Britain Axes the Monarchy

<p>January 30, 1649 / 1661. London, 1649. King Charles I lays his head on a chopping block. The axe falls and, soon with it, the monarchy. What follows is Parliament’s grueling effort to set up a functioning republic – one of the first in history. It will be led by Oliver Cromwell, a brilliant military leader who becomes the country’s most powerful man. But on January 30, 1661 – exactly twelve years after the death of Charles I – royalist forces will use the same method to take their revenge: a beheading. Who was Oliver Cromwell, the man who led Britain’s brief experiment in life without a king? And how did it all go wrong?</p><br><p>Special thanks to our guests, Martyn Bennett, professor of early modern history at Nottingham Trent University and author of several books including <em>Cromwell at War: The Lord General and His Military Revolution</em>; and Peter Gaunt, professor of history at the University of Chester and author/editor of books including two Cromwell biographies, both entitled <em>Oliver Cromwell</em>. </p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>