Crownless: The European Conquest of the Americas

CBC - Commonwealth Broadcasting Corporation

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Announcer: Coming up tonight on CBC Four, in an hour at Nine O'Clock we have a new episode of Celebrity Mind Challenge when another three celebrities pit their wits against the chair. But now on CBC Four, we have the first episode in new series examining the rise of the Commonwealth and the exploration of the Americas in the Seventeenth Century and beyond. It's episode one of Crownless: The European Conquest of the Americas.

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Presenter: It was here, at Preston, that the true beginnings of the Commonwealth are. Prior to the Second English Civil War, many Parliamentarians had tried to reason with King Charles to make him see reason and accept law of Parliament. They begged and pleaded with the King to give up this foolish conflict and restore democratic law to the Kingdom. However this last battle made it clear to many that the King could not be reasoned with. After Preston, Cromwell and his allies gathered together to put the King on trial. The crime? Treason against the Kingdom. The sentence? Death.

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With the death of King Charles, the last King of England, Britain entered into a New Age of Republicanism. Whilst few will deny the Commonwealth had its share of tyranny and corruption, the idea of a Kingdom willfully throwing off the shackles of monarchy was revolutionary. Whilst many nations had sought to break away from their royalty and form Republics, the Commonwealth was the first to bring an end to the idea of Kingship in such a brutal fashion. They would not be the last.

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Over the course of this series, I will be exploring the foundations of our Commonwealth, our role in the exploration and conquest of the Americas, and the establishment of Republicanism at the very heart of Europe. I will be travelling across the Dominions, from North America, Ireland, Britain, to Africa and the Far East. As the threat of violence once again rises in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, I will be explaining the history of these conflicts and how the many European Wars and the War against the rising Far East Empires set the world on this inevitable collision and how we can hope to avoid repeating the past.


[With apologies to Simon Schama]
 
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Apart from the butterflies (unless it is a ITTL analogue of Simon Schama) I am rather keen this TL already.

I used 'Presenter', but the images of Simon Schama are just meant to represent an Alt Analogue because its how the idea ran in my head.

Title intrigued me and now I'm looking forward to the next part.

That was idea, glad it worked.

This is a Redux of my Lord Protector timeline. Its going to run a little differently but the basic concept is the same. Britain remains the 'Commonwealth' following the death of Charles I, no more Kings. Also with no Kings the formation of the modern day Americas will be very different. Definitely no Canada. Also we can expect a very different 'British Empire'.

The rest of Europe will be reshaped too. Republicanism will become widespread much faster than OTL. Expect more executions. Also the colonies of each nation could easily end up changed. India could well end up being Dutch. Or Portuguese. Or divided amongst several powers like China. Australia will be an interesting one too.

I hope to take it through to its 2015 equivalent, though that may just be glimpses of the TL's 'modern world' (depends how much time I can find).
 
I used 'Presenter', but the images of Simon Schama are just meant to represent an Alt Analogue because its how the idea ran in my head.

That is what I thought.

This is a Redux of my Lord Protector timeline. Its going to run a little differently but the basic concept is the same. Britain remains the 'Commonwealth' following the death of Charles I, no more Kings. Also with no Kings the formation of the modern day Americas will be very different.

How did that TL work out?

Definitely no Canada. Also we can expect a very different 'British Empire'.

I would agree, would this mean a more extensive Puritan Faith?

The rest of Europe will be reshaped too. Republicanism will become widespread much faster than OTL. Expect more executions. Also the colonies of each nation could easily end up changed. India could well end up being Dutch. Or Portuguese. Or divided amongst several powers like China. Australia will be an interesting one too.

Dutch or Portuguese India, well it will be interesting to see at least.
 
That is what I thought.

How did that TL work out?

You can read it here:

Rise of the Generals: A Lord Protector Timeline

I will be borrowing from the beginning but I have a number of significant changes that happened in this TL that won't happen here.

I would agree, would this mean a more extensive Puritan Faith?

Dutch or Portuguese India, well it will be interesting to see at least.

See, this is the thing. Cromwell, despite being a Puritan, was actually quite secular with regards to the state. He was angry when the Commonwealth Parliament ordered a man be dragged through the streets tied behind a horse for blasphemy. I doubt there will be quite as strong a religious element of state, particularly as this TL approaches the modern era. Also, with no Catholic King James we can potentially see a bit more sympathy for Catholicism in the country.

Yes, I haven't planned all the details yet particularly for India and the colonies. Whilst I have a base idea I want it to be mostly a naturally flowing.

Looking forward to seeing the transformation of Europe and the World, with respect to Otl.

Thank you. Yes, the relations between nations will very likely be turned on their heads. This was a time when Spain was declining in Europe and France was on the rise, however with a new neighbour France won't be able to cut the deals it tried to do with Charles II and James II.
 
Britain, Part 1 - The Fall of the King and the Rise of the Commonwealth​


King Charles was probably the unluckiest ruler in English history. Born to rule, he had 3 crowns to wear, and a head almost big enough to wear them all. He was raised to believe in the Divine Right of Kings, the idea that Kings were sent by God to rule the common man. Despite the English's history in curbing the power of their Kings, Charles still believed in Absolute Monarchy, and that ultimately all power was vested in him. This would be his downfall.

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King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland

During his reign King Charles held the crowns of England, Scotland and Ireland, and notably at this time the former lands of Wales and Cornwall were formally annexed into the Kingdom of England. He would be the last King of England, though not the last King of Scotland. That honour would belong to his son, Charles II of Scotland (though not England). The Irish crown was also a matter of contention for the Irish people and to this day few regard the English rulers of Ireland as truly 'Irish Kings'.

