NEW MODEL ARMY

Y the end of 1644, prompted by the failure of their combined armies to defeat the King at the Second Battle of Newbury, Parliament decided that a radical overhaul of their forces was needed to force a decision in what was becoming a drawn out war. The result of this was a “new modelling” of the main field army of Parliament, drawing on the best of the soldiers from the armies of Essex, Waller and the Eastern Association to form a hopefully war-winning force. This was accompanied by the Self Denying Ordinance, whereby members of Parliament, of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, debarred themselves from military command in order to remove politics from

Military command - although Oliver Cromwell was given a dispensation from this as Sir Thomas Fairfax requested he be allowed to fill the role of Lieutenant-General of the Cavalry. Thus the “New Model Army” was created. The planned strength of the army was to be 11 regiments of horse, each of 600 troopers, 12 regiments of foot, each of 1,200 men, and a single regiment of dragoons of 1,000 men. Additionally, an artillery train would be provided. Those soldiers not incorporated into the new army would remain in subsidiary regional forces.

Despite being able to draw on three existing armies for its recruits, the army was still rather under strength when it took the field in 1645.

The New Model Army, 1645, by Angus McBride © Osprey Publishing Ltd. Taken from Elite 25: Soldiers of the English Civil War (1): Infantry.

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NEW MODEL ARMY

Cavalry numbers were easily reached, but the infantry numbers were very low. Despite a ruthless impressment campaign, they were still below establishment at the Battle of Naseby - at which, nevertheless, the New Model Army was victorious, finally destroying any chance the King had of winning the war.

Following the end of the First Civil War, Parliament chose to retain a standing army, the first significant standing force ever maintained by England. Following the end of the war, however, the army became radicalised by Protestant nonconformists and started to intervene in politics. This significantly affected the English view of standing armies, and her politicians remained suspicious of such standing forces thereafter.

Subsequently the army fought in Ireland (1649-1652), in Scotland (1650), England (against invading Scots in 1651 and various Royalist uprisings) and, strangely, in support of Catholic France (1654) against Spain. English infantry and naval gunfire were important in Turenne’s victory at the Battle of the Dunes. An army was also sent to the West Indies in 1654 as part of the war against Spain.

Ironically, after playing such a major part in the defeat and overthrow of Charles I, the army was then instrumental, under General George Monck, in restoring his son to the throne as Charles II. Following the restoration, most of the army was disbanded.

The first Lord-General of the New Model was Sir Thomas Fairfax, with Oliver Cromwell as Lieutenant-General of the Cavalry and Philip Skippon as Sergeant-Major General of the Foot. Cromwell later took over as Lord-General in 1649 when Sir Thomas declined the command of the army to campaign in Ireland.

This list covers the English army of Parliament from the creation of the “New Model Army” in 1645, through the army of the English Commonwealth, until most of the standing army was demobilised following the restoration of King Charles II in 1660. The army sent to the West Indies in 1654 is covered by a later list in Field of Glory Renaissance Companion 6: Cities of Gold.