2E The English Revolution, 1625–1660 – The disintegration of the Political Nation, 1646–1649 (A-level only) — AQA A-Level History
Test yourself on 2E The English Revolution, 1625–1660 – The disintegration of the Political Nation, 1646–1649 (A-level only) with AQA A-Level practice questions.
7 days Premium · Then free forever · No card, no charge
2E The English Revolution, 1625–1660 – The disintegration of the Political Nation, 1646–1649 (A-level only) explained
Between 1646 and 1649, the breakdown of traditional authority fuelled intense political and religious radicalism.
Read the full explanation
The New Model Army became highly politicised, driven by arrears of pay and religious zeal, culminating in the Putney Debates where soldiers demanded a voice in the settlement. John Lilburne and the Levellers championed popular sovereignty, wider male suffrage, and religious tolerance, drafting the 'Agreement of the People'. Simultaneously, extreme religious sects emerged. The Fifth Monarchists anticipated the imminent return of Christ and advocated a theocracy, while the Ranters rejected orthodox morality, believing that those predestined for salvation could not sin. Other populist groups, such as the Diggers, pushed for agrarian communism, reflecting the era's profound ideological ferment.
Political and religious divisions: the attitude and actions of Charles I; divisions within the opposition to the King; the failure of attempts to reach a political settlement
The period 1646–1649 was defined by deep political and religious divisions that thwarted a stable peace. Charles I’s uncompromising attitude and duplicitous actions, notably his refusal to accept defeat and his secret Engagement with the Scots in 1647, deliberately exploited these fractures. The opposition to the King was severely divided: Parliament was split between Presbyterians seeking a negotiated settlement and Independents demanding religious liberty, while the increasingly radicalised New Model Army distrusted both. Consequently, various attempts to reach a political settlement, such as the Newcastle Propositions and the Heads of the Proposals, ultimately failed. Charles’s intransigence and the fragmented opposition made a negotiated constitutional monarchy impossible, leading to the Second Civil War.
The Second Civil War and the reasons for its outcome
The Second Civil War erupted in 1648 following Charles I's Engagement with the Scots, sparking a series of uncoordinated Royalist uprisings across England and Wales, alongside a Scottish invasion. The New Model Army, led by Fairfax and Cromwell, decisively crushed these rebellions. The outcome was determined by several factors: the Royalist forces lacked central coordination and mutual support, whereas the New Model Army possessed superior discipline, veteran experience, and unified command. Cromwell's rapid march to intercept the Scottish army at the Battle of Preston (August 1648) exemplifies this military superiority. Furthermore, Parliament retained control of the navy and key strategic resources, ensuring the Royalists could not sustain a prolonged campaign, ultimately sealing Charles I's fate.
The problem of Charles I: divisions within the army and Parliament; the trial and execution of the King
Following the Second Civil War, Charles I presented an intractable problem: he refused to compromise, believing in his divine right, while his opponents remained deeply divided. Parliament, dominated by Presbyterians, sought a negotiated settlement through the Treaty of Newport. Conversely, the radicalised New Model Army, influenced by Leveller ideas and viewing Charles as a 'man of blood', demanded justice. This division culminated in Pride's Purge (December 1648), where the army forcibly removed moderate MPs, creating the Rump Parliament. This purged body established a High Court of Justice to try the King for treason. Charles refused to recognise the court's legitimacy, leading to his conviction and unprecedented public execution on 30 January 1649, fundamentally fracturing the Political Nation.
Your focus
- Identify the key ideological differences between the Levellers, Fifth Monarchists, and Ranters.
- Explain the causes and consequences of the New Model Army's politicisation between 1646 and 1649.
- Analyse the impact of populist groups on the failure to reach a stable political settlement.
Show all 12 objectives
- Evaluate the role of Charles I's actions and attitudes in preventing a post-war settlement.
- Differentiate between the political and religious goals of the Presbyterians, Independents, and the Army.
- Analyse the reasons for the failure of the Newcastle Propositions and the Heads of the Proposals.
- Describe the sequence of events that triggered the Second Civil War, including the Engagement with the Scots.
- Analyse the reasons for the New Model Army's victory, comparing their strengths with Royalist weaknesses.
- Evaluate the impact of the Battle of Preston on the overall outcome of the conflict.
- Explain why Charles I's actions and beliefs made a negotiated settlement impossible after 1648.
- Contrast the differing objectives of the Presbyterian Parliament and the New Model Army regarding the King's fate.
- Describe the events of Pride's Purge and evaluate its role in facilitating the trial and execution of Charles I.
2E The English Revolution, 1625–1660 – The disintegration of the Political Nation, 1646–1649 (A-level only) exam tips
Marking Points
- Explain the factors driving the politicisation of the New Model Army, including material grievances such as pay arrears and ideological radicalism.
- Assess the influence of John Lilburne and the Levellers in promoting democratic ideas, specifically through the 'Agreement of the People'.
- Analyse the theological and political threat posed by the Fifth Monarchists' millenarianism to the established social order.
- Evaluate the social impact and perceived threat of the Ranters and other populist groups like the Diggers in challenging traditional hierarchies.
- Analyse how Charles I's belief in Divine Right and his tactical delays prevented a viable post-war settlement.
