Was Cromwell a good leader?

Cromwell was a controversial leader but in my opinion, he was a terrible person and ruled England like a dictator, making all the important decisions without parliament and literally going against what he fought for during the civil war.

In support of my argument, Oliver Cromwell was a bad leader as he captured 340 Levellers, a group of people who wanted to change how the country was governed, and locked them in a church forcing them to watch as 3 Leveller were shot to death as they posed as a “threat” against his rule. This shows that Oliver was a bad leader because instead of listening to their ideas like a good leader would do, he decided to capture them and kill them because he didn’t want anyone else to rule and have power. This indicates bad leadership and also one of the many reasons why he should have never ruled England.

In contrast to my argument, Oliver Cromwell could be seen as a good leader since life for the poor was improved during his reign. For example, the rich were taxed higher and the money that was taxed was given to the poor giving them some extra help. Cromwell was also a great solider, leading England to victory in war against the Dutch and the Spanish! This shows that Oliver was a good leader as he made England look very powerful and decreased the chances of England being invaded proving he was a good leader

After evaluating both sides of the argument, I still strongly agree that Oliver was a bad leader. He may have helped people in need but he also handled problems badly and always used violence in the end positively and negatively confirming he was a poor leader.