The pro-parliamentary army, established under the leadership of ">Oliver Cromwell, that was largely responsible for the defeat of Charles I in the 17th Cent ">English Civil Wars.
The English army had, until the English Civil Wars, always been a temporary affair; raised in time of war and disbanded as soon as the purpose was served. These were often led by men who had royal favours on their side rather than those who had competence and ability. When the Parlimentary forces suffered several severe reverses in the war against the King in 1644, Oliver Cromwell proposed that Parliament passed a Self-Denying Ordinance which required that all MPs removed themselves as army commanders. Under his leadership the army was re-structured as the New Model Army, and officers were re-trained on the basis of their competence. This greatly improved the morale and discipline of the parliamentary army, which enabled them to finally defeat the royal forces. Their role in the success of the wars, however, also gave the New Model Army considerable influence in the politics of the nation post-bellum, and it was their muscles that eventually proved fatal for Charles's fate as king.
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