Oliver Cromwell was an impassioned Puritan and military genius from 17th century England who entered Parliament in 1628 during a period when relations were strained between Parliament and the king (Charles I, who wanted absolute power). When English Civil War broke out in 1642, Cromwell threw himself bravely and enthusiastically onto the front lines despite his lack of military experience and founded the New Model Army. Either it just came naturally to him, or else he was blindly following his faith in “God’s will;†in any case, Cromwell was instrumental in the army’s victory over the royalists. Charles I was executed in 1649 and England became a commonwealth without a monarchy. Under this new republic, Cromwell became its “Lord Protector.†Unfortunately the new political structure was just more of the same old, same old: dictatorships, disagreements, civil unrest, religious freedoms impinged upon, etc. Not to mention that the monarchy was a part of the national fabric and sorely missed, like it or not. After Cromwell’s death (his son was meant to be his successor but didn’t quite have old Dad’s leadership qualities), a political crisis ensued that resulted in the restoration of the monarchy. Charles II (son of Charles I) returned from exile in Europe to assume his rightful place as monarch in 1660, but also agreed to limitations of power.