Charles' troubles began with the Bishops Wars. Whilst fairly minor to the English Civil Wars that followed, the Bishop Wars did set the stage for the King's clash with Parliament. In an attempt to bring his Kingdoms together, Charles' father James I of England and VI of Scotland had introduced Bishops to Scotland and a common book of prayer. Historically, Scotland's religious authority had rested in the hands of a council of elders, but James (and later Charles) attempted to bring uniformity to make Scotland more in line with the English Anglican system.

A majority of Scots rejected the King's meddling in their faith, and so in 1639 Charles had no choice but to end their rebellion by force. However, the King hit on a slight snag. He lacked the funds necessary to raise a proper army. By English law, the King could not simply 'take' the money he desired. Parliament needed to approve his finances. In the end, the King could only muster a poorly trained force of 20,000 Englishmen to fight the 12,000 Scottish rebels. In the end neither side had much of a stomach to fight, and casualties were minimal with the King backing down and agreeing to debate the issue.

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Riots against the Anglican Prayer Book in Scotland

Charles was a deceptive man however, and whilst the reprieve from fighting continued he summoned the English Parliament again, the so-called Short Parliament for its assembly for only 3 weeks in 1640. He tried to impress upon the English that Scotland was being drawn towards the enemy, France, and he needed more money to stop the issue spreading. None the less, Parliament refused to fund the King's Scottish wars, and so Charles disbanded Parliament again.

In a disastrous second campaign, Charles' army was driven from the field by the advancing Scots, with the Scottish forces occupying Northumberland and County Durham in England. This was a humiliation for the King, and with supplies and money running low he once again reassembled Parliament. This, the 8 year running Long Parliament continued to attack the King and his policies, refusing to submit to his demands, and in 1641 Charles finally gave in to Scottish demands and reversed his religious policies.

Further rebellions in Ireland only moved to highlight the King's inability to govern. The Catholic Irish found themselves being suppressed more and more by Protestant English who had begun to colonise Ulster and Munster. Irish landowners frequently found their lands seized by English Lords, only to receive the wrath of all England when they fought back. Their faith became a reason for mutual hatred, especially following English suspicion of Catholics following the failed assassination attempt in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605.

During the Bishops War, Charles negotiated for an Irish army to help put down the Scottish rebellion. The demands for this army was greater religious freedom for Irish Catholics and security for their lands. The army was formed slowly in 1641 but was disbanded when Charles finally entered into dialog with the Scots. To many the Kings eagerness to please the Irish suggested secret Catholic allegiances. With the King appearing weak, in 1642 the Irish began their rebellion to restore control of their lands in Ulster. The massacre that followed would only serve to cement the rabid racism that would echo for centuries to come. When the English Civil War broke out, Ireland had time to formulate the Irish Catholic Confederation, a new government to protect Irish Catholicism and rule. What appeared to be the birth of a new Irish state would be crushed in several years time when the Puritan wrath of Cromwell was brought down on people of Ireland.

Meanwhile in England, the Long Parliament was growing weary of the King's childish demands. So too was the King growing angry at the refusal to bow to his will. The King in a fit of rage, demanded that five members of Parliament suspected of colluding with the Scots during the Bishops War be given up for high treason. When Parliament refused, Charles attempted to arrest them by force. Fortunately news of the arrests reached Parliament first and the wanted men fled depriving the King of his prize. By taking soldiers into the House of Commons, the King had unwittingly declared war on Parliament, and within days the King had fled London, and the City was in the hands of the Parliamentarians.

From 1642 to 1646 the first of the bloody Civil Wars raged across England and Scotland. The Battle of Edgehill was supposed to be a decapitating blow and bring the war to a swift end, however the inconclusive nature of the battle left both armies exhausted, and it appeared inevitable that the war was to drag on for many years. There was even an attempt to reopen negotiations, but once again these came to nothing. It was at this time a certain Colonel Cromwell, a commander in the Parliamentarian Army, would come to make his mark.

In 1643, rumours of the King preparing to do a deal with the Irish rebels united almost every Protestant class against him. In truth he was likely trying to free up forces to fight in England, but when word reached England the King sought to deal with Ireland's upstarts, they expected an invading Irish force to follow. In fear, the English Parliament did a deal with the Scots, accepting Scottish assistance if an Irish army invaded, on the promise they accepted the Scottish Presbyterian religious system in England, instead of the traditional Anglican one. Even now, the echoes of the Bishops War could be felt. Many Anglicans, Independents and Puritans were angered by this, but with the King still at large they focused on the task in hand - ending the war.

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The Battle of Marston Moor

In 1644, the Scottish Covenanter forces took to the field in England. For the last time in a generation, Parliamentarian Englishman and Scot fought together under a united cause. Marston Moor saw the united Covenanter and Parliamentarian forces break much of the Royalist will. With 4,000 dead and 1,500 captured to a mere 300 lost on the Parliamentarian side, the balance of power shifted in Parliament's favour. Cromwell proved his abilities as a cavalry commander on the field, crushing the enemy flank beneath his heavy horse, the infamous Ironsides. His eldest son, Oliver (Junior), was also a Captain in the battle along with Cromwell's nephew, Valentine Walton, who was fatally wounded from Royalist cannon fire.

Typhoid fever was running through both armies at this time, claiming the lives of many. Even Cromwell's Ironsides took loses from the disease. Fortunately, Cromwell and his son were spared from the plague, and between them would reshape British history for decades to come [1].

