New Model Army

The professional army established by Parliament in 1645 during the English Civil War. Its centralized command, regular pay, and disciplined recruitment helped secure Parliament’s victory over the royalists.

Self-Denying Ordinance: A 1645 parliamentary measure requiring members of Parliament to relinquish military commands and offices. It cleared the way for a reorganization that replaced commanders tied to parliamentary factions.
Long Parliament: The English Parliament that began sitting in 1640 and led resistance to Charles I’s rule. Its members authorized the reforms that created a unified Parliamentarian field army.
Henry Ireton: An English general and political thinker who served as a senior officer in the New Model Army. He helped articulate the army’s political program during the crisis of 1647.
Second English Civil War: The 1648 conflict between royalist forces and Parliament, following Charles I’s defeat and captivity. The army’s victory in this renewed conflict strengthened its claim to intervene in national politics.
Royalist (Cavalier): A supporter of Charles I and the royalist cause during the English Civil War. Royalist forces relied on a rival command structure and fought the New Model Army in the field.
Thomas Fairfax: The English general who commanded the New Model Army during the First and Second English Civil Wars. As lord general, he led the army’s field operations and maintained its formal chain of command.
Battle of Lostwithiel: A 1644 royalist victory in Cornwall that forced a major Parliamentarian army to surrender. The defeat exposed weaknesses in Parliament’s fragmented military command.
John Lilburne: An English political activist who advocated popular sovereignty and criticized arbitrary government. His ideas influenced soldiers and pamphleteers who challenged Parliament’s authority.
Pride's Purge: The 1648 military exclusion of many members from the English Parliament by troops under Thomas Pride. The army’s intervention removed opponents of prosecuting Charles I from Parliament.
Trained Bands: Part-time militia units raised by English counties and cities for local defense and military service. They were locally organized forces, unlike Parliament’s centrally directed professional army.

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