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Why did Parliament beat the royalists in the first Civil War? (Geography…
Why did Parliament beat the royalists in the first Civil War?
Geography
London was the centre where all the major routes met which gave Parliament a strategic advantage
London's position on the River Thames allowed Parliament access to supplies from English and Continental ports
London was the main area where radical ideas were developed. These helped inspire and motivate Parliament
80% of the factories and workshops that produced the weapons and uniforms were situated in London
Parliament's control of ports in place like London and Hull gave it ready access to supplies
The king's supporters were too widespread to enable him to concentrate his forces at key moments
Charles' loss of London proved a crippling economic and strategic handicap
Finance
Parliament's control of London made it easier to finance a long war
London was home to banks and finance houses along with the adminstrative system for collecting taxes, customs duties and fines that charles left behind when he fled in 1642
Control of London's ports allowed Parliament to levy customs payments on transported goods
Charles relied on generous gifts of gold and silver to fund his war effort
These gifts ran out as the war went on
Charles used unpopular tactics to try and finance the royalists as time went on and this increased the rise of neutralism (people who stayed out of the war)
Sequestration involved confiscating property and goods of opponents in controlled areas (both sides used this)
'The contribution' was a tax, normally collected monthly. If locals didn't pay they could have their properties confiscated
The royalists were unable to match Parliament in the raising of money
Manpower
The royalists fought courageously but lacked the discipline to fight a sustained war
As the war lengthened the introduction of Cromwell's New Model Army (1644) proved significant
It contained ten mounted regiments each with 600 men and this neutralised the cavalry advantage that the royalists previously had enjoyed
Parliament's continued control of London boosted their morale and weakened royalist spirits
London was also a crucial source of food, weapons and transport
Charles never had enough men to successfully capture London
And his army was unable to be supplied from London's ports
London had its own army (the London trained bands) that was fully committed to the Parliamentary cause
Parliament's forces outnumbered the royalists
The army remained the loyal servant of Parliament once war began
Parliament successfully recruited men as the war went on whereas the royalists struggled to recruit sufficient troops
The alliance between the Scots and Parliament provided a significant boost in manpower
Leadership & tactics
As the war lengthened Parliament's victory became more likely
Parliamentarian attitudes towards the king hardened. They began to see Charles as a destructive leader who's forces had to be defeated
Charles struggled to provide the inspired leadership required as the war progressed
Charles' military commanders lacked imagination in regard to tactics
They failed to instill the required organisation and discipline in their men
Prince Rupert fought with bravery and panache but he proved too headstrong at times
Support for Charles diminished as time went on
Parliament's leaders were inspirational
Cromwell was a great strategist and military technician
His conviction, self-belief and organisational skills transferred themselves to his men and ultimately made his armies invincible
At key moments Parliament's army kept their discipline
Cromwell's New Model Army was better at harnessing the religious passions of the time. This turned their struggle into a moral cause
Cavalry was a decisive force in static war so the royalists should have had the upper hand
But, as the war went on it became more difficult to find the funds to equip royalist cavalry
Royalist losses at Marston Moor and Naseby meant they were condemned to losing the war