Oliver Cromwell

Born in 1599, Oliver Cromwell was the son of a Robert Cromwell, a not particularly wealthy man, but still a member of the English gentry. Cromwell's early life was rather obscure until the 1630s, when he became a devout Puritan. In 1628, Cromwell was elected to Parliament, before, in 1629, Charles I of England avoided calling parliament and took personal, absolute power, however, in 1640, he needed money for supressing rebellion in Scotland, and so had to recall Parliament. Tensions over religion and the balance of power between the king and Parliament soon broke out, sparking the First English Civil War. Cromwell joined on the side of Parlimentarians or "Roundheads", leading a unit of cavalry. Cromwell's first major action was in the Battle of Marston Moor, his cavalry playing a major role in the Parliamentarian victory by breaking the Royalist lines, causing severe casualties to the Royalist infantry. During the Civil War, instituted a number of military reforms, known as the New Model Army. These reforms included the creation of a full-time professional army with standardized equipment, and promotions awarded through merit, rather than social class.

This new army met the Royalists at the Battle of Naseby in 1645, where the Royalists were routed by Cromwell's superior forces. The battle led to the end of the first English Civil War.

After a brief period of peace, failure to come to an agreement with Charles I led to a the outbreak of a brief second civil war, it which Cromwell's New Model Army crushed the Royalist forces in Wales and Scotland. After the victory, Charles I was executed by the order of Parliament in 1649.

After the Civil War, Cromwell served as a member of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England, where he led an invasion of Ireland from 1649-1650, where his forces massacred countless civilians, though the exact nature and extent of Crowell's brutality is debated. In 1650-1651, Cromwell led a second campaign to Scotland after the Scots declared Charles II, the son of Charles I, as king. Cromwell's campaign to crush the rebels was also sucessful, and like in Ireland, Cromwell is often accused of committing atrocities.

In 1653, Cromwell dissolved Parliament and declared himself "Lord Protector", essentially becoming and religious-military dictator. Cromwell served as Lord Protector until his death in 1658 from disease, possibly malaria or sepsis related to a urinary tract infection. Cromwell's son Richard became his sucessor, however, he was unable to hold the English Protectorate together, and in 1660, Charles II was crowned king. A year later, Cromwell's body was exhumed and mutilated. His body was hung up on chains before finally being reburied, though his severed head was displayed on a pike, and then was passed through a series of hands until 1960, when it was finally buried in Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge.