Why did the governments of the interregnum fail to find an acceptable settlement in politics and religion? (45)
The governments of the interregnum failed to find an acceptable settlement predominantly due the power vacuum which was left by the King when he was executed. This wasn't helped by the lack of legitimacy of the regicide where only 59 MP's signed Charles' death warrant. However one could argue that Oliver Cromwell, Parliament and The New Model Army's want and desire for more power also led to the failure to find an acceptable settlement.
After Charles was executed several political problems arose because there was no direction of settlement due to the degree and nature of the reform. As a result of this, two sides formed, the army who were religious radicals and parliament, who were after a conservative settlement. The result of the regicide left the existence of a power vacuum which wasn't helped by either the Rump parliament or the New Model Army because they were unable to find a legitimate regime to temporarily rule over England. However, parliament tried to broaden their regime, creating more controversy, by bringing back all the moderate MPs from Pride's Purge in December 1648. Divisions within the Rump parliament continued in 1650, when the Councillors of State were asked to sign the Engagement, an oath of loyalty to the new regime, however only 22 of 41 Councillors signed the oath declaring the state disapproved regicide. Therefore it was the reactionary nature of the Rump parliament and their failure to establish a legitimate basis for godly reform which created divisions between the army and the Rump and therefore halted the movement towards an acceptable settlement.
Oliver Cromwell was a key figure in the failure of finding an acceptable settlement during the interregnum as both Cromwell and his supporters 'Cromwellians' were key causes in the creating division. After Cromwell's appointment of Commander-in-Chief in June 1650 and his appointment as Head of State in December 1653 many problems began to rise above the surface. The first of the
After Charles was executed several political problems arose because there was no direction of settlement due to the degree and nature of the reform. As a result of this, two sides formed, the army who were religious radicals and parliament, who were after a conservative settlement. The result of the regicide left the existence of a power vacuum which wasn't helped by either the Rump parliament or the New Model Army because they were unable to find a legitimate regime to temporarily rule over England. However, parliament tried to broaden their regime, creating more controversy, by bringing back all the moderate MPs from Pride's Purge in December 1648. Divisions within the Rump parliament continued in 1650, when the Councillors of State were asked to sign the Engagement, an oath of loyalty to the new regime, however only 22 of 41 Councillors signed the oath declaring the state disapproved regicide. Therefore it was the reactionary nature of the Rump parliament and their failure to establish a legitimate basis for godly reform which created divisions between the army and the Rump and therefore halted the movement towards an acceptable settlement.
Oliver Cromwell was a key figure in the failure of finding an acceptable settlement during the interregnum as both Cromwell and his supporters 'Cromwellians' were key causes in the creating division. After Cromwell's appointment of Commander-in-Chief in June 1650 and his appointment as Head of State in December 1653 many problems began to rise above the surface. The first of the