To what extent was military involvement in politics responsible for unstable Government in England in the
years 1646-53?
Unstable Government within England throughout the years 1646-1653 was from the years 1646-1649 largely a
consequence of King Charles I, following his execution much of the instability within England can be attributed
to the weakness of the government. This is opposed to the military involvement within politics with such events
as the Regicide and inability to reach any form of settlement with the King.
It can be argued that military involvement in politics was responsible for unstable Government through the years
1646-53 to a degree; however, they were not the main cause. Instability within the Government, that was caused
by the military's radical influence, served to undermine the authority of the Parliament, as can be seen in
February 1647 when the Rump ordered for the disbandment of the New Model Army. This was done primarily
due to the Rump seeing no reason to keep a standing army, due both to the expenses that went to providing for
the Army which subsequently increased taxation, and potential fears of their growing radical influence, as
aforementioned, within politics. This led to instability due to the fact that no indemnity was provided for the
troops, which thus created governmental divisions as MPs such as Ireton and Cromwell were also New Model
Army Generals and therefore had loyalties to both the New Model Army and Government. While in this
example it appears to be the action of the Parliament which led to the divisions and thereby the instability within
themselves, it is clear that this was primarily reactionary to the growing political influence of the New Model
Army. The politicisation of the New Model Army created further political instability as it resulted in another
group that had to be satisfied in the attempted reaching of a settlement with Charles. Given that the New Model
Army was not fully united this makes the situation even more complicated and the politics even more unstable.
The effects of such can be seen in the radical execution of the King, an act that created profound political and
governmental instability and arguably would not have occurred without the political influence of the New
Model Army. The New Model Army's political influence and power played a large role in the brining of Charles
to trial, as during the Second Civil War of 1648 Charles had decided to wage war upon England using the
Scottish Army which then led to the New Model Army pushing for his trial, as evidenced in the publication of
the Army Remonstrance by Ireton. This furthered political instability by undermining the authority of the
Government as ultimately the fate of the King was decided by the New Model Army and not Parliament. The
New Model Army served to create governmental instability through the undermining of Parliament also on 6th
of December 1648 in Pride's purge. Through this, the Army was able to arrest 45 MP's and exclude another 186,
leaving a Rump Parliament of barely 200 members, this displays the amount of power the New Model Army
had grown to have and their dominance within politics as well as their ability to destabilise the Government and
push the Parliament into another period of instability. However, while the New Model Army did serve as a
stimulus for governmental instability by undermining the authority of the Government, they were not the
leading cause as ultimately, they were only able to do so due to the fact that the Government was weak in the
first place, had the Government had greater authority the New Model Army would not have likely been able to
exert the political power that they did. Thus, the military involvement in politics, while notable, was not the
most significant cause of unstable Government in the years 1646-53 aside from the regicide (though, as will be
argued later, this may be attributed largely to Charles himself) which acted as a catalyst for the instability that
the Government itself, with particular regard to Cromwell, would both sustain and arguably worsen.
Government itself was too weak and, in conjunction with circumstances along with Cromwell's conflicting
duties to his social conservatism and desire for Godly reform, led to it being too ineffective to provide stable
Government in the years 1646-53. For the Rump, this was because it was not radical enough for the growing
calls who wanted political, social or religious reforms such as the Levellers and evidenced in the 'Remonstrance
of the she-citizens of London' as well as its inability to deal with the turmoil and consequences of the regicide.
With the Eikon Basilica having been released shortly after the execution of Charles continued monarchist
sentiment was fuelled throughout the country which the Rump was too weak to counteract in their desperate bid
to gain support and legitimacy through the Right, as seen in their lenient punishment of the royalists with only
the most prominent proponents of the monarchy being executed. This led to governmental instability as it meant
that their legitimacy continued to be questioned and they remained viewed by the public as being no true source
years 1646-53?
Unstable Government within England throughout the years 1646-1653 was from the years 1646-1649 largely a
consequence of King Charles I, following his execution much of the instability within England can be attributed
to the weakness of the government. This is opposed to the military involvement within politics with such events
as the Regicide and inability to reach any form of settlement with the King.
It can be argued that military involvement in politics was responsible for unstable Government through the years
1646-53 to a degree; however, they were not the main cause. Instability within the Government, that was caused
by the military's radical influence, served to undermine the authority of the Parliament, as can be seen in
February 1647 when the Rump ordered for the disbandment of the New Model Army. This was done primarily
due to the Rump seeing no reason to keep a standing army, due both to the expenses that went to providing for
the Army which subsequently increased taxation, and potential fears of their growing radical influence, as
aforementioned, within politics. This led to instability due to the fact that no indemnity was provided for the
troops, which thus created governmental divisions as MPs such as Ireton and Cromwell were also New Model
Army Generals and therefore had loyalties to both the New Model Army and Government. While in this
example it appears to be the action of the Parliament which led to the divisions and thereby the instability within
themselves, it is clear that this was primarily reactionary to the growing political influence of the New Model
Army. The politicisation of the New Model Army created further political instability as it resulted in another
group that had to be satisfied in the attempted reaching of a settlement with Charles. Given that the New Model
Army was not fully united this makes the situation even more complicated and the politics even more unstable.
The effects of such can be seen in the radical execution of the King, an act that created profound political and
governmental instability and arguably would not have occurred without the political influence of the New
Model Army. The New Model Army's political influence and power played a large role in the brining of Charles
to trial, as during the Second Civil War of 1648 Charles had decided to wage war upon England using the
Scottish Army which then led to the New Model Army pushing for his trial, as evidenced in the publication of
the Army Remonstrance by Ireton. This furthered political instability by undermining the authority of the
Government as ultimately the fate of the King was decided by the New Model Army and not Parliament. The
New Model Army served to create governmental instability through the undermining of Parliament also on 6th
of December 1648 in Pride's purge. Through this, the Army was able to arrest 45 MP's and exclude another 186,
leaving a Rump Parliament of barely 200 members, this displays the amount of power the New Model Army
had grown to have and their dominance within politics as well as their ability to destabilise the Government and
push the Parliament into another period of instability. However, while the New Model Army did serve as a
stimulus for governmental instability by undermining the authority of the Government, they were not the
leading cause as ultimately, they were only able to do so due to the fact that the Government was weak in the
first place, had the Government had greater authority the New Model Army would not have likely been able to
exert the political power that they did. Thus, the military involvement in politics, while notable, was not the
most significant cause of unstable Government in the years 1646-53 aside from the regicide (though, as will be
argued later, this may be attributed largely to Charles himself) which acted as a catalyst for the instability that
the Government itself, with particular regard to Cromwell, would both sustain and arguably worsen.
Government itself was too weak and, in conjunction with circumstances along with Cromwell's conflicting
duties to his social conservatism and desire for Godly reform, led to it being too ineffective to provide stable
Government in the years 1646-53. For the Rump, this was because it was not radical enough for the growing
calls who wanted political, social or religious reforms such as the Levellers and evidenced in the 'Remonstrance
of the she-citizens of London' as well as its inability to deal with the turmoil and consequences of the regicide.
With the Eikon Basilica having been released shortly after the execution of Charles continued monarchist
sentiment was fuelled throughout the country which the Rump was too weak to counteract in their desperate bid
to gain support and legitimacy through the Right, as seen in their lenient punishment of the royalists with only
the most prominent proponents of the monarchy being executed. This led to governmental instability as it meant
that their legitimacy continued to be questioned and they remained viewed by the public as being no true source
