Ch 10 The First Civil War: England, Scotland, Ireland

Question 1

-How was the Scottish Rebellion of 1637 the start of the British Civil Wars?

=Civil War in Scotland 1642-45

Answer 1

-it led to a reaction in England & Ireland that led to civil wars between the 2 kingdoms in 1641 & 1642 respectively

Question 2

-Why was Charles forced to sign the October 1640 Truce of Ripon?

=Civil War in Scotland 1642-45

Answer 2

• due to swift military defeat by the Covenanters during the Bishops War
• Covenanter strength also meant Charles’ supporters were initially isolated & unable to undertake a significant military campaign

Question 3

-What was The Solemn League (1643) + Covenant? What was the problem with it for the Scottish? Example + issue with this?

=Civil War in Scotland 1642-45

Answer 3

• military alliance formed between English Parliament & the Convenanters
• it alienated some Scottish nobles to the point that some came to the support of Charles
• e.g. the Scottish noble Earl of Montrose led Royalist forces north of the border against the Covenanters
• his army won multiple victories 1644-45; yet the little material gain & support from Charles for these victories saw the people in Montrose’s force slowly leave the army to return to their homeland

Question 4

-How were Charles’ military hopes ended in Scotland in Sept 1645?

=Civil War in Scotland 1642-45

Answer 4

-a Covenanter army of 6,000 troops returned from England to Scotland & crushed the Earl of Montrose’s remaining forces at Philiphaugh

Question 5

-Why did civil war essentially start in Ireland?

=Civil War in Ireland 1642-46

Answer 5

-due to the outbreak of the Irish Rebellion in Oct 1641

Question 6

-What was formed in Ireland in May 1642 Who were their opponents?

=Civil War in Ireland 1642-46

Answer 6

• many of the Gaelic Irish & Old English joined the rebellion & formed a confederation in May 1642
• opponents were the Protestants in Ulster & those around Dublin commanded by the Earl of Ormond

Question 7

-How were the Ulster Protestants supported in April 1642?

=Civil War in Ireland 1642-46

Answer 7

• supported by arrival of 10,000 Scottish troops financed by the English Parliament
• by end of 1643, they had extended Protestant control in the north, but the Catholic confederation essentially held the rest of Ireland, apart from Dublin

Question 8

-What did Charles order to be signed in Sept 1643? What happened as a result of this?

=Civil War in Ireland 1642-46

Answer 8

• a cessation to be signed by Earl of Ormond for a 1 year truce, between the new Catholic Confederation & the Protestants of England/Scotland
• resultantly, approx 22,000 Irish troops (both Catholic & Protestant) were transported to England between Oct 1643 & June 1644 to aid Charles’ Royalist forces in the English Civil War
• the Irish troops had little impact on Charles’ war efforts & proved counterproductive as them seemed to reinforce parliamentary propaganda of his desire to impose Catholicism by working w/ them

Question 9

-How did the aid of 22,000 Irish troops to Charles to be used in the English Civil War provoke English Parliament?

=Civil War in Ireland 1642-46

Answer 9

-provoked Parliament to form a military alliance w/ the Covenanters through The Solemn League & Covenant (Sept 1643)

Question 10

-What did Earl of Ormond signed w/ the Confederates in March 1646?

=Civil War in Ireland 1642-46

Answer 10

-Ormond signed a peace w/ the Confederates

Question 11

-What did Owen Roe O’Neill achieve in June 1646 & how did this affect Charles in the English Civil War?

=Civil War in Ireland 1642-46

Answer 11

• Owen Roe O’Neill (representative of the Gaelic Irish) defeated the Scottish Covenanters at Benburb
• further affected Charles’ in English Civil War as it made Gaelic Irish less inclined to identify a common cause w/ the Royalists, effectively ending Charles’ hopes of bringing more troops over from Ireland

Question 12

-What were the reasons for the defeat of Charles’ forces in Scotland & Ireland?

