The Interregnum and Cromwell (1649–1660)

The Interregnum — the period between the execution of Charles I (1649) and the Restoration of Charles II (1660) — was England's only experiment with republican government. This lesson examines the Commonwealth, the Protectorate under Oliver Cromwell, the radical religious and political movements of the period, and the reasons for the republic's failure — while engaging with the historiographical debates that have shaped understanding of this extraordinary decade.

---

The Commonwealth (1649–1653)

The Rump Parliament

The Rump — the remnant of the Long Parliament after Pride's Purge — governed England from 1649 to 1653. It was a narrow oligarchy, lacking popular mandate and dependent on the army for its survival.