PATH TO RESTORATION DECEMBER 1659 – MAY 1660:
Rump’s 2nd recalling showed the deep unpopularity of army rule. Ironically, army authority could only be
removed w/further military power as none of the civil institutions were able to resist the army. The Rump
couldn’t have been reinstalled w/out Monck and it was his action that forced the Committee of Safety to
dissolve itself and allow the Rump to come back.
Climbdown of army leaders = major political shift = conservatives began to recover.
Desborough/Lambert/Fleetwood were dismissed by the Rump.
Monck was offered to become commander-in-chief.
Rump was in a strong position because:
Had removed army leaders
Re-established itself as a P/gov
Had Monck’s support – the most powerful general of the land
However, it didn’t take advantages due to these mistakes:
Instead of tackling the nation’s most pressing grievances, the Rump became more occupied w/getting
revenge by purging the army. ½ the serving officers were removed.
Exposed corruption/nepotism by the appointment of incapable new officers/officials.
Widespread refusal by traders/merchants to pay P taxes = unpopularity
Their treatment of Monck. When he arrived in London in February, rather than honouring him as its
saviour, the Rump tried to restrict his political influence by burdening him w/the policing (the duty of
maintaining law and order in an area) of London – which was still had a v volatile atmosphere. Monck
used his troops to maintain order in London but he declined to withdraw from the politics that had
brought him south in the first place. He insisted that the Rump hold their promise that they wouldn’t
sit beyond May 1660. Also, he outmanoeuvred the MPs that claimed that the Rump was the
sovereign power by forcing the House to readmit the members that were secluded by Pride’s Purge.
The return of the secluded members had the following results:
Altered the political balance. Although their ranks had been thinned to death over the past 10 years,
there was still enough of them to overpower Haselrig’s republican faction.
Since they hadn’t been involved w/C2’s death or the creation of the Commonwealth, they
represented a direct link to the old constitution – something had the army was thought to have
already destroyed. Rump/Army Council authority came from Pride’s Purge and the return of these
members amounted to a denial of legitimacy and an increased possibility of the restoration of a
Stuart monarchy.
P excluded the most committed republicans from its ranks – including Lambert.
Monck didn’t declare openly that he wanted a royal restoration as he wanted to avoid pressing the issue too
early. He presented himself as a moderate who whilst being stern w/extremists, tolerated any sensible
opinion. He persuaded P to:
Keep its promise to make him commander-in-chief
To appoint a new Council of State
Make preparations for elections for a new P
Vote for its own dissolution
P appointed Montague (former Cromwellian general but now a royalist) as commander of the fleet meaning
that the 2 leading military commanders (land/sea) now favoured C2’s return. The idea of a Stuart restoration
was becoming v realistic.
Lambert attempted to halt the movement towards a royal restoration by force. A number of regiments
supported him but the bulk of the army refused to challenge Monck. Fleetwood/Desborough didn’t get
Rump’s 2nd recalling showed the deep unpopularity of army rule. Ironically, army authority could only be
removed w/further military power as none of the civil institutions were able to resist the army. The Rump
couldn’t have been reinstalled w/out Monck and it was his action that forced the Committee of Safety to
dissolve itself and allow the Rump to come back.
Climbdown of army leaders = major political shift = conservatives began to recover.
Desborough/Lambert/Fleetwood were dismissed by the Rump.
Monck was offered to become commander-in-chief.
Rump was in a strong position because:
Had removed army leaders
Re-established itself as a P/gov
Had Monck’s support – the most powerful general of the land
However, it didn’t take advantages due to these mistakes:
Instead of tackling the nation’s most pressing grievances, the Rump became more occupied w/getting
revenge by purging the army. ½ the serving officers were removed.
Exposed corruption/nepotism by the appointment of incapable new officers/officials.
Widespread refusal by traders/merchants to pay P taxes = unpopularity
Their treatment of Monck. When he arrived in London in February, rather than honouring him as its
saviour, the Rump tried to restrict his political influence by burdening him w/the policing (the duty of
maintaining law and order in an area) of London – which was still had a v volatile atmosphere. Monck
used his troops to maintain order in London but he declined to withdraw from the politics that had
brought him south in the first place. He insisted that the Rump hold their promise that they wouldn’t
sit beyond May 1660. Also, he outmanoeuvred the MPs that claimed that the Rump was the
sovereign power by forcing the House to readmit the members that were secluded by Pride’s Purge.
The return of the secluded members had the following results:
Altered the political balance. Although their ranks had been thinned to death over the past 10 years,
there was still enough of them to overpower Haselrig’s republican faction.
Since they hadn’t been involved w/C2’s death or the creation of the Commonwealth, they
represented a direct link to the old constitution – something had the army was thought to have
already destroyed. Rump/Army Council authority came from Pride’s Purge and the return of these
members amounted to a denial of legitimacy and an increased possibility of the restoration of a
Stuart monarchy.
P excluded the most committed republicans from its ranks – including Lambert.
Monck didn’t declare openly that he wanted a royal restoration as he wanted to avoid pressing the issue too
early. He presented himself as a moderate who whilst being stern w/extremists, tolerated any sensible
opinion. He persuaded P to:
Keep its promise to make him commander-in-chief
To appoint a new Council of State
Make preparations for elections for a new P
Vote for its own dissolution
P appointed Montague (former Cromwellian general but now a royalist) as commander of the fleet meaning
that the 2 leading military commanders (land/sea) now favoured C2’s return. The idea of a Stuart restoration
was becoming v realistic.
Lambert attempted to halt the movement towards a royal restoration by force. A number of regiments
supported him but the bulk of the army refused to challenge Monck. Fleetwood/Desborough didn’t get
