English Bourgeois Revolution

Revolution establishing the rule of the bourgeoisie in England in the 17th century. In the early 17th century, the development of capitalism in England led to a rapid growth of the political power of the bourgeoisie and the modern aristocracy, but the feudal absolutist rule of King James I of the Stuart Dynasty and his successor Charles I seriously hindered the further development of capitalism in England which intensified the various contradictions in society. Under the impetus of the popular revolutionary movement, the bourgeoisie forged an alliance with the modern aristocracy and seized the leadership of the revolution. In 1639, the Scottish people first rose up in revolt, which became the fuse for the English bourgeois revolution. In 1640, in order to raise military funds, King Charles I reconvened the parliament, which had been suspended for 12 years. The contradiction became more intense, and the struggle of the peasants against feudalism became increasingly fierce, which set the revolution in motion. The first civil war broke out 1642–1646. Cromwell led the New Model Army composed of peasant-proprietors to defeat the King’s army. However, the Presbyterians who represented the interests of the big bourgeoisie betrayed the revolution and attempted to compromise with the King. The Independents who represented the interests of the middle bourgeoisie and the modern aristocracy was in favor of continuing the struggle against the King, while opposing the demands of the broad masses of peasants and craftsmen for democratic reforms and the distribution of land. A split occurred within the revolutionary camp, and the King took the opportunity to stir up a second civil war in 1648. The king’s army was soon defeated again. Under strong pressure from the soldiers and the masses, King Charles I was executed in January 1649. In May of the same year, the Commonwealth was founded, but the power fell into the hands of the Independents. The peasants’ land question remained unsolved, causing discontent among the broad peasantry. The Independents suppressed the Diggers, who represented the landless or land-poor peasants, and the Levellers, who represented interests of the petty-bourgeois democrats, and established a joint dictatorship of the bourgeoisie and the modern aristocracy headed by Cromwell. In 1653, Cromwell also changed the Commonwealth system into the Protectorate system, and declared himself Lord Protector and introduced a military dictatorship. After Cromwell’s death, senior army officers vied for power, throwing the ruling group into chaos. Charles I’s son, who had fled abroad, took the opportunity to instigate a royalist rebellion and restore the Stuart Dynasty in 1660. The reactionary policies of the restored dynasty aroused opposition from the Whigs. The bourgeoisie, the modern aristocracy and some feudal landowners made a compromise and staged a coup in 1688 (the so-called “Glorious Revolution”), overthrew the restored dynasty and established a constitutional monarchy based on an alliance between the landed aristocracy and the big bourgeoisie. The English bourgeois revolution ushered in the era of the bourgeois world revolution. Therefore, historians usually regard 1640 as the dawn of modern world history.