ASSESS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE NEW MODEL ARMY IN DECIDING THE OUTCOME OF THE FIRST CIVIL WAR In the early years of the civil war, little difference existed between parliament and the king in respects of power and territorial advantage. It could be said that the war was being fought to a desultory standstill. From the commencement of the conflict, the primary objective of Parliament had been simply to avoid defeat by the king. As soon as the problems of the government had resorted to violence, the leaders of Parliament knew that they could not tolerate any less than complete victory over the royalist forces. This is symbolised by a quote from the Earl of Manchester, “we may beat the king ninety-nine times out of hundred, but if he beats us just once, then he is still the king”. Parliament could not afford to lose. If the king was to gain the upper hand then parliamentary supporters knew that they would likely pay for their loyalty with their lives. The introduction of the New Model Army was designed to change this philosophy for the better. As a group of well-organised, highly trained soldiers, their purpose was no longer to avoid defeat, but to win the war – as parliamentary leaders, most notably Cromwell, realised would be necessary if they were to succeed. This essay is aimed at examining just how important a factor the New Model Army was in deciding that the fate of the first civil war would reside with Parliament and not the king. There were indeed other reasons for this victory, some of which will be explained below, but it needs to be evaluated just how big an advantage the New Model Army was to Parliament, and whether parliamentary success was only made possible after its creation. When the war first broke out Parliament had at its command the local militia, or trainbands, of those districts supporting its cause, most notably London (which is explained in further detail below), the eastern counties, and...
