First English Civil War

First English Civil War
Part of Wars of the Three Kingdoms
The Battle of Marston Moor 1644, by James Barker
Date 1642 to 1646 Location England and Wales Result Parliamentarian victory
Belligerents
Royalists	Parliamentarians Scottish Covenanters
Commanders and leaders
Charles I Prince Rupert Lord Astley Lord Goring Sir Ralph Hopton Lord Newcastle Prince Maurice	Sir Thomas Fairfax Oliver Cromwell Phillip Skippon Earl of Manchester Earl of Essex Sir William Waller Earl of Leven
Casualties and losses
1642–1646 33,952 dead 56,367  (POW)[1]	1642–1646 27,972 dead 21,191  (POW)[1]

The First English Civil War took place in England and Wales from 1642 to 1646, and forms part of the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms.^[a] An estimated 15% to 20% of adult males in England and Wales served in the military at some point between 1639 and 1653, while around 4% of the total population died from war-related causes.^[b] These figures illustrate the widespread impact of the conflict on society, and the bitterness it engendered as a result.^[2]

Conflict over the role of Parliament and religious practice dated from the accession of James VI and I in 1603. These tensions culminated in the imposition of Personal Rule in 1629 by his son, Charles I, who recalled Parliament in April and November 1640. He hoped by doing so to obtain funding that would enable him to reverse his defeat by Scots Covenanters in the Bishops' Wars, but in return Parliament demanded a greater share in government than he was willing to concede.

In its early stages, the vast majority on both sides supported the institution of monarchy, but disagreed on who held ultimate authority. Royalists generally argued both Parliament and the Church of England were subordinate to the king, while most of their Parliamentarian opponents claimed his supremacy did not extend to religion, and wanted a form of constitutional monarchy. When it came to choosing sides, however, individual choices were heavily influenced by religious belief or personal loyalty. Horrified at the devastation inflicted on Europe by the Thirty Years War, many tried to remain neutral, or took up arms with great reluctance.

When fighting began in August 1642, both sides believed it would be settled by a single battle, but it soon became clear this was not the case. Royalist successes in 1643 led to an alliance between Parliament and the Scots, who won a series of battles in 1644, the most significant being the Battle of Marston Moor. Alleged failures to exploit these successes led Parliament in February 1645 to set up the New Model Army, the first centrally-funded and professional military force in England, whose success at Naseby in June 1645 proved decisive. The war ended with victory for the Parliamentarian alliance in June 1646 and Charles in custody. However, his refusal to agree concessions, combined with divisions among his opponents, led to the Second English Civil War in 1648, followed by his execution in January 1649.

Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).