What was the English Civil War? Well, the English Civil War was a war between the royal family at the time and Oliver Cromwell and his supporters. Oliver Cromwell wanted a government, and there was a war about it.
Less than 40 years after the death of Queen Elizabeth the first, people were unhappy with the monarchy. Oliver Cromwell and his followers protested against the rule of King Charles I.
Before the war, parliament only served as a temporary advising comitee, only summoned as and when the monarch saw fit. Oliver Cromwell was not happy with this...
In 1628, Charles I formed a new Parliament, as the old one had been dissolved. Among the elected members were Oliver Cromwell and Edward Coke. However, for the next decade he refused to call Parliament, resulting in protest. This decade was known as the personal rule.
After this, Charles had conquered Scotland but they refused to accept his religous policies. In 1940, he had run out of funds, so he called on Parliament to help him, but Parliament took this oppurtunity to discuss their grievances against the crown, and refused to support his campaign against Scotland. Charles dissolved this Parliament.
He continued his war against Scotland, becoming more and more desperate for money, as Scotland were now demanding money not to attack him! Desperate, he created a new Parliament in November 1640.
This Parliament hated him even more, and he had endless troubles with them. After two years, Charles and 400 soldiers attempted to arrest five members of Parliament for high treason. It failed, and the members were not there. The speaker proclaimed himself a servant of Parliament, rather than of the king.
A few days after this attempt, Charles brought his family and retinue north, and cities and towns gradually began declaring their allegiance for one faction or the other. Thus began the war. Fighting broke out soon after, and many people turned against the king...
civil war? why?