|
|
The Collapse of the Protectorate |
|
The Succession of Richard Cromwell
 | Oliver Cromwell's illness and death were unexpected, and he made only a verbal nomination of his son, Richard (1626-1712) as his successor. | ||
| Richard's accession was accepted quietly by both the country at large and the Army Council. When Richard called a Parliament (January 1659), it too seemed willing to accept Richard Cromwell as king in all but name and his father's "Upper House" as a House of Lords. | ||
| Problems arose not between Richard and the political nation - but between it and the army, which soon (April 1659) pressurized Richard into dissolving the Parliament. | ||
| Needing some institution to vote tax money for their wages, the
Army in May 1659 recalled the c. 80 survivors of the Rump Parliament
(dissolved by Cromwell
in 1653).
|
George Monck's march
|
The English army had occupied Scotland since Cromwell's victory at Dunbar. The forces there were under the command of General George Monck. Lambert's dissolution of the Rump prompted his intervention in English politics. | ||
| He ordered his army south, and in the name of
support for Parliament continued to
march, despite the panicked recall of the Rump by the army officers.
|
|
Monck was joined in the North of England by Thomas Fairfax (who had long lived in retirement); units of the Navy also declared for him and Parliament. |
|
In February 1660, Monck protected the return of
the surviving Members excluded at
Pride's Purge. In
March, he quietly negotiated with Charles prompting the
Declaration of
Breda (April 1660) - a promise by Charles of general pardon and
religious toleration. |
|
|
|
The Parliament - now containing many moderate Presbyterians - dissolved itself and called for new elections. | |||
| Many Royalist members were returned to the Convention Parliament which met in April 1660, and Monck allowed the Royalist sons of peers to sit in the House of Lords. In May, this Parliament invited Charles II to return.
|
