The Army in Cromwellian England, 1649-1660

by Reece, Henry

• ISBN13: 9780198200635
• ISBN10: 0198200633
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2013-03-01
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

From 1649-1660 England was ruled by a standing army for the only time in its history. InThe Army in Cromwellian EnglandHenry Reece describes, for the first time, the nature of that experience, both for members of the army and for civilian society. Split into three parts, the first section looks at the size of the army, its material needs, promotion structure, and political engagement to provide a sense of the day-to-day reality of being part of a standing army. The second part considers the impact of the military presence on society by establishing where soldiers were quartered, how they were paid, the material burden that they represented, the divisive effects of the army's patronage of religious radicals, and the extensive involvement of army officers in the government of the localities. The final section re-evaluates the army's role in the political events from Cromwell's death to the restoration of the Stuart monarchy, and explains why the army crumbled so pitifully in the last months of the Commonwealth.

Author Biography

Henry Reece read History at Bristol University and did his D.Phil. at St John's College, Oxford. He spent thirty years in publishing, latterly as chief executive of Oxford University Press from 1998 to 2009. Oxford University awarded him an Honorary D.Litt. in 2010. He is an Emeritus Fellow of Jesus College, Oxford and an Honorary Fellow of St John's College, Oxford. He now lives on Vancouver Island in Canada.

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Character of the Army

A Standing Army

Promotion and Patronage

Political Engagement

The Army and Society

The Garrisoning and Quartering of the Army

The Provision of Pay to the Army

The Material Impact of the Military Presence

The Religious Impact of the Military Presence

The Army and the Government of the Localities

The Army and the End of the Republic

The Military Presence Unchecked

The Purges of 1659-1660 and the Demise of the Army

Conclusion

Bibliography

Index

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