Chapter 1633 Transformation of Strength and Weakness
Chapter 1633 Switching between strength and weakness
Author: Hecheng Fengyue
Robert Blake's fleet returned to London in dismay and panic, immediately causing a shock like a stormy sea.
Cromwell was already full of worries, but now that everything has become a reality, he finally realized the seriousness of the problem.
"Gentlemen, the king is not willing to accept defeat and has received support from abroad. He would rather betray the interests of the country to satisfy his own selfish desires than agree to our demands. We have no retreat and must fight to the end."
It must be said that Cromwell was a very wise leader.
In fact, before the arrival of the Chinese and Dutch fleets, there was already an obvious tendency to split within the parliament.
First of all, the Presbyterians are worried about the growth of the independent faction, and have begun to discuss disbanding the army after solving the king.
In order to reverse the occupation, Cromwell implemented a new military policy. The mercenary system was abolished and replaced by a recruitment system.
The New Model Army founded by him performed very well in the civil war, achieved a series of brilliant victories, and also gave birth to a large number of emerging military generals.
These generals only obeyed Cromwell's orders, regarded him as an idol, and rallied closely around him.
It was thanks to these people that Cromwell became more and more powerful, and gradually gained the momentum to give up his power over others.
How could the Presbyterians be willing to hand over power to others?
So it was urgent to disband the army and weaken Cromwell.
According to the previous plan, Parliament has already contacted the Scottish Oaths. As long as the Scottish Oaths send Charles I back, the Presbyterians will propose a resolution to disband the army in Parliament.
Cromwell also knew that this would be related to his own destiny, so he adopted a fierce confrontation policy.
He is contacting all military officers and intends to establish a military conference and replace the parliament with a military conference.
But within the army, in addition to his independent faction, there is also an equalizer faction that truly represents the lower class soldiers.
The fundamental purpose of these people joining the parliamentary army is to completely overthrow the king and realize a bourgeois democratic republic.
Cromwell's policies were more radical than those of the Presbyterians, but more conