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Was the Civil War in the British Isles part of the European Wars of Religion?
Prince Rupert of the Rhine, Charles I nephew and cavalry commander, was son of the Elector Palatine who lost his kingdom to Catholic Armies. Sir John Leslie, commander of the Scot's Army was a veteran of the 30 Years War, as were several of his staff. In Scotland the National Covenant was a specific reason for the outbreak of the entire conflict, as the Presbyterian Church resisted the Laudian reforms of Charles I. The eventual Commonwealth Church was to be Presbyterian. Charles I was suspected of being a closet Catholic and his mother Anne of Denmark was also reputedly leaning towards Catholicism, while his wife openly conducted diplomatic correspondence with Rome. At the outbreak of the war Charles I was in receipt of a French pension i.e. subsidy, which allowed him to ignore Parliament and his Queen raised funds for him in Catholic Europe.
Thanks Ammianus, I was hoping to provoke an answer from you. As a Scot I think in terms of the War of the Three Kingdoms, and not the English Civil War, and for me it starts in 1637 and includes the Scots and English in Ireland and the Irish in Scotland and England. The rather unique position of English monarchs as Head of State and Head of the Church, as well as the Stuart project of unification of the kingdoms which prevented the normal tolerance that allowed someone to rule disparate possessions were key factors. Even allowing for the fact that in the 17th century politics was expressed in religious terms, the Scots and the Irish had genuine religious motives and not just political ones, as did the English Calvinists who had dominated the C of E before Laud's Anglo-Catholic reforms. Charles' vacillation over the Huguenots was a major charge against him in England. People did think that the whole Protestant project was under threat. Charles probably never actually converted,
3 Answers
- Anonymous7 years agoFavourite answer
It was believed the Royal Family were believed to be chosen by God to be born into that family. Charles I took that as him being God's gift to Earth.
He was egocentric, arrogant, unfair and only cared for himself.
Cromwell decided that he was a d*ckhead and lead the army of Parliament to victory.
Then he invaded Ireland.
Yay.
Source(s): English Civil War battle reenactor (Sealed Knot) - ammianusLv 77 years ago
No.
Although the Bishop's Wars were a result of Charles trying to impose a Common Prayer Book in Scotland, they were in 1639 and 1640,and the First English Civil War didn't begin until 1642;the Scots didn't join the First English Civil War until 1 January 1644.
The Commonwealth Church WAS NOT Presbyterian - although that was the deal that Parliament made with the Scots to get them to join the war on their side in 1644,Cromwell and the Independents in the New Model Army saw to it that the deal wasn't implemented (The Scots subsequently changed sides,backing Charles I and then his son Charles II in return for the same deal).
Charles may have been suspected of being a closet Catholic by some extreme Puritans,but remained a firm Anglican Protestant all his life.As his wife was Catholic,it's no surprise she corresponded with the Pope,and most of the money she raised for the Royalist cause was from the Protestant Dutch United Provinces.
Prince Rupert was a Calvinist,and Sir Marmaduke Langdale,Lord Wilmot,and Lord Falkland - all prominent Royalist commanders - were all Puritans.Lord Eythin,another senior Royalist general,was a Scots Presbyterian.
The English Civil Wars were about political power,not religion,and were not connected with the religious wars in Europe at the time.Later,in 1658,Cromwell's Protectorate allied with Catholic France against Spain,supplying a sizable infantry contingent that took part in the battle of the Dunes.
- Anonymous7 years ago
It was Protestants against protestants