The New Model Army Consisted of 22,000 Soldiers, Comprising 11 Regiments of Cavalry (6600

New Model Army

The New Model Army consisted of 22,000 soldiers, comprising 11 regiments of cavalry (6600 men), 12 regiments of infantry (14,400 men) and 1 regiment of 1000 dragoons. These were impressed from Parliamentarian-held areas in the South and East. A "Soldier's catechism" dictated new regulations and drill procedures. The standard daily pay was 8 pence for infantry, 2 shillings for cavalry. The administration of the Army was more centralised and there was better guarantee of food, clothing and other provisions than before. Cavalrymen had to supply their own horses. The original founders intended that proficiency rather than social standing or wealth should determine the Army's leadership and promotions. Cromwell also preferred soldiers devoted, like himself, to Puritan ideals, and some of them sang psalms prior to battle. Prince Rupert of the Rhine, an archetypal cavalier and a prominent general in the army of King Charles I, gave the New Model troops their nickname of Ironsides. This referred more to their ability to cut through opposing forces than to their armour, as sometimes claimed. The New Model Army's elite troops were its Regiments of Horse. Their discipline was markedly superior to that of their Royalist counterparts. Cromwell specifically forbade his men to pursue a fleeing enemy, but demanded they hold the battlefield. This meant that the New Model cavalry could charge, break an enemy force, regroup and charge again at another objective, which made them a formidable force on the battlefield. On the other hand, when required to pursue, they would do so relentlessly, not breaking ranks to loot abandoned enemy baggage as Royalist horse would often do.

Puritans

Puritans was the name given in the 16th century to the more extreme Protestants within the Church of England who thought the English Reformation had not gone far enough in reforming the doctrines and structure of the church; they wanted to purify their national church by eliminating every shred of Catholic influence. In the 17th century many Puritans emigrated to the New World, where they sought to found a holy Commonwealth in New England. By this time, Puritans were more often referred to as Dissenters. Since English Dissenters were barred from any profession that required official religious conformity, Puritans became instrumental in a number of new industries. They dominated the export/import business and were eager to colonize the New World. With the flourishing of the trans- Atlantic trade with America, Puritans in England were growing quite wealthy. Similarly, the artisan classes had become increasingly Puritan. Therefore, the economic issues of the English Civil War (tax levies, liberalization of royal charters), the political issues of the English Civil War (purchasing of peerages, increasing discontent between the House of Lords and the people, rebellion over the attempt to introduce a Divine right of kings by Charles I), and the religious tensions were all bound together into a general dispute that pitted Church of England Cavaliers against Puritan Roundheads.

Questions: 1. What are the advantages of the New Model Army? 2. What could be economic reasons for the success of the Roundheads? 3. How could that be transformed into political success?