Who was Oliver Cromwell?
Oliver Cromwell was an English soldier and politician who led Parliament's forces in the English Civil War and ruled England as Lord Protector from 1653 until his death in 1658. He is one of the most controversial figures in British history.
Cromwell was born in Huntingdon in 1599. He became a member of Parliament and a committed Puritan.
During the Civil War, he rose to become a leading general, helping create the disciplined New Model Army, which defeated the Royalists.
Lord Protector
Cromwell was one of the signatories of Charles I's death warrant in 1649. He later dissolved Parliament and became Lord Protector, ruling with great power.
His campaigns in Ireland, including the sieges of Drogheda and Wexford, involved the killing of many soldiers and civilians, and he is remembered with great bitterness in Ireland.
Cromwell died in 1658. After the monarchy was restored in 1660, his body was dug up and posthumously executed, and his head was displayed on a pole.
His statue stands outside the Houses of Parliament. Some see him as a champion of parliamentary government, while others see him as a dictator.