Charles I uses Spanish troops in the Civil War?
- Thread starter Grey Wolf
- Start date
Disaster. This is the height of the Black Legend of the Spanish Empire and the reaction of pretty much any Englishmen to Charles bringing in Spaniards to fight Englishmen would make the OTL reaction to his bringing in Irishmen calm and restrained. I literally can't think of anything more counter-productive. Even Ottoman Janissaries would be more popular.
Redhand
Banned
I think you can throw out the window any domestic English support for Royalism outside of the Catholics. Charles becomes the most popular English King ever in terms of the Irish but I think the Anglicans, even the High Church ones, would loathe to see Spanish troops in England. However, a substantial force of Tercios might be enough to crush the New Model Army, and if so there could be an England ruled by a hated powerful king strong enough to hold on to power.
In this scenario, the Puritans and Calvinists might flee en masse for Massachusetts. Not sure what effect this might have.
In this scenario, the Puritans and Calvinists might flee en masse for Massachusetts. Not sure what effect this might have.
So Spain, which was fighting the thirty year war and the eighty year war at that moment (and possibly some others I forgot) sends troops to England to fight in some other king's war? Well, that is not going to end well for Spain. Since the troops are probably coming from the Southern Netherlands, my guess is that France and the Netherlands are going to profit most. Probably a Dutch Antwerp and larger Dutch Brabant and Flanders. And of course a larger French Flanders (there probably are still enough Spanish troops in the Southern Netherlands that they aren't completely overrun by France and the Netherlands).
Also bringing in foreign troops, especialy devoted catholics, like the Spanish, is going to be a major propaganda victory for the republicans. I think a large part of the English protestants are going to join them.
Still, unless this was something the Spanish (or the English king) were seriously considering OTL, I doubt it would happen.
Also bringing in foreign troops, especialy devoted catholics, like the Spanish, is going to be a major propaganda victory for the republicans. I think a large part of the English protestants are going to join them.
Still, unless this was something the Spanish (or the English king) were seriously considering OTL, I doubt it would happen.
He would have lost a massive amount of support from even his loyalists. It would have ended the war even faster. And that's even if they can get there - most of the Royal Navy sided with Parliament.
I think the Dutch and French navies would love to help them drown some Spanish troops.
Pretty much inviting a disaster. If Charles I wanted to bring in foreign troops, his best bet would be German or Swiss mercenaries from the Thirty years' war. Asking for Spanish, or French troops, would irreparably damage his cause and position. Look at how badly people reacted to the idea of bringing in a Royalist army from Ireland and multiply it by like 5. That's the response that the King would get.
There were plenty of English and Scottish mercenaries fighting in the 30 years war as well. Why buy foreign mercenaries when he could get English mercenaries?
(Then again there were plenty of foreign mercenaries in the English Civil War too. E.g., Carlo Fantam, a Croatian who fought on the Parliamentarian side, I believe.)
Being hung, drawn & quartered as well? And you could probably kiss the Restoration goodbye. Trust a dynasty that invited in the Spanish? Over their headless corpses!