Answer 12

• unable to coordinate forces within country or w/ other kingdoms
• started w/ a weak position due to Rebellions of 1637 (Scottish) & 1641 (Irish)
• forces clearly outnumbered
• better organisation of opponents
• opponents more religiously motivated
• opponents better supplied

Question 13

Key Chronology: Civil War in Scotland 1642-45

• 1644 Sept
• 1645 Feb
• 1645 May
• 1645 Sept

Answer 13

• 1644 Sept=Montrose’s Royalist forces defeat Covenanters @ Tippermuir
• 1645 Feb=Montrose defeats Covenanters @ Inverlochy
• 1645 May=Montrose defeats Covenanters @ Alford
• 1645 Sept=Royalists crush Montrose’s forces @ Philiphaugh

Question 14

Key Chronology: Civil War in Ireland 1642-46

• 1642 Apr
• 1643 Sept
• 1646 Mar
• 1646 Jun

Answer 14

• 1642 Apr=Anti-Catholic Scottish army of 10,000 lands in Ireland
• 1643 Sept=Agreement between Ormond, on behalf of Charles & Irish Catholic Confederacy
• 1646 Mar=Ormond, leader of Royalists in Ireland, signs peace treaty w/ Catholic Confederates
• 1646 Jun=Irish Confederate victory over Scottish Covenanters @ Benburb

Question 15

-As Charles’ position collapsed in Scotland & Ireland, what did he also face?

Answer 15

-faced the defeat of his military hopes in England

Question 16

-Royalists in the First Civil War & their significance?

=First Civil War in England 1642-46

Answer 16

• Charles I & his royal army=number of Royalist victories in 1643 though Charles & supporters did not coordinate their forces well (partly due to divided nature of royal councils & to Charles’ indecisiveness)
• Council of War in Oxford=effective administrative organisation in early years of war
• Earl of Newcastle=Newcastle didn’t march his northern Royalist army to support the London attack in Nov 1643, which otherwise could have brought a Royalist victory
• Prince Rupert=joined Newcastle’s forces at Marston Moor in July 1644; this battle ended in a major royal defeat

Question 17

-Parliamentarians in the First Civil War & their significance?

=First Civil War in England 1642-46

Answer 17

• London Trained Bands=volunteers defended the capital in Nov 1643 & forced the royal army back; seen as a turning point in the war, arguably as Parliament’s control of London won them the First Civil War
• Solemn League & Covenant=military, religious & political alliance between Parliament & Scottish Covenanters, formed in 1643; led to the Covenanters sending an army south to fight on Parliament’s side
• Committee of Both Kingdoms=set up by Parliament w/ Scottish Covenanters in 1644 after the alliance above to manage civil war & finances; greatest achievement was creating & maintaining the New Model Army
• General Thomas Fairfax & his northern parliamentary forces=Fairfax joined forces w/ the Eastern Association (parliamentarian army in the east) & the Scots @ Marston Moor

Question 18

What were significant events of Royalists Vs Parliament 1642-45?

=First Civil War in England 1642-46

Answer 18

• Royalists prevented from taking London @ Turnham Green (Nov 1642)
• 1643=number of Royalist victories, but none hampered Parliament’s ability to fight the war
• Parliament had significant victory @ Marston Moor (July 1644), the largest Civil War battle; though they didn’t take advantage of the win & suffered defeats a few months later
• the failures prompted Parliament to reorganise its forces & from this The New Model Army was formed under Thomas Fairfax & Oliver Cromwell (1645)

Question 19

-What destroyed Charles’ military capabilities in England at exactly the same time his position fell in Scotland & Ireland?

=First Civil War in England 1642-46

Answer 19

• Defeat @ Naseby by the New Model Army defeated Charles’ military capabilities
• Royalist commanders were dismissive of the newly formed NMA & thought they would have an easy victory
• after a series of mopping-up campaigns in the west, the NMA had effectively defeated Charles’ Royalist forces by 1646

Question 20

-What did Charles do 5th May 1646? What had he hoped for?

=First Civil War in England 1642-46

Answer 20

• Charles surrendered to Scottish forces in hope that they would give him better settlement terms than Parliament would
• they promptly handed him back to the English Parliament, which placed him under guarded house arrest

Question 21

-How did the First English Civil War end?

=First Civil War in England 1642-46

Answer 21

-ended w/ the surrender of the remaining Royalist forces at Oxford in June 1646

Question 22

-Royalist Strengths?

=First Civil War in England 1642-46

Answer 22

• led by the recognised lawful ruler
• more support from aristocracy & higher gentry (whom had financial reserves & military experience)
• focused strategic objective: the taking of London
• military aid from abroad, notably from Charles nephews Prince Rupert & Maurice

Question 23

-Royalist Weaknesses?

=First Civil War in England 1642-46

Answer 23

• areas under Royalist control generally poorer
• clubmen (men who tried to defend their localities against both armies) particularly hampered Royalist forces who were seen as more exploitative of local communities than the disciplined NMA
• Commissions of Array of dubious legality: some felt Royalists lacked legal weight to make others join their forces

Question 24

-How did Administration contribute to Royalist military failure?

=First Civil War in England 1642-46

Answer 24

• the Royalist Council of War @ Oxford was initially an effective organisation, in contrast to the tensions between the parliamentary field commanders & the MPs through the Committee of Both Kingdoms, which managed the war for Parliament
• thought the Oxford Council suffered from its limited authority, w/ the Royalist commanders in the north/west basically being independent
• Charles also decided to set up a separate council @ Bristol, which removed capable men

Question 25

-How did Indecisiveness contribute to Royalist military failure?

=First Civil War in England 1642-46

Answer 25

-Charles & Royalists proved indecisive in following through on their initial promising start to war; not only strategically but also in taking advantage of the greater experiences of Charles’ generals & the greater support from the aristocracy (financially)

Question 26

-How did the Generals contribute to Royalist military failure?

=First Civil War in England 1642-46

Answer 26

• early months of war, Charles used influential local men as lieutenant generals in their areas, in hopes they would rally local support
• their lack of commitment & limited military experience weakened the Royalist war effort
• Charles began to appoint men w/ military experience, notably his 2 nephews; further provoking division in Royalist councils

Question 27

-How did Division contribute to Royalist military failure?

=First Civil War in England 1642-46

Answer 27

• Royalist councils had differing views which led to incoherent policy because the lack of leadership from Charles, as well as his failure to recognise/select the best advice
• Hyde advised continuing attempts to settle w/ Parliament; whereas Henrietta Maria counselled a continued war until total victory was achieved
• Prince Rupert also opposed a negotiated settlement until defeat was confirmed @ Naseby 1646
• Henrietta Maria also stressed in her letters to Charles that it would be a diminution of his honour to negotiate

Question 28

-How did Charles as a Military Leader contribute to Royalist military failure?

=First Civil War in England 1642-46

Answer 28

• Sept 1643, Charles signed a cessation w/ Catholic Irish rebels who had fought against Protestant rule in Oct 1641
• troops brought over to England from Ireland proved ineffective
• many of Charles’ supporters were disturbed by his willingness to use Catholics in arms in England
• 117/603 were Catholic colonel officers during the war
• Charles repeated this mistake by trying to negotiate a second peace treaty w/ the Irish Catholic rebels in 1645

Question 29

-How did Reliance on Foreign Aid contribute to Royalist military failure?

=First Civil War in England 1642-46

Answer 29

• Charles’ use of nephews Prince Rupert & Maurice left him open to attack
• Charles’ captured correspondence, which showed he was negotiating w/ the French & the Pope, was great propaganda for Parliament when they published some of the letters in The King’s Cabinet Opened

Question 30

What was the difference between the Royalists & Parliament in how they handled the Civil War?

=First Civil War in England 1642-46

Answer 30

• Royalists’ weaknesses/mistakes were matched by Parliament’s growing strengths
• Parliament was more flexible & brutal in its response to Civil War, enabling them to fight more effectively
• Parliament also able to finance war effort more efficiently

Question 31

-How did Parliament’s war finance aid them in Parliamentary victory?

