Oliver Cromwell was an exceptional man, fought and won the English Civil War (1642 - 1651) for the parliament and beheaded Charles I Stuart.
He was also a great general, created England's first "model army", won nearly every battle against the king after his army reforms and every battle he fought after the Civil War.
He is also famous for conquering Scotland and re-conquering Ireland for England, since the Irish liberated themselves in 1642 from British rule just when the English Civil War erupted.
He also defeated Charles II when the latter led a Scottish army trying to re-gain his father's lost throne. Cromwell, being the great general he was, winded around the Scottish army and nearly annihilated it all, with few survivors including Charles II who managed to stay alive only because he hid in an oak tree.
Cromwell was known as "God's executor" because his conquest of Ireland was followed by bloody massacres of the rebels that resulted in the death of 500,000 Irish or 25% of the population, including the execution of the man who liberated Ireland in 1642, Felim O'Neil.
What's your opinion of him?
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
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"Do your duty in all things - you cannot do more, you should never wish to do less" - Robert Lee
"Do your duty in all things - you cannot do more, you should never wish to do less" - Robert Lee
Re: Oliver Cromwell
While Cromwell gets the blame he had no direct responsibility for the high civilian casualties in the irregular warfare that took place after his campaign, he had already returned to England.GreyFox wrote:
Cromwell was known as "God's executor" because his conquest of Ireland was followed by bloody massacres of the rebels that resulted in the death of 500,000 Irish or 25% of the population, including the execution of the man who liberated Ireland in 1642, Felim O'Neil.
Re: Oliver Cromwell
A religious fanatic and dictator.
First he fought for the parliament but later for himself and his demomination. He had some success in foreign affairs, but he suppressed England and there were less democracy and civil rights than before.
There´s no reason to glorify him.
First he fought for the parliament but later for himself and his demomination. He had some success in foreign affairs, but he suppressed England and there were less democracy and civil rights than before.
There´s no reason to glorify him.
Re: Oliver Cromwell
He was within weeks of migrating to New England when the civil war started. There are suggestions that he may have had military experience in the 30 Years War, but no evidence of it. The civil war started because the King did not accept the supremacy of Parliament, especially in the allocation of budgets. The result was, eventually, parliamentary democracy although the restored Stuarts still preferred the divine right of kings and it wasn't until the Glorious Revolution of 1689 that matters were irrevocably on the right track. France in the 18th C is the object lesson in what could have been.
Cromwell developed the best army of the age and also laid the foundations of the Royal Navy leading to its long period of naval supremacy. He was also an outstanding general, never losing a battle. It is this military capability that suggests earlier military experience.
He was also strongly opposed to the Catholic church, which was creeping back to England. His opposition was the fundamental theological point of non-conformity, that a person should be able to speak directly to their god without the priest class acting as interlocutors. I suspect he wasn't too impressed by the Pope either. The unremitting Irish support for the papacy is what forced him into his campaigns in Ireland.
A great man, one of the most important in British history and his great legacy continues today.
Cromwell developed the best army of the age and also laid the foundations of the Royal Navy leading to its long period of naval supremacy. He was also an outstanding general, never losing a battle. It is this military capability that suggests earlier military experience.
He was also strongly opposed to the Catholic church, which was creeping back to England. His opposition was the fundamental theological point of non-conformity, that a person should be able to speak directly to their god without the priest class acting as interlocutors. I suspect he wasn't too impressed by the Pope either. The unremitting Irish support for the papacy is what forced him into his campaigns in Ireland.
A great man, one of the most important in British history and his great legacy continues today.