- Evaluate the impact of the King's secret Engagement with the Scots in triggering the Second Civil War.
- Examine the religious and political divisions between the Political Presbyterians and Political Independents in Parliament.
- Assess why specific settlement proposals, such as the Newcastle Propositions and the Heads of the Proposals, were rejected by the respective parties.
- Identify the catalyst for the war, specifically Charles I's 'Engagement' with the Scots in December 1647.
- Explain the fragmented nature of the Royalist uprisings in Kent, Essex, and Wales, and how this lack of coordination hindered their success.
- Analyse the military superiority of the New Model Army, focusing on their discipline, leadership under Fairfax and Cromwell, and strategic mobility.
- Evaluate the significance of the Battle of Preston (1648) in destroying the Scottish Engager army and effectively ending the conflict.
- Analyse the 'problem of Charles I', focusing on his intransigence, his belief in Divine Right, and his willingness to exploit divisions among his enemies.
- Examine the ideological and political divisions between the Presbyterian-dominated Parliament seeking a treaty, and the radicalised New Model Army demanding retribution.
- Explain the significance of Pride's Purge in breaking the political deadlock and enabling the army to force through the King's trial via the Rump Parliament.
- Assess the legal and political unprecedented nature of the trial, including Charles's refusal to plead and the ideological justification used for his execution.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Use the Putney Debates of 1647 as a primary example to demonstrate the clash between Leveller radicalism and the conservatism of the Army Grandees.
- 💡When discussing religious radicalism, explicitly link the breakdown of censorship and the collapse of the established Church to the proliferation of sects.
- 💡Evaluate the extent to which these radical groups actually threatened the political settlement versus the perceived threat amplified by conservative propaganda.
- 💡Contrast the Newcastle Propositions with the Heads of the Proposals to demonstrate the differing priorities of Parliament and the New Model Army.
- 💡Argue whether the failure to reach a settlement was primarily due to Charles I's intransigence or the irreconcilable divisions within the victorious Parliamentarian ranks.
- 💡Use the Engagement with the Scots as a turning point that convinced the Army that Charles I was a 'man of blood' who could not be trusted.
- 💡When discussing the outcome, weigh military factors like the New Model Army's efficiency against Royalist weaknesses such as poor coordination and the delayed Scottish invasion.
- 💡Use the Battle of Preston as a primary case study to demonstrate Cromwell's tactical brilliance and the decisive defeat of the Scottish forces.
- 💡Link the outcome of the Second Civil War directly to the radicalisation of the army, which viewed Charles as a 'man of blood' who had defied God's judgment.
- 💡Use the phrase 'man of blood' to illustrate the religious and providential mindset of the New Model Army following the Second Civil War.
- 💡Contrast the aims of the Treaty of Newport with the Remonstrance of the Army to clearly demonstrate the division between Parliament and the military.
- 💡When evaluating the trial, discuss the constitutional crisis it created, as trying a divinely appointed monarch for treason against his own people was legally unprecedented.
Common Mistakes
- Error: Confusing the Levellers with the Diggers. Correction: Ensure you distinguish the Levellers, who sought political reform and wider suffrage, from the Diggers, who advocated for agrarian communism and the abolition of private property.
- Error: Assuming the New Model Army was uniformly radical. Correction: Recognise that radicalism was primarily concentrated among the rank-and-file and Agitators, whereas the Grandees, such as Cromwell and Ireton, were significantly more conservative.
- Error: Overstating the actual numbers of Ranters. Correction: Acknowledge that while the Ranters caused immense moral panic in the contemporary press, their actual numbers and organised threat were highly exaggerated by conservative propagandists.
- Error: Treating the parliamentary opposition as a united front after the First Civil War. Correction: Emphasise the deep factionalism between the conservative Presbyterians and the radical Independents and the Army.
- Error: Stating that Charles I negotiated in good faith to reach a settlement. Correction: Highlight that Charles used negotiations as a delaying tactic to exploit divisions among his enemies and rebuild his military strength.
- Error: Confusing the terms of the Newcastle Propositions with the Heads of the Proposals. Correction: Remember that the Newcastle Propositions of 1646 were harsh parliamentary demands including Presbyterianism, whereas the Heads of the Proposals of 1647 were more moderate terms drafted by the Army.
- Confusing the First and Second Civil Wars; correction: ensure the Second Civil War is specifically dated to 1648 and involves the Scottish 'Engagers' fighting for Charles, not against him.
- Assuming the Royalist uprisings were a unified national rebellion; correction: describe them as isolated, uncoordinated local revolts that the New Model Army could defeat piecemeal.
- Overlooking the role of the navy; correction: acknowledge that Parliament's retention of naval control prevented foreign Royalist reinforcement and secured supply lines.
- Stating that Parliament as a whole wanted to execute the King; correction: clarify that the majority of MPs wanted a settlement, and it required a military coup (Pride's Purge) to enable the trial.
- Claiming Charles I mounted a vigorous legal defence; correction: note that Charles refused to recognise the court's authority and therefore refused to enter a plea.
- Assuming the army was entirely unified in wanting execution from the start; correction: explain that the army's stance radicalised over time, particularly after the Second Civil War convinced them Charles was defying God's will.