Cromwell

In 1653, Cromwell dispersed Parliament and appointed himself as the "Lord Protector of the Nation." On December 12, 1653, under premeditation, all parliamentary powers were transferred to Cromwell. In this way, the Republic was completely destroyed, and unlimited power was concentrated in Cromwell's hands. Under the planning of General Rambai, a new constitution was formulated. Cromwell firmly grasped civil and military powers, but the new constitution also placed some restrictions on him. On February 16, 1654, in accordance with the new constitution, a solemn "enthronement" ceremony was held at the Palace of Westminster for Cromwell to serve as Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland. He began his nearly four years of life as a protector of the country. Cromwell showed outstanding statecraft skills in internal affairs. He implemented a policy of "letting bygones be bygones" towards the kings. In terms of foreign policy, through long-term negotiations, he signed the "Navigation Regulations" with the Netherlands in 1654, and later concluded favorable commercial agreements with Sweden and Denmark. In September, the first meeting of the Protectorate Government was held. In 1655, Cromwell ordered the dissolution of Parliament, which sought to restrict its power to defend the country. He also successively quelled the riots of the Royal Party and smashed the anti-protectionist uprising of the egalitarian faction. In management, Cromwell was quite calculating. In the summer of 1655, he divided the country into 12 districts and decentralized management to give them Puritan characteristics and order.

In the summer of 1656, an imperial decree was issued abolishing the chivalry system and abolishing the Revenue Department; like Charles I, some monopoly rights were established. However, the fiscal deficit forced Cromwell to convene the second parliament in September 1656. In the parliament, Cromwell agreed to the parliament's proposal to abolish the major-general system, and the parliament decided to crown him king. On June 26, 1657, Cromwell ascended the throne of King. The fiscal situation of the protectorate government was very critical, the domestic economic situation continued to deteriorate, and class conflicts became increasingly acute. Cromwell had never been able to stabilize the situation. At this time, Cromwell was 58 years old, and his health was deteriorating. Oliver Cromwell passed away on September 3, 1658 at the age of 59. Cromwell's era is over, but the revolution led by him in this era has become a great achievement that will shine in history.

After Cromwell's death in September 1658, his son, Richard Cromwell, succeeded him as Lord Protector. Richard was unable to control the government and the army, and resigned in May 1659. The term of Lord Protector ended and the country was thrown into chaos. The new Parliament, in order to avoid another civil war, invited the exiled Charles II (Charles I's son) back. The monarchy was restored in May 1660, the Commonwealth of England fell, and England became a kingdom again.