With the Royalists taking loses across the country, the final blow came in 1645, when the Parliamentarians unleashed their secret weapon - the New Model Army. The cost of running an army was wearing both sides down, and treachery from lenient Parliamentarian commanders caused a major restructuring of the Parliamentarian forces. Lords and MPs were banned from holding positions in the army, to avoid 'old chums' doing their Royalist friends favours at the expense of the war effort. However, the most important part of the restructuring came in the concept of a single, dedicated fighting force. This New Model Army, would be the first 'Standing Army' seen in the country for centuries.

Whilst the Royalist army consisted of conscripts, common men brought together to fight for their King with little prior training, the New Model Army introduced codes of battle, regimented drills, and a standard daily pay. Whilst armies had previously been formed and disbanded on at a need, this new force would fight countless battles, moving up and down the country, gaining vital battle experience that the shambolic Royalist forces could never hope to match. That, and the experience their commanders like Cromwell gained, knowing their men and their abilities made battlefield tactics much easier to plan and execute.

In 1646, the last Royalist stronghold fell. At long last the King was captured by the Scots, handed to the English Parliament and imprisoned. But whilst Parliament and the New Model Army argued about the new power it wielded, the King began secret negotiations with the Scots, promising to officially establish the Scottish Presbyterian system across the Kingdoms for 3 years. Whilst the Scots had originally agreed with Parliament over England's conversion, the rise of the New Model Army made them worried about Parliament's ability to keep that promise.

Whilst many in Parliament (MPs and Lords) were Presbyterians, the New Model Army was now in the hands of the Independents, thanks to the removal of MPs and Lords as military commanders. The Independents, such as Cromwell, believed that there should be no official 'State' religion. Drawn from many different minor Protestant sects, the Independents generally agreed that so long as a priest was a good Christian Protestant, it was up to each man's conscience and beliefs to preach as he saw fit (provided he was not Catholic, of course). This ultimately did away with the rigid structure of the Anglican and Presbyterian systems. With the victors of the civil war divided, Charles used this to his advantage and in 1648 the Royalist uprisings began again and the Second Civil War broke out.

The war lasted less than a year. Even with defections from unpaid Parliamentarian troops, the Royalists were still hopelessly outmatched. Even with the Scottish forces invading from the North, the forces of Parliament prevailed. Preston was the last great battle of the war, with the Royalist and Scottish forces soundly beaten. The King, imprisoned on the Isle of Wight, expecting a return to negotiations, refusing to budge from his belief of Divine Right. However after the Second Civil War, the Independents had gained even more power in the military.

When Parliament voted to continue negotiations, Cromwell took matters into his own hands, tired of merely delaying for another war. He removed MPs sympathetic to the King in the Pride's Purge. Colonel Thomas Pride and his forces barred the 'wrong kind' of politicians entering the House of Commons, arresting them or simply telling them to stay away. The remaining members would form the Rump Parliament, who would judge the King on the charge of Treason.

For days, the King refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of the trial, repeating that what was happening could not be justified as God's law, as he was the embodiment of God's will on Earth. After 3 days the King was removed and 30 witnesses heard from. In the end, the commission overseeing the trial called the King before them and sentenced him to death. Fifty-nine of the commissioners signed the King's death warrant, and on the 30th January 1649 the King was put to death. The executioner was disguised to prevent retaliatory attacks for the act, and at 2:00 pm that day, the King was beheaded with a single clean stroke.

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The Execution of King Charles I

Despite the wars Charles had started and horror his reign had brought to the Kingdoms, his head was reattached and his body embalmed and laid to rest in St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. After all, he was a King, even if he was a traitor.

With the King dead, Parliament was now in control of the Kingdoms, and the man who controlled Parliament was Oliver Cromwell Senior. With no King, England was declared a Republic, the Commonwealth of England. In time Scotland and Ireland would be brought, or rather dragged, into a Union with their larger, Republican sibling.

Only 3 people stood in the way of the Commonwealth's rise. Their names were Charles, James and Henry. The 3 sons of King Charles still lived. Charles and James were in France, where they had fled by the King's command. Henry and his sister Elizabeth had been captured by Parliament, but after the death of Elizabeth in 1650 from pneumonia, Henry was released and likewise travelled to Paris to meet his brother and mother. One of these men was doomed to die. One of these men was destined to disappear into insignificance. And one of these men would prove to be the biggest threat the Commonwealth had ever faced.

Join us next time as we explore the birth of the Commonwealth, the rise of Oliver Cromwell Senior, and Third English Civil War.


[1] The first divergence from OTL history. The POD, Cromwell's son Oliver does not die of Typhoid Fever in 1644.
 
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Author's Note

Just a quick note, this piece is written from the point of view of a modern day 'Commonwealth', thus any anti-monarchy rhetoric and character assassination is as a result of over 300 years of British Republicanism. There is inevitably going to be a little bias in the work, even from the politically neutral 'Commonwealth Broadcasting Corporation'.
 
See, this is the thing. Cromwell, despite being a Puritan, was actually quite secular with regards to the state. He was angry when the Commonwealth Parliament ordered a man be dragged through the streets tied behind a horse for blasphemy. I doubt there will be quite as strong a religious element of state, particularly as this TL approaches the modern era. Also, with no Catholic King James we can potentially see a bit more sympathy for Catholicism in the country.

Oh I see, well it will be interesting to see how the question of faith plays out in Britain considering its importance to its history.

Yes, I haven't planned all the details yet particularly for India and the colonies. Whilst I have a base idea I want it to be mostly a naturally flowing.

Well Britain is certainly going to be playing a part of that process.
 
Regarding the...

Regarding the viewpoint of the emission ... Would be expected since it's a state broadcaster that is broadcasting the 'general public'.

