IOTL, what followed the English Civil War was the short-lived Cromwellian Dictatorship.
But IMO it did not have to end like that and was not destined to end like that. There were a number of PODs that could have led to a different Commonwealth of England.
- John Pym and/or John Hampden lived on. These two were the only ones who could provide unified leadership for the Long Parliament. IOTL, the Parliamentarians immediately suffered political consequences from their deaths and was eventually got Pride's Purge. If either of them lived, the Parliament could have more competent leadership and actually voted for Charles' execution (Charles must die for the war to end, but the Parliamentarians failed to see the writings on the wall), which could have butterflied away Pride's Purge.
- Oliver Cromwell (and bonus Henry Ireton as well) going to the New World, or dying from dysentery. The ones who would end up filling their OTL war hero roles ITTL would be Edward Sexby and Thomas Rainsborough, both were Levellers. We might see a Leveller Commonwealth of England.
- Both those PODs above occur.
If the united and unpurged Long Parliament actually voted to execute the King, then kiss goodbye to Restoration, because what comes next would not be a Cromwellian Dictatorship, but a Dutch-like Republic (I mean, the Stadholderless version) run by the Long Parliament. And if both PODs occur, a Leveller Army would be unlikely to purge to Parliament.
What I am more interested in is the implications from this ending: an actual republican Commonwealth of England run by the Long Parliament.
- How would relations with Europe look like? Dutch, France, Spain... I would expect a war with the Dutch to settle commercial disputes, but later one the CoE would be unlikely to backstab the Dutch like Charles II did IOTL. DeWitt could have survived and eventually got rid of the Stadholder Office permanently.
- How would Commonwealth of England/Britain's colonial policy look like? Note that TTL would be New England's wet dream (IOTL it was the center of the American Revolution). Would we see a bigger and united New England colony? Would England be able to retain control/keep close links with North American colonies?
- Finally, would constitutional monarchy still become prominent like IOTL (yes, it was prominent during the 18th and 19th centuries)? Note that the UK IOTL was the first constitutional monarchy in the modern sense, and its model did influence a lot of OTL scholars like Montesquieu. ITTL, it would be a constitutional, bourgeois republic while constitutional monarchy would remain a theory. Could republicanism and liberalism and democracy be tied together even more than IOTL?
But IMO it did not have to end like that and was not destined to end like that. There were a number of PODs that could have led to a different Commonwealth of England.
- John Pym and/or John Hampden lived on. These two were the only ones who could provide unified leadership for the Long Parliament. IOTL, the Parliamentarians immediately suffered political consequences from their deaths and was eventually got Pride's Purge. If either of them lived, the Parliament could have more competent leadership and actually voted for Charles' execution (Charles must die for the war to end, but the Parliamentarians failed to see the writings on the wall), which could have butterflied away Pride's Purge.
- Oliver Cromwell (and bonus Henry Ireton as well) going to the New World, or dying from dysentery. The ones who would end up filling their OTL war hero roles ITTL would be Edward Sexby and Thomas Rainsborough, both were Levellers. We might see a Leveller Commonwealth of England.
- Both those PODs above occur.
If the united and unpurged Long Parliament actually voted to execute the King, then kiss goodbye to Restoration, because what comes next would not be a Cromwellian Dictatorship, but a Dutch-like Republic (I mean, the Stadholderless version) run by the Long Parliament. And if both PODs occur, a Leveller Army would be unlikely to purge to Parliament.
What I am more interested in is the implications from this ending: an actual republican Commonwealth of England run by the Long Parliament.
- How would relations with Europe look like? Dutch, France, Spain... I would expect a war with the Dutch to settle commercial disputes, but later one the CoE would be unlikely to backstab the Dutch like Charles II did IOTL. DeWitt could have survived and eventually got rid of the Stadholder Office permanently.
- How would Commonwealth of England/Britain's colonial policy look like? Note that TTL would be New England's wet dream (IOTL it was the center of the American Revolution). Would we see a bigger and united New England colony? Would England be able to retain control/keep close links with North American colonies?
- Finally, would constitutional monarchy still become prominent like IOTL (yes, it was prominent during the 18th and 19th centuries)? Note that the UK IOTL was the first constitutional monarchy in the modern sense, and its model did influence a lot of OTL scholars like Montesquieu. ITTL, it would be a constitutional, bourgeois republic while constitutional monarchy would remain a theory. Could republicanism and liberalism and democracy be tied together even more than IOTL?
