God’s Executioner - Oliver Cromwell and the Conquest of Ireland

There is no doubt that Cromwell still evokes extremely strong emotions in Ireland 350 years after his death in 1658. Throughout the island people blame him for every ruined castle or tower house, while local folklore is replete with stories of terrible acts committed by his troops against the native population. Cromwell spent only nine months (August 1649 to May 1650) of his eventful life in Ireland, and yet he stands accused there of war crimes, religious persecution and ethnic cleansing on a dramatic scale. The massacre of thousands of soldiers and civilians by the New Model Army at both Drogheda and Wexford in 1649 must rank among the greatest atrocities in Anglo-Irish history, although the full extent of the slaughter is still disputed by some commentators. Irrefutable evidence, however, detailing the execution of scores of Catholic clergy, the forced transportation of thousands of women and children to work on the sugar plantations of the Caribbean, and the deliberate targeting of the civilian population during the latter stages of the war makes decidedly uncomfortable reading for those keen to focus on Cromwell’s undoubted military and political achievements elsewhere. Cromwell Spent Only Nine Months Of His Eventful Life In Ireland, Yet He Stands Accused There Of War Crimes, Religious Persecution And Ethnic Cleansing. The Massacre Of Thousands Of Soldiers And Civilians By The New Model Army At Both Drogheda And Wexford In 1649 Must Rank Among The Greatest Atrocities In Anglo-irish History: A Tale That Makes Decidedly Uncomfortable Reading For Those Keen To Focus On Cromwell's Undoubted Military And Political Achievements Elsewhere. In A Century Of Unrelenting, Bloody Warfare And Religious Persecution Throughout Europe, Cromwell Was, In Many Ways, A Product Of His Times. As Commander-in-chief Of The Army In Ireland, However, The Responsibilities For The Excesses Of The Military Must Be Laid Firmly At His Door, While The Harsh Nature Of The Post-war Settlement Also Bears His Personal Imprint. Cromwell Was No Monster, But He Did Commit Monstrous Acts. A Warrior Of Christ, Somewhat Like The Crusaders Of Medieval Europe, He Acted As God's Executioner, Convinced Throughout The Horrors Of The Legitimacy Of His Cause, And Striving To Build A Better World For The Chosen Few. -- Publisher Details. Introduction -- Ireland Independent -- Prelude To Invasion -- Cromwell At Drogheda And Wexford -- Cromwell's Advance -- Royalist Collapse -- Foreign Intervention -- The Guerrilla War -- Conclusion : Winners And Losers. Micheál Ó Siochrú. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 281-302) And Index. Preserving the environment, saving the rain forests, and preventing the extinction of species may seem like fairly recent concerns, but in Man and the Natural World, Sir Keith Thomas explores how these ideas took root long ago. In this entertaining and illuminating history, Thomas aims not just to explain present interest in preserving the environment and protecting the rights of animals, but to reconstruct an earlier mental world as well. Throughout the ages humankind has attempted to rationalize its place in nature. At no time was the idea of exploiting the earth for our own advantage so sharply challenged as in England between the sixteenth and late eighteenth centuries. For it was during these years that there occurred a whole cluster of changes in the way in which men and women, at all social levels, perceived the natural world around them. Thomas seeks to expose the assumptions which underlay the views and feelings of the inhabitants of early modern England toward the animals, birds, vegetation, and physical landscape among which they spent their lives. The issues raised here are even more alive today than they were just ten years ago. This fascinating work deftly shows that it is impossible to disentangle what the people of the past thought about plants and animals from what they thought about themselves Cromwell spent only nine months of his eventful life in Ireland, yet he stands accused there of war crimes, religious persecution and ethnic cleansing. The massacre of thousands of soldiers and civilians by the New Model Army at both Drogheda and Wexford in 1649 must rank among the greatest atrocities in Anglo-Irish history: a tale that makes decidedly uncomfortable reading for those keen to focus on Cromwell's undoubted military and political achievements elsewhere.In a century of unrelenting, bloody warfare and religious persecution throughout Europe, Cromwell was, in many ways, a product of his times. As commander-in-chief of the army in Ireland, however, the responsibilities for the excesses of the military must be laid firmly at his door, while the harsh nature of the post-war settlement also bears his personal imprint. Cromwell was no monster, but he did commit monstrous acts. A warrior of Christ, somewhat like the crusaders of medieval Europe, he acted as God's executioner, convinced throughout the horrors of the legitimacy of his cause, and striving to build a better world for the chosen few. He remains, therefore, a remarkably modern figure, somebody to be closely studied and understood, rather than simply revered or reviled. In a century of unrelenting, bloody warfare and religious persecution in Europe, Cromwell was, in many ways, a product of his times. As commander-in-chief of the army in Ireland, however, the responsibilities for the excesses of the military must be laid firmly at his door, while the harsh nature of the post-war settlement also bears his imprint.