Regarding the update a few things...

Apparently unlike Otl, the new regime survives its founder and the Restoration it's in Scotland and not in England.

..The persistence of the Royal threat by a 'foreign' King definitely will cement the new regime, seen as the defender of England against foreign aggression.

Finally, and related to the previous, which will have more consequences:
the freedom to practice and to preach their faith for the different non-Anglicans and Protestants hetereogeneous groups, with immediate effect on the colonization of the future, in Otl, United States;in addition to make the England from that era, with greater religious diversity and in the own culture, than in Otl.
 
Oh I see, well it will be interesting to see how the question of faith plays out in Britain considering its importance to its history.

Well Britain is certainly going to be playing a part of that process.

Indeed. I also have an idea about a Royalist Rebellion in the colonies... A 'King' will be going to America...

Regarding the viewpoint of the emission ... Would be expected since it's a state broadcaster that is broadcasting the 'general public'.

Regarding the update a few things...

Apparently unlike Otl, the new regime survives its founder and the Restoration it's in Scotland and not in England.

..The persistence of the Royal threat by a 'foreign' King definitely will cement the new regime, seen as the defender of England against foreign aggression.

Finally, and related to the previous, which will have more consequences:
the freedom to practice and to preach their faith for the different non-Anglicans and Protestants hetereogeneous groups, with immediate effect on the colonization of the future, in Otl, United States;in addition to make the England from that era, with greater religious diversity and in the own culture, than in Otl.

Indeed. Though when I said Charles II is the last King of Scotland that doesn't imply a Restoration ;) Nor did I say Charles II will be the last Stuart to call himself a King...

The idea of a Catholic King though is, obviously for the time, absurd. Even the Royalists would rather have a Republic than a CATHOLIC Monarch.

And yes, the Commonwealth will (over time) become a very multicultural nation (or collection of nations) but whilst clinging strongly to traditional values.
 
Britain, Part 2 - The Last King of Scotland and Lord Protector

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Oliver Cromwell. Born April 25th 1599 in Huntingdon. In any other time he merely would have been another middle class gentleman within the house of commons. His life before the English Civil War was rather unremarkable. He would have nine children with his wife Elizabeth Bourchier, seven of which would survive into adulthood. Two of his sons died during childhood, including his eldest son Robert. Of those that survived, his daughters would go on to cement him valuable friendships amongst his fellow Puritans, and his sons Oliver, Richard and Henry would be the Triumvirate that would reshape the 3 Kingdoms.

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Lord Protector Olive Cromwell I, Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland

In 1649 Cromwell found himself at the height of his latest victory. The Royalists had been soundly beaten. The King's refusal to cooperate had forced Cromwell's hand and England had seen its last crowned King. The new Commonwealth of England had arisen from the death of the old ways. The question now was how to proceed.

Despite what propaganda his enemies put forward, Cromwell never desired power. With the Commonwealth in the hands of the Rump Parliament, a 'Parliament Lite' which removed all those nasty monarchy sympathisers that had resisted the King's execution, Cromwell turned his attention to the last of the Royalists and the rebellion in Ireland.

Unfortunately for Cromwell, the removal of the King had given many men ideas above their station. When people think of a People's Rebellion, they think in terms of the European Anarchist uprisings or the Indian Revolt. However centuries before some of these events, England almost suffered its own People's Rebellion.

In the Putney Debates of 1647, a radical group of the army known as the Agitators called for Universal Suffrage. This was the idea that every man be given an equal vote in any future Parliament. Opposed to this idea was Cromwell, and a group known as the Grandees. Their argument was that only land owners, and therefore those with an investment in the land, should be able to vote since Universal Suffrage would cause anarchy.

Many have criticised Cromwell for suppressing the right to vote and delaying voting equality for decades, however few take into account the age of the time. The idea of Republicanism was still very new, and only decades earlier would have been quickly decried as Treason universally. The fact that Parliament had gone to war against its own King was a major step. Anarchy could well have been the case if change had been introduced too quickly, as we have seen in our own time.

For better or for worse, the debate was ended swiftly when the King escaped and sparked the Second Civil War. All soldiers were required to swear an oath of loyalty with dissenters facing charges of mutiny. Despite this, in 1649 after the King was beheaded, the Agitators or 'Levellers' rebelled.

The rebellions of Bishopsgate and Banbury were quickly quelled. The leaders were all swiftly arrested, or shot. Whilst many of those imprisoned would be released or acquitted, the rapid response to the rebellion would crush the Leveller ideology for several generations. For the time being, Cromwell would get his way and the vote would remain restricted.

With the issues at home dealt with, Cromwell could turn his attention to Ireland. Whilst he would lead the initial charge in 1649, the campaign would last 3 years whilst Cromwell had other matters to attend to. Upon his departure the campaign would be prosecuted by his son-in-law Henry Ireton, Edward Ludlow his second in command, and Cromwell's own son Oliver. Ireland would never be the same. Whilst records of the time are vague some historians would later conclude that what happened during the campaign amounted to genocide and deliberate extermination, and in later years the Act of Settlement would see a great deal of lands and properties seized.