=First Civil War in England 1642-46

Answer 31

• John Pym organised war time administration @ Westminster
• after outbreak of civil war, Parliament combined executive w/ representative authority & developed methods for running country without king
• Committee of Both Kingdoms; seeking to control finances to fund war effort
• the Assessment (Nov, 1642) raised substantial money=civil war tax directly on income, particularly land, used to raise money for parliamentary armies

Question 32

Parliamentary methods of raising money?

=First Civil War in England 1642-46

Answer 32

• weekly/monthly assessments=direct tax on income, particularly land
• sequestrations=confiscation of Royalist land
• compulsory loans=forced loans
• excise=a duty/tax on goods; e.g. beer

Question 33

-How did John Pym & alliances aid in Parliamentary victory?

=First Civil War in England 1642-46

Answer 33

• Pym vital in uniting Parliament, despite the different factions; persuaded members to accept formal alliance - The Solemn League & Covenant - w/ Scottish Covenanters (1643)
• in return for agreement for Scots to establish Presbyterianism in England, they sent 21,000 men into England to aid Parliament
• although this army proved disappointing, in practice it did force Charles’ northern army to remain in north

Question 34

What were the advantages of Parliament holding London?

=First Civil War in England 1642-46

Answer 34

• propaganda=London was centre of printing so advantageous production of propaganda
• finance=control of London gave Parliament access to resources, especially City loans
• manpower=trained bands were vital at Turnham Green,; London also home to 1/10 of English population
• port=London was England’s largest port
• industry=London was chief industrial centre & thus a supplier of arms, clothes & shoes
• administration=Parliament could take advantage of already established centre of admin in the capital

Question 35

-How did Local Administration & local communities aid in Parliamentary victory?

=First Civil War in England 1642-46

Answer 35

• set up special committees in each county; led to employment of local men who were activists dedicated to the cause; anyone not supporter was removed=led to replacement of traditional ruling elite=Parliament showed much greater willingness to do this than Charles had
• Parliament managed to control areas relatively rich compared to Royalist areas
• both sides encountered resistance of local communities that resented the cost of war; led to growth of the ‘clubman’ movement=armed groups of men in West & South opposing financial demands of both armies; became more favourable to NMA as it came closer to winning war through Fairfax’s willingness to negotiate w/ them directly

Question 36

-How did Control of the Navy aid in Parliamentary victory?

=First Civil War in England 1642-46

Answer 36

• Parliament able to supply its forces & strongholds e.g. Hull & Plymouth
• Parliament could hamper the supply of Royalist areas
• prevented Charles receiving supplies & men from mainland Europe & Ireland

Question 37

-How did the New Model Army aid in Parliamentary victory?

=First Civil War in England 1642-46

Answer 37

• 1644-45 Parliament undertook political & military restructuring e.g. NMA
• regular paid, professional soldiers; motivated by their Puritan religion to fight in the war
• meant when the Civil War became a war of attrition (where armies would gradually wear down each other’s strength), Parliament would be in stronger position

Question 38

What was the human death rate of the First English Civil War?

=First Civil War in England 1642-46

Answer 38

-190,000 deaths (3.7% of England’s population)

Question 39

-What was Charles I stance by end of First Civil War (1646)?

=First Civil War in England 1642-46

Answer 39

• although defeated militarily, he was still in strong position in 1646
• as King, he was regarded as essential to a lasting settlement; his knowledge of his own importance in the political system formed the basis of his actions in years up to 1648

Question 40

What was increasing between the Presbyterian Scots & the New Model Army by 1646?

Answer 40

• increasing tension between Presbyterian Scots & & religious radicals in NMA, e.g. Cromwell
• once Royalists were defeated in 1646, Scots expected English Parliament to bring Presbyterianism to England for 3 years (as set by terms of The Solemn League) whereas MPs/Cromwell saw this as a threat to the religious freedom they wanted to enforce
• thus tension was a key context of the failure to reach settlement 1646-49