against the royal army. The king, Carlos IHe had to take refuge in Scotland. From there, he would try to take back the power of the kingdom from him, which now easily controlled the army of the Parliament.
But soon after was this parliamentary army who ordered the penalty of death for him kingcondemned as “tyrant, traitor, murderer, and enemy of the state”. The execution of Charles I took place on February 9, 1649, and after his death the Parliament abolished the monarchy and abolished the House of Lordsmain political organ of the aristocracy.
The new regime, which took the name of republic (commonwealth), Send to Oliver Cromwell to establish English rule over Ireland and Scotland. Victorious, in 1653, a Constitution appointed Cromwell with the title of Protectivewhich made him head of the government and army of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Under the protectorate, England moved further and further away from the concept of republic and was dangerously close to a true dictatorship.
the lord Protective it was not long before he made use and abuse of his new power. Just one year after his appointment, Cromwell abolished a session of Parliamentand later imposed the typical attributes of the nobility he had just overthrown: the color purple, scepter, and ermine, and the right to appoint a inheritor. After five years of dictatorshipHe died leaving his son Richard as successor.
Cromwell dissolves Parliament, for Benjamin West
After the death of Cromwellin 1649, a new opportunity arose to revive the ideals of republic held in 1649, however civil war soon returned to threaten the nation. The solution that the English soon found was the return of the king to London, the son of Carlos I and heir to the throne, Charles IIwho reigned from then until his death in 1685.
Sources:
- Venard, M.: The Beginnings of the Modern World, The World and its History, Editorial Argos, Barcelona, 1970.
- Britannia