1646-1649: Why was there a Second Civil War?

There was a Second Civil War for many reasons...

Long term reasons:

• Fractions with Parliament - between the New Model Army and Royalists - lack of unity
• Failed settlement after the First Civil War
• Charles' intransigence - repeatedly vague during genuine efforts of settlement 
• Solemn League and Covenant - Did Parliament have time to uphold their promise to the Covenanters? 

Short term reasons:

• The Engagement - the threat of the Scottish army invading Parliament if they do not accept Charles' acceptance of the Solemn League and Covenant. They would march to London, where Parliament was
• Parliament and the NMA faced a Scottish invasion 
• Still Royalist support - more than Fairfax had predicted
• Charles' personality and intransigence. 

1646-1649: Overview of this Period

July 1646 - Newcastle Propositions: Parliament (Presbyterians) proposed that the armed forces should be controlled by Parliament for 20 years and that only Parliament could disband itself

May 1647 - Solemn Engagement: Army would not disband until they were paid

June 1647 - Declaration of the Army: said "we are not mercenaries" and demanded that anti-army MPs should leave. 11 MPs left as a result.

Summer 1647 - Heads of Proposals: army offered Charles a settlement where the Church would become independent of the State

August 1647 - Putney Debates: the Army debated what their political stance should be amongst themselves

December 1648: Pride's Purge. 

1642-1646: Charles I's Personality Mind Map

1642-1646: Royalist Military Failure Mind Map

1642-1646: Timeline so far

Timeline 1642-1646

1642

• October 23rd - The Battle of Edgehill - both sides claim victory
• Stand off at Turnham Green 

1643

• King aimed at 3 pronged attack
• June - Newcastle won by the Royalists at Adwalton Moore, gaining the North
• Main Royalist force removed from London
• Cromwell formed "Ironside" - disciplined and trained cavalry 
• Cessation treaty 
• Irish Catholics sign a truce with Charles - Cessation Treaty 
• Solemn League and Covenant 

1644

• July - Marston Moor where Charles lost North and York which were surrendered to Parliament 
• 2nd Battle of Naseby 
• May - New Model Army created by Fairfax and Cromwell 
• Self-Denying Ordinance 

1645 

• June - Battle of Naseby where Parliament won 

1646

• March - Royalists surrender at Stow on the Wall
• May - Charles surrender to the Scots
• June - last Royalist stronghold surrender 
• July - Newcastle Propositions 
• October - Bishops abolished by Parliament 

1642-1646: Charles' Intransigence

Charles I was INTRANSIGENT - this meant that he failed to agree or compromise and was inflexible. 
His nature towards settlement would mean that the following years of negotiations between the King and Parliament would be extremely difficult and would ultimately lead to Charles's execution. 

1642-1646 - A King in Captivity

What position was Charles I in after he surrendered in 1646 and why?

At the time of his surrender in 1646, the King still had authority over England and his multiple kingdoms. Although the Parliamentarian forces may have driven him to surrender, Charles was still King of England and therefore upheld all authority over both forces.

Charles had received the throne via the "Divine Right of Kings" and was seen as God's defender of faith. To remove the King would be to some, especially Charles, blasphemy. To commit regicide would be an act against God and therefore a sin - ultimately going against the ideology of the New Model Army. 

1642-1646: The New Model Army

What was the New Model Army?

• They revolutionised warfare
• Professional 
• First standing army 
• Regularly paid 
• Motivated
• Oliver Cromwell and Fairfax were the Commanders in Chief 
• Many were/did become Puritans 
• Religiously driven - motivated soldiers, perhaps more than any other side in the Civil War
• Never lost a battle
• Established in 1645 and lasted until the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660 

1642-1646: Why did the Royalists Lose?

This section of the course is a common exam question, for example June 2011 "The main reason for the defeat of the Royalist cause in the First Civil War was the leadership of Charles I." In these notes you will find key themes that would help you answer the 45 marker. 

Administration 

Oxford was the main Royalist stronghold, but it was limited in the range of its authority. Charles' diluted the power that was held in Oxford by opening another Royalist stronghold in Bristol, removing capable men like Hyde. 

Scotland 

Solemn League and Covenant September 1643 - Parliament had an advantage of the Royalists. Parliament had paid £30,000 a month for the Scots' army. At Montrose there were several defeats. This makes it crystal clear that the Covenanters caused masses of trouble for the Royalists. 

Division 

Henrietta Maria (Charles' French wife) and Hyde put forward different ideas. The Queen wanted to the war to continue - this subsequently affected Charles' honour. Hyde, on the other hand, wanted a settlement with Parliament. This and a combination of Charles' lack of leadership and ability lead to weak and incoherent policy. 

