Arctic Acoustic is back as we explore the reluctant beginnings of the Civil War and take it up to the creation of the New Model Army. This episode has more Norwegian than is typical of English history podcasts. That’s OK, a minimally murdery Civil War demands unusual coverage.
We cover the period leading up to the Civil War, the key influence of the Irish rising of 1641, the Grand Remonstrance and the gradual spiral into war. Parliament simply could not trust Charles with command of another army. Interestingly, it was not merely because Charles was sort of a Reverse King Midas when it came to war, but because many felt he might turn the army into an instrument of tyranny.
We cover the Battle of Edgehill as a way to illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of both sides. There is great strength laid on the reluctance of both sides to fight a Civil War, but stupidity and hate find there way as both sides make key errors.
Charles I ignores good advice from Cardinal Richelieu and somehow is blind to the nature of monarchial power in a way that Louis the 14th is not.
This period is one of the great influences on Harry Potter, though we will go into that more deeply in a later episode.
The we cover the Battle of Marston Moor in 1644 and the 3 victories of the Ironside cavalry. Slowly, a win-the-war party comes to dominate Parliament and the New Model Army is created. The whole thing is a very strange way to run a civil war.