new model army

date

Summer 1643

causes peace party + war party discontent

• Peace party wanted to give up – Essex was failing and no one else had the ability to do better.​

• War party wanted to replace Essex with a more aggressive leader.​

consequences of either party having their way

• essex loses his job

• leads to the lords being upset (removal of an earl)

• and upsets local gentry (fears of upheaval)

pym’s decision with essex

• pym kept Essex, therefore kept the influential Lords and gentry on side. Even though they weren’t able to make peace

• the Peace party did at least still have the not-too-aggressive Essex to lead them

• the War party was at least still at war

nma causes

• Parliament’s poor war performance after Marston Moor

• Deaths of Pym and Hampden (middle group goes)​

• Mainly – Solemn League and Covenant – (terms, loss of Pym)​

impact of the scottish alliance on parliament

• greater on parliament than the king

• ‘peace party’ now saw in Scottish Presbyterianism a way of bringing the war to a rapid end, preventing further social upheaval

• ‘war party’ was coming to regret its alliance with the Scots, assumption that the Scots were somehow more religious than the English

• After Marston Moor, the ‘war party’ was confident that Parliament could win the war on its own

peace party becomes…

• presbytarians

war party becomes…

• evolved into independents

reasons for Presbyterian discontent…

• fears of social disorder​

• Financial impact of war

• stalemate: war could go on indefinitely?

• growth in religious ‘radicalism’ within the army

• Independents not wanting to make a settlement with the King.

• will be executed at the end of the war? how does parliament win the war?

• how to restore order and stability after the war?

• Cromwell promoting independents over Presbyterian

reason for independent discontents…

• Presbyterian war generals were being too cautious- i.e. letting the King escape after the Second battle of Newbury

• Scots were having too much influence. Didn’t want a Presbyterian system forced on them.

• men are being held back from promotion due to their religious beliefs or social standing

self-denying ordinance overview

• december 1644 introduced by war party

• seperated political leadership in Parliament from military command

• no MPs/Peers in positions of command of army/nacy

self-denying ordinance causes

• political unity breaking down in parliament

• threatening the political integrity of the Parliamentarian armies because what might be desirable politically might not be the best militarily

reasons for disunity

• military setbacks

• religious tensions

• fear of disorder

• impact of religious zeal among soldiers

• anxiety about the future

military setbacks

• earl of essex struggling in the sw

• began to align with the peace party’s calls for a settlement with the king

• war party presses for his removal

religious tensions

• religious debate caused by the covenant

• increase of radical religious pamphlets

• collapse of censorship: issues in army

• presbytarian scottish commander within eastern association:discipline soldiers preaching w/o licence

• criticised for imposing presbytarianism

• divisions opening up between commanders (no relation to military decision-making)

fear of disorder

• ordinary soldiers in rank-and-file promoted to positions traditionally reserved for higher social classes

• anxiety war was beginning to change the nature of english society

religious zeal amoung soldiers

• cromwell: puritan zealot

• eastern association: sub-set of strong religious zeal and military capability

• overshadow rest

• prevailing culture in the army was changing

anxiety about the future

• fear that there was little prospect of a good ending

consequence self-denying ordinance

• momentum of members of the peace party against war party

• decisive attempt to regain the political initiative for the war party

self-denying ordinance terms

• acknowledgement that parliament had become divided & needed to reunite

• separation of political and military functions

• military men (barred from becoming MPs) creates and leads a new central army

• veteran generals lose their command and stay in the lords

failed agreement at uxbridge feb 1645 significance

• demanded the king subscribe to the solemn league and covenant

• prerogative is then limited by english and scottish parliaments

• evidence of disunited parliamentary forces, commitment to episcopacy and montrose success in parliament: failed

• leads to self-denying ordinance

what was key about leadership of the nma

• lieutenant general (fairfax) is uncontroversial

• major general of the infantry (skippon) is uncontroversial

• lieutenant general of the horse (cromwell) is controversial

• this is a temporary commission, renewable every three months as no other suitable candidate could be found

Cromwell controversy significance

• given temporary exemption from the self-denying ordinance

• To lead NMA cavalry

• But this is renewable

nma discipline

• strength

• training manual used to ensure uniformity across all regiments

• cromwell never lost control of the cavalry in the way that the royalist forces did early on in the war

cavalry

• ten cavalry regiments

• allows speed and skill

uniforms

• standardised

• cavalry and dragoon soldiers wore light, leather uniform

• speed and agility

london

• headquartered

• Derby House of Committees replaced Committee of Both Kingdoms

nma financial impact

• financed by assessments (taxations): secure financial footing

• by parliament legislation

• made it a professional army and not an enhanced country militia

• wages managed from central government

• new political relationship between Westminister and its soldier

military impact

• unstoppable force at the battle of Naseby june 1645

• outmanned royalist army, despite king bringing entire strength

• earl of newcastle’s “Whitecoats” slaughtered in a courages last stand