Catholicism would be outlawed for centuries. Irish land would be seized from Catholic land owners and sold to pay the Commonwealth's debts. Catholic land ownership would drop from 60% to less than 8% after the invasion. This was one of the greatest crimes of the Commonwealth and would sadly set the trend for the Commonwealth's exploration and conquest of the Americas. Whilst there have been calls from the Irish native community for the government to do more to compensate their minority for the horrors committed during the invasion, there is little beyond the Catholic Irish Autonomous Region that can be done. Over 60% of Ireland's population registers itself as British and non Catholic after centuries of migration. Whilst the 1905 Anglo-Irish agreement brought an end to years of terrorism and the establishment of the self governing Autonomous Region, some of the people of Southern Ireland still believe that someday the rest will be reclaimed. [1]

Whilst much of the troubles in Ireland were caused by Cromwell's command, Cromwell himself would be away during the majority of the campaign. In 1650, the Third Civil War would begin, as the Scots crowned Charles II as King of Scotland. Rallying Royalists to his banner, the son of the beheaded Charles I would once again bring Parliamentarian against Royalist. And, once again, the issue at stack was Presbyterian conversion of England.

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King Charles II of Scotland

Cromwell had no issue with the Scots. Unlike Irish despite being Presbyterian they were Protestant and thus worth acknowledging. Despite trying to persuade the Scottish to reject Charles II once again the King promised an English conversion to Presbyterianism and the Scots crowned their new Lord. In response, Cromwell summoned his forces to invade Scotland in an attempt to bring a swift end to the conflict. Once again, the New Model would prove its worth against traditional army organisation.

In September 1650 a surprise victory at Dunbar resulted in Cromwell capturing the Scottish capital of Edinburgh. However the failure to capture the King would result in the Scottish invasion of England a year later in 1651. Cromwell was determined to finally end this war, and once and for all end the line of corrupt and vile Stuart Kings. The battle of Worcester would be the last Royalist battle on British soil and would end the Royalist threat for over a decade.

After the Parliamentarians were victorious Charles II would flee the battlefield and hide at Boscobel House, hoping to escape to France or the Netherlands. Unfortunately, things would not go as planned for Charles. Whilst resting at the House to continue his journey, Colonel William Carlis, a Royalist who had fought at Worcester arrived at Boscobel House warning that Parliamentarians were on their way. At his suggestion, the King and Carlis hid up a nearby Oak Tree whilst the forces of Parliament searched the woodlands nearby. Unfortunately, the exhaustion of fleeing got the better of Charles II, and he fell into a deep sleep. Despite Carlis' presence, during his slumber the King fell from the tree, alerting the nearby Parliamentarians to his presence.

The King was quite badly wounded from the high fall, with x-rays of his body showing he had suffered several broken ribs and would have been heavily bruised. However since Carlis hid the fact that this was King Charles from the Parliamentarians in an attempt to prolong his life, they were treated as Royalist soldiers and dragged away unceremoniously. Charles would likely have been agony up until the moment he died. They were locked up in nearby cells where the King's condition began to deteriorate. It was likely the fall and breakages had cause serious internal haemorrhaging and by the time Carlis revealed the King's identity and medical aid was summoned it was too late. King Charles II of Scotland would pass away on 7th September 1651. He would be buried, like his father, in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle without significant ceremony. [2]

Cromwell is reported to have been rather saddened by the King's passing. It had been an ignoble end for a monarch and even Charles I had had a chance to die with dignity. An anonymous death in a cold damp cell wasn't befitting of any man, especially one of noble birth. Some sources suggested Cromwell had been hoping to capture Charles alive, and potentially have come to some agreement regarding the future of England. However, his death would inspire a new saying in Worcester and later throughout the whole of north England - 'falling from the King's Oak', which means to do something stupid or lazy that results in death. Tales of Charles II's laziness and slothfulness would spark popular imagination for centuries and even with the last few decades our own Visioscope [3] dramas portray the King as being overweight and lethargic ruler.

However with the death of Charles, one major obstacle to the Commonwealth had been removed. Only two heirs to King Charles I remained. Of those James was in Paris, France with his mother awaiting news of his brother's Scottish uprising. The other Henry was still in Parliamentarian custody, still mourning the death of his sister Elizabeth a year earlier of pneumonia. Some thought had been given to putting the young Henry on the throne, with a child monarch being easier to control. However, Henry had pledged to his father not to allow Parliament to crown him King before Charles or James, and despite Charles' death the young boy held to his pledge. The Rump Parliament had also been functioning under its own steam for several years and no longer saw a need to have a monarchy at all. And so upon his return to London Oliver Cromwell permitted the release of Henry, sending him to his mother and brother in France with a message to stay out of the Commonwealth and to not ferment rebellion against the Commonwealth, lest the fate of his father and brother be theirs too. Henry would take the lessons of the Commonwealth with him through his travels in France and later the Spanish Netherlands. The decision to release him would be one Cromwell's son would later come to regret.

However for many years, the Royalists would be nothing but a pest on the periphery. James had little interest in pursuing the crown of the Stuarts, especially following his conversion to Catholicism. He would live in France for several years with his mother and Henry until 1657, when the Anglo-French alliance against Spain would see them rudely evicted to the Spanish Netherlands. There James, Henry, and those Royalists still fighting took up arms alongside the Spanish fighting against the French-Commonwealth alliance. Proving himself in battle, and with no longer any interest in Kingship, when the Franco-Spanish war came to an end in 1659 James would accept a position in the Spanish Navy as an Admiral. He would serve for 9 years as an Admiral until May 1668 when his life would be cut short during an inspection aboard a Spanish Warship. Part of the mainsail was incorrectly secured and collapsed during James' visit, striking him on the back of the head and killing him. The 35 year old James's apathy for 17 years would greatly weaken the Royalist cause. In those 17 years the Commonwealth would go from strength to strength, with the line of Cromwell building its legacy that remains to this day. [4]

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James Stuart, son of Charles I, brother of Charles II

For 2 years following the victory in 1651 things appeared to be settling down in the Commonwealth. The Tender of Union brought Scotland into the Commonwealth with England, with Scotland receiving 30 seats in the new Parliament in Westminster, though with a military governor remaining to ensure the Scottish did not rebel again. General Monck, a Royalist but long standing ally of Cromwell would be placed in charge of the position. He would conduct many purges to crush insurrection before it coalesced and would be a long standing ally of the Cromwell line. Unlike with Ireland, Scotland would remain relatively free under the earlier Commonwealth, with Scots retaining high justice positions and receiving a greater degree of respect from their fellows in the Commonwealth. Many Scots would even be awarded lands in Ireland helping to fuel the migration boom that would shrink the native Irish population.

