Oliver Cromwell

Reign: 1653 – 1658
Life: 1599–1658

Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland, the republican ruler between Charles I and the Restoration.

He came to prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, initially as a senior commander in the Parliamentarian army and later as a politician. He became a religious Independent in the 1630s, and thereafter believed his successes were the result of divine providence. In 1640, he served as MP for Cambridge in the Short and Long Parliaments. He joined the Parliamentarian army when the First English Civil War began in August 1642 and quickly demonstrated his military prowess.

During Oliver Cromwell's reign, Louis XIV of France ruled France, Mehmed IV ruled Ottoman Empire, and Shah Jahan ruled Mughal Empire.

Want to learn more? Further reading

A Short History of England by Simon Jenkins

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The World During Their Reign

The most notable rulers who held power elsewhere at the same time, from European courts to Ottoman, Mughal, and Chinese thrones.

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A Short History of England

Simon Jenkins

A brisk, readable survey of English history from the Romans to the present.

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