Indecisiveness

Charles failed to recognise that he needed to take direct advantages over the Parliamentarians on the battlefield. This was due to his indecisiveness with the gentry and lack of creative resources

Generals 

Charles had roped in "influential men" to gather support but instead, they divided opinion among the Royalist army. Some of Charles' soldiers were not trained properly, especially compared to the power of the New Model Army. The presence of the Princes of the Rhineland caused division 

Charles as Military Leader

Charles had appointed himself as Commander in Chief. He ignored advice from lower ranks and couldn't unite supporters. 

Charles' agreement with Catholics 

September 1643 - Charles signs an agreement with the Irish Catholics. This caused the fear that Charles would use Catholic soldiers against the Parliamentarians. Charles made this mistake again with another peace treaty in 1645. 

Others 

• June, 1645 - Crushing Royalist defeat at the Battle of Naseby. Effectively ends any real resistance. 
• May, 1646 - Charles surrenders at the Battle of Newark to the Scots, who then sell him to Parliament. 
• June, 1646 - Siege of Oxford ends as Oxford fails (which had been a Royalist stronghold) 

"Charles was a poor war leader and was unable to provide strong leadership was the war turned in Parliament's favour." - Cust

1642-1646 - Did the Parliamentarians have any Weaknesses?

The answer is YES!

Earl of Manchester, Commander of Parliament's Eastern Association Army at a meeting of the Council of War:

"Gentleman, lets consider what we do.... If we fight 100 times and beat him 99 times, he will be King still... but if he beats us but once... we shall be hanged."

This may have been a negative outlook, but the Earl of Manchester was kind of, correct. Manchester here is stating that because of Charles' legitimate authority it seemed that the Parliamentarians were engaged in a losing battle - Charles will always remain King due to Divine Right and if he were to succeed, they would be charged with treason. 

However, Parliamentarian radicals such as Oliver Cromwell and Henry Ireton did not share the same negative perception of the war and reacted to Manchester's comments in disgust. Others also believed that this attitude was preventing Parliament taking the final decisive victory. This theory helped push Parliament to remodel its army and war effort in creating the New Model Army in May 1645. 

1642-1646: What Strengths did both sides show during the Civil War?

The Royalists

• Led by the King - legitimate authority and recognised lawful ruler whom inspired allegiance to the public 
• Focused on taking of London - an area of wealth
• Support from aristocracy and higher gentry - rich people who financed Charles' war. Often had military experience
• Military aid abroad - allies such as the Princes of the Rhineland provided financial and military assistance

The Parliamentarians 

• Finance: committee of both Kingdoms (England and Scotland). In February 1644 the Solemn League and Covenant was signed. Parliament had better means of raising money e.g. they could implement taxes - land tax. 
• Holding London: centre of printing; finance through City Loans; manpower - 10% of the population; centre of industry; port town - can destruct ships supply Royalist equipment; Navy on the Parliamentary side. 
• Local Administration and Communities - special communities set up; Charles controlled mostly poor areas; Navy having declared for Parliament made it hard for Charles to receive foreign aid.
• Hutton - "it was the local community, not Parliament, which defeated Charles I."

1642-1646: Outline of the English Civil War

1. Both sides expected in 1642 that one early battle would be decisive. The Battle of Edgehill October, however, was a draw. 
2. The prospect of fighting a long war frightened some MP's into resuming negotiations with the King. These negotiations, known as the Oxford Treaty January 1643 did not lead to a settlement 
3. In 1643 things went very well for the King. The Royalists captured a lot of territory and several leading Parliamentarians were killed.
4. The King's successes led to a crisis of confidence in Parliament. There were demands for the resignation of the Earl of Essex, but when the King's army besieged Gloucester, Essex commanded the army that was sent to its relief. 
5. In 1644 the tide of war began to turn in Parliament's favour. The Scots joined with Parliament and the Battle of Marston Moor (July) destroyed the King's army in the north of England. 
6. During 1644 political disagreements threatened to undermine Parliament's successes. The consequences was the Self-Denying Ordinance (December) and the formation of the New Model Army in May 1645.
7. In 1645 the war turned decisively in Parliament's favour. Major victories at Naseby and Langport defeated the King's main armies and captured most of England and Wales
8. The war ended in 1646 as Parliament captured the remaining Royalists castles and strongholds, such as Newark and Oxford. 

1642-1646 - Why Civil War?

Key point - Charles' defeat was not inevitable

• Charles had support from the Constitutional Royalists
• Many people were loyal to the King 
• His defeat was not written in stone, 

As King (a recognised authority) Charles had greater political sway for those deciding which side to join.

• The Church - a key opponent in one's decision to join a side - Charles had this advantage over the Parliamentarians (why? Because it was seen as a stable institution). 
• Divine right of the King and how Charles was "divine in nature" as God was on his side. 

Parliament had to use propaganda leaflets to persuade the public that they were a legitimate authority, especially when the King had ignored their counsel and taken dubious private advice. 

• The King was seen as "tyrannical"
• King and Parliament haven't functioned together for a very long time.