New Model Army

Founded in 1644 by Oliver Cromwell. The first two years of the civil war (roughly king and old gentry vs. Puritans, industrial areas and London ) were in the favour of the king. After a speech in the House of Commons, where Cromwell asked for a better armed and educated force, the New Model Army was formed as Army of the Parliament. It should “comprise 11 regiments of horse of 600 men each, 12 regiments of foot of 1,200 men each, and 1,000 dragoons (mounted infantrymen)”. And it should also fix an error in the already existing army, the lack of unified command. The idea was to build a “national army with no regional affiliations” Sir Thomas Fairfax was designated as Commander in Chief and was responsible for the military education and training of the New Model Army. The cavalry of this army were taken from the army of Manchester, Earl of Essex, and Sir William Waller. The training was very successfully and so they won against the royal army at Naseby (June 14, 1645). The king, Charles I, surrendered to the Scots, who handed him over to Parliament. He was beheaded on 30 January 1649. The New Model Army remains successful and under Cromwell it won the battles of Dunbar and Worcester against Charles II. and the Scots. Interestingly enough there is a scientific work , published in Innsbruck that compares the Civil War in England with the Hussitenwar 1419 – 1434 . It is claimed that the strong belief of the soldiers gave them a strong foundation. A word of Edward Hyde, 1 Earl of Clarendon, cited by the author of the mentioned work “And that difference was observed shortly from the beginning of the war, in the discipline of the King’s troops and of those which marched under the command of Cromwell, … that though the King’s troops prevailed in the charge, and routed those they charged, they never rallied themselves again in order, nor could be brought to make a second charge again the same day: which was the reason that they hat not an entire victory at Edgehill: whereas Cromwell’s troops, if they prevailed, or though they were beaten and routed, presently rallied again, and stood in good order till they received new orders” So it seems that the victories of the New Model Army could not only be explained by a special training and organization, but also by the strong belief that they fight on the right god-supported side.

F.E.Halliday: A concise history of England. London 1991 p.115-118
 http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/411846/New-Model-Army (01/07/09)
http://www.british-civil-wars.co.uk/glossary/new-model-army.htm (01/07/09)
 Robert Rebitsch (Universität Innsbruck) Innsbrucker Diskussionspapiere zu Weltordnung, Religion und Gewalt,Nummer 06 (2006) Glaube und Krieg. Gedanken zur Antriebsmotivation zum Krieg bei den Hussiten und in der New Model Army
Cited from Rebitsch, p.12f.