Whilst the term 'Briton' and 'British' would not appear in legal documents for many years, the idea of the Commonwealth as being a 'British' rather than an 'English' entity would definitely begin here. Scotland would remain under military supervision for several years, however in 1664, 10 years after the official approval of the 'Ordinance for uniting Scotland into one Commonwealth with England' the majority of military forces would either be scaled down or removed completely, with the position of Military Governor in Scotland replaced with the less offensive 'General of the Scottish Regiments' held by Richard Cromwell for many years. However, for the better part of 40 years, troops would remain in Scotland under some enforcement capacity, when the army lost significant influence over Parliament.

It was at this time that Cromwell would learn the folly of trusting politicians to 'do the right thing'. The Rump Parliament continued to rule the Commonwealth in their own interest, refusing to address the issues that Cromwell considered important. Religious tolerance, a policy for officially unity the 3 Kingdoms and the setting of election dates all fell by the wayside under the Rump. Finally, when the Rump ignored Cromwell's demands to abdicate in favour of a caretaker government pending new elections, the single most powerful military commander in the country decided to take matters into his own hands. He called for around forty soldiers to enter the House of Commons and dismissed the Rump Parliament by force, declaring famously, "You are no Parliament, I say you are no Parliament; I will put an end to your sitting!"

The irony that Cromwell had just committed the same act that had started the English Civil Wars become something carefully ignored by Parliamentarian historians for many years, painting this action a noble man removing a corrupt and tyrannical elitist boy's club. Pro-Royalist commentators would accuse Cromwell as being nothing more than Puritan Dictator bent on becoming a new King in all but name. The truth, as always, is more grey. If Cromwell had wanted the crown, he was given plenty of opportunities to take it, and if he had truly wanted to push his puritan regime on the Commonwealth there was little that could have been done to stop him. However the fact is despite the irony of his actions Cromwell did truly believe in a fair and just Parliament run by the people (or rather the landowners) for the good of all men. He also truly believed in religious tolerance, and although Catholic persecution was common at the time, his beliefs would pave the way for a more tolerant society that would arise from the Commonwealth in time.

The Barebones Parliament, named after one of the leading members 'Praise-God Barebones', was a Parliament primarily assembled of men with religious credentials to formulate a new Constitution for the Commonwealth. Infighting would quickly bring this idea to an end, with a large section of the Parliament consisting of the Puritan Radicals known as the Fifth Monarchists. They believed that the year of 1666 would herald the coming of the book of Revelation's predictions and that a new tyrant would come to rule the world before the Second Coming. Whilst formerly strong allies of Cromwell, later they would become enemies and even plot his overthrown in 1659 and 1659. Fortunately, though they held a large number in the Barebones Parliament, the conservative faction under John Lambert (a former Parliamentarian General) held a larger sway and Cromwell managed to bring it to an end without further conflict.

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John Lambert, Major-General and Parliamentarian

A new Constitution known as the Instruments of Government would be brought forward by John Lambert creating the new position of Lord Protector as the Head of State for life, and on the 16th December 1653 Cromwell was sworn in as Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell I of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland. Unfortunately for Cromwell, his troubles didn't end with his ascension.

The first Commonwealth Parliament was dominated almost entirely by Radical Republicans. Lord Protector Cromwell found it impossible to get his vision past the Parliament, and the Parliament itself kept pushing forward motions of radical reform for the Constitution. Having seen the effect of an out-of-control Parliament under the Rump, Cromwell exercised his powers as Lord Protector and ended the Parliament after 2 years in January 1655. In those 2 years, nothing had been achieved. Cromwell was even more frustrated in March that year when a small Royalist uprising raised its head in Salisbury. A desperate attempt by Royalists to convince the uninterested James Stuart that a Restoration was still possible, with small bands of Royalists cropping up across the country. However with insufficient support most of these uprisings simply faded away with only 300 men in Salisbury providing an actual fight despite being quickly dispatched after a 3 hour street fight through South Molton in Devon.

Influenced by John Lambert and other military commanders, the Lord Protector Oliver I instituted a temporary new system which divided the nation into 10 English Regions and 1 Irish Region (with Scotland already under military supervision), which were governed by a section of Major-Generals appointed by Cromwell himself. This Rule of the Major-Generals was designed to enforce tax collection, the law and instil support for the new Commonwealth regime. After its law of popular support due to the fear of installing a permenant military dictatorship, the Lord Protector was forced to recall Parliament in the hopes that if the Rule of Major-Generals was backed by the House of Commons it would gain greater acceptance. This hope was sadly misplaced.

To make matters worse, the Commonwealth was now starting to get entangled with a series of wars that was costing considerable money and manpower in Europe. The first of these was the First Anglo-Dutch war. Both England and the United Provinces (also known as the Dutch Republic) were primarily sea based trade nations with powerful navies. Due to their Republicanism and Protestantism many on both sides believed they should be natural allies, however over time the competition over trade brought them quite frequently into conflict. The English merchant fleet was smaller than the Dutch, and the Dutch encouraged free trade without taxes or tariffs making their goods cheaper. It didn't help that many in the United Provinces had lent money to Charles I during the English Civil War, and the House of Orange (one of the most powerful families in the United Provinces) had ties to the Stuart Royal House. The current heir to the House of Orange, the young William III, was the grandson of King Charles I and nephew of Charles II by way of Charles I daughter, Mary Henrietta Stuart. However, the House of Orange fell into decline after the death of William's father, William II of Orange, also following his attempts to turn the House of Orange into a Dutch Royalty.

What really sparked the war was the Acts of Navigation. This decreed only English ships could carry English goods, removing all Dutch merchants from taking English cargo. As the English and Dutch traders begin a small shooting war, the Dutch began shifting their military policy from having a strong army, to a stronger navy with the addition of 150 merchant ships equipped to act as warships against English aggression. Whilst both nations prepared for war an unfortunate encounter in May 1652 sparked the conflict early. When a Dutch fleet failed to drop their flags in salute whilst passing through the English Channel, the passing English ships opened fire at the insult sinking 2 ships.

Despite Dutch attempts at diplomacy, the Commonwealth declared war on 10th July 1652. The war was costly for both sides, in both warships and merchant cargo vessels. The United Provinces had laws preventing the effective conscription of sailors and as such they lacked the funds necessary to sustained a prolonged war, something the Commonwealth had no issue with. As other powers began nibbling at the Dutch colonies, including the loss of Dutch Brazil to Portugal, the United Provinces searched for a way to bring the war to a swift conclusion to restore order. When the English navy managed to blockade the Dutch coast, starvation began to set in and both sides sought for a settlement. Cromwell was eager to end a fruitless war against a fellow Protestant nation.

At various stages of negotiation Cromwell had proposed a Union with the United Provinces, similar to that with Scotland. It was repeatedly rejected. He also proposed an alliance to divide Spain's Empire between the 2 nations. This was also rejected. In the end, what amounted from the war was essentially a white peace with no gains by the Commonwealth at all. The only significant element of the peace treaty was the demand that the grandson of Charles I, the young William III of Orange, should never hold a position of power in the United Provinces. This clause would be the spark of the Dutch Civil War several years later that would begin the shift of power between the United Provinces and the Commonwealth. However in the short term, the Dutch would begin rebuilding their fleet for round two, the Second Anglo-Dutch war that would ignite around a decade later.

With the Dutch at peace, the Lord Protector turned his attention to the rest of the continent. Although many of his close allies favoured a relationship with Spain against France, Cromwell had his eyes set on the valuable Spanish colonies in the Americas. The Lord Protector concluded an alliance with France, currently under the regency of Anne of Austria with the assistance of Cardinal Mazarin, and sent forces both to mainland Europe and the Spanish colonies in hope of seizing profitable territories. In 1654, the Anglo-Spanish War began. The battles in the Americas were, on the whole, a failure and the commanders William Penn and Robert Venables were imprisoned upon their return. However, the force did managed to invade and fortify a base on the Colony of Santiago, later known as Jamaica.

In Europe, the most achieved before 1656 was the interception of a Spanish Treasure Fleet, a move that would cost the Spanish finances dearly and contribute to the end of the ongoing Franco-Spanish War. In late 1657 a combined Anglo-French force would march into the Spanish Netherlands, a stretch of Spanish controlled land that existed between the Dutch United Provinces and France, an area that had been hotly contested by Spain, France and the Dutch for many years. Whilst complete conquest would not be achieved in the campaign, with most of the Spanish Netherlands remaining in Spanish hands, the successful Battle of Dunes would see the Commonwealth awarded the port of Dunkirk in the Spanish Netherlands. This port was of great strategic importance, as being of the largest ports in the region it also deprived anyone a base to raid English trade vessels. However, part of the agreement required the Commonwealth to respect the Catholic faith of many of Dunkirk's inhabitants. This agreement would be one of the small steps on the path to free practice for Catholics in the Commonwealth. The Peace of the Pyrenees was signed between France and Spain in 1659 bringing an end to hostilities between the 2 nations. The Commonwealth however, would not sign a peace treaty for many years later, a fact that would prove to be a key tool for Cromwell's successor.

During the Battle of the Dunes the Royalists took up arms alongside the Spanish, with James and Henry fighting alongside the renegade French commander Louis de Bourbon, Prince of Conde. While James would later move to mainland Spain and become an Admiral, when the Peace of the Pyrenees was signed Henry would stay with Louis de Bourbon and later marry his niece, Charlotte Louise, Mademoiselle de Dunois. Louis was an agnostic, and his beliefs resonated with the Protestant Henry who refused to accept his brother's and mother's Catholicism. The 2 would be good friends, and this friendship and the position close to the new King of France would prove to be very valuable to Henry in years to come. [5]

Meanwhile, back in the Commonwealth, the wars and infighting within the Commonwealth's own structure was taking its toll on the Lord Protector. The Rule of the Major-Generals was brought to an end after the Second Commonwealth Parliament in 1656 refused to maintain the funds required to keep the operation going. Once again, the Parliament made greater moves towards true Republicanism and religious intolerance denying the army and Cromwell any further power. The Naylor case would highlight the intolerance of the new Parliament. On Palm Sunday in 1656, James Naylor was accused of blasphemy after re-enacting the arrival of Christ into Jerusalem. The House of Commons determined since there was no longer a House of Lords that would have dealt with this historically, now they, the House of Commons, now had a right to pass judgement. The punishment, while not fatal, was humiliating and cruel involving whippings, branding, and parading him through the streets followed by hard labour.

It was actions like this that made Cromwell consider accepting the crown, an offer made to him by others in the Second Commonwealth Parliament. Many Royalists had accepted that a Stuart Restoration was now unlikely to be on the cards, and thus a new Cromwellian dynasty was better than a Republic. None the less, many in the army took a dim view of the idea of 'King Cromwell' and Cromwell himself abhorred the idea of becoming the very thing he had overthrown. However, he accepted the establishment of a replacement to the House of Lords, called simply, the 'Other House'. He also allowed the MPs who had been excluded during the earlier purges to take their seats and remove many of the changes to the House of Commons brought in under the new Constitution. This caused outrage amongst the hardliner Republicans and fears of new Leveller and Royalist plots forced Cromwell to dissolve the Second Parliament on 4th February 1658. It would be the Lord Protector's last Parliament.

Despite much of what happened during the reign of Lord Protector Cromwell I, few can deny his religious tolerance was key in shaping the Commonwealth. As well as tolerance for all sects of Protestantism, he also actively encouraged Jews to settle back in England. Whilst his motives were far from charitable, in that the Jews brought with them a great deal of money that could boost the Commonwealth's economy and he sought to quietly convert as many Jews as possible, his tolerance of Jews and Jewish practice would see great influx of Jews back to England after many years of being excluded. Despite the protests of many merchants and extremist religious groups, freedom of faith would slowly be enshrined as a core aspect of the Commonwealth.

Unfortunately the Lord Protector would never live to see his true vision of a free and fair Commonwealth come to life. In late 1658 Cromwell suffered a severe and sudden bout of malarial fever, coupled with a kidney infection. It has been suggested that his physicians may have mismanaged the treatment, leading to a rapid decline. The death of his daughter Elizabeth may well have affected his ability to recover, or perhaps the knowledge that his son was ready to take the mantle of Lord Protector allowed Cromwell to slip away in peace. Regardless on 3rd September 1658, the first Lord Protector, Oliver Cromwell I passed away in his bed on the anniversary of his great victory at Worcester against Charles II, last King of Scotland. He was buried with an elaborate funeral at Westminster Abbey, and even to this day many people visit his final resting place.

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Statue of Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell I outside Westminster in London

With his death, many now looked to who would lead the Commonwealth into its new era. Whilst the position was not heriditary, Cromwell opted to nominate his son, Oliver, as his successor. He was a good choice, having sat in the Second Protectorate Parliament as an MP, fought in the First and Second Civil Wars, been instrumental in the Invasion of Ireland and held a significant post in the Rule of the Major-Generals. Few doubted Oliver would succeed his father. Whilst rumours of a Cromwellian dynasty began to be whispered amongst Republican circles, the Third Commonwealth Parliament voted to acknowledge Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell II as the new Head of State, with a far smaller margin of votes than was respectable. Having spent most of his adult life at war, Oliver II would be a far different ruler than his father. He held his father's beliefs and views as sacrosanct, but he tacked far closer to the military than many would have liked. Under Oliver Cromwell II, the power of the military would rise in exchange for stability and continuation of Oliver I's grand scheme. Oliver II is often referred to as the Bloody King Cromwell for his over use of power and dependence on the military. However, without his hardliner attitude, the Commonwealth could easily have slipped back into Monarchy, or even an anarchy of infighting between Parliament's factions, the various Generals, and the Religious sects all trying to gain control.

Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell I brought the Commonwealth into being. Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell II would bring stability at the end of a sword. Join us next time as we take a look at the state of Europe at this time, starting with the Kingdom of France, and the ambitious Louis XIV.


[1] My apologies to an Irish readers. If the Commonwealth had been allowed to continue I am certain that the Irish would suppressed even further than OTL. The Autonomous Irish Catholic Region is this timeline's attempt to bring peace to Ireland. With a far larger 'British' population a full on Independent Irish Republic doesn't have the manpower to fully separate. Without the industry and commerce to become a power in its own right, 'Southern Ireland' remains part of the Commonwealth, out of necessity rather than choice.

[2] Ripples from the POD, Charles II is caught and dies. I was planning for him to be executed but 'Falling from the King's Oak' seemed to fit better.

[3] Visioscope = This world's version of Television. Also known as VS for short.

[4] James was offered a post in the Spanish Navy OTL but declined when Charles was restored. He never seemed particularly anxious to be King so he accepts the post. His death is boring but possible, plus without I doubt Henry would ever have actively done anything.

[5] In OTL Henry would die of the plague in 1660 upon returning to England. Here since he doesn't return there is the possibility of him becoming something. With James out of the way, guess who becomes the new Stuart heir...
 
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Excuse my reminding you that a more aggressive reconquest of Ireland will take up a lot more goods and material; and won't be finished quickly, either.

Sorry to nitpick over a fine update. The Stuarts are looking more interesting here than they do OTL.

Looking forward to more.
 
Excuse my reminding you that a more aggressive reconquest of Ireland will take up a lot more goods and material; and won't be finished quickly, either.

Sorry to nitpick over a fine update. The Stuarts are looking more interesting here than they do OTL.

Looking forward to more.

Actually this is what happened OTL. Ireland remained under military control for many years, but what I stated wasn't changed from our time. A strong offensive coupled with a famine crippled Ireland and ultimately brought it back under the control of the Commonwealth.

The only changes I made so far are the survival of Cromwell's son Oliver, the deaths of Charles II & James and renaming the TV the Visioscope.

The point of these first few posts is to set the state of the world as it was in 1660, with a few minor ripple alterations from the survival of Cromwell's son.
 
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