Oliver Cromwell

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Oliver Cromwell (25 April 1599 – 3 September 1658) was an English military leader and politician who later became Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Born into a middle-class family with ties to King Henry VIII's minister Thomas Cromwell, Oliver Cromwell kept much of his early life private, revealing only four personal letters and a summary of a 1628 speech. He underwent a significant religious conversion in the 1630s, becoming an Independent Puritan who welcomed various Protestant sects. Cromwell saw himself as a devout man, often comparing himself to Moses, believing God guided his victories. He entered politics by winning seats in Parliament for Huntingdon and Cambridge before joining the English Civil War on the side of the "Roundheads" or Parliamentarians. Known as "Old Ironsides," he quickly rose through the ranks from leading a single cavalry troop to commanding the New Model Army, playing a key role in defeating royalist forces. Cromwell was one of the signatories of King Charles I's death warrant in 1649 and dominated the short-lived Commonwealth of England as a member of the Rump Parliament (1649–1653). He took command of the English campaign in Ireland from 1649 to 1650, leading his forces to defeat the Confederate and Royalist coalition and occupy the country. This period saw the passage of Penal Laws against Roman Catholics and significant land confiscation. Cromwell also led a successful campaign against the Scottish army between 1650 and 1651. On April 20, 1653, he dismissed the Rump Parliament by force, establishing a short-lived nominated assembly known as Barebone's Parliament before being invited to rule as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland from December 16, 1653. As ruler, Cromwell executed an aggressive foreign policy. He died from natural causes in 1658 and was buried in Westminster Abbey. The Royalists returned to power in 1660, exhuming his corpse, hanging it in chains, and beheading it. Historians debate Cromwell's legacy, with some viewing him as a regicidal dictator or military leader, while others consider him a hero of liberty or class revolutionary. A 2002 BBC poll ranked Cromwell among the greatest Britons of all time. However, his measures against Catholics in Scotland and Ireland have been criticized for being genocidal or near-genocidal, with many harshly criticizing his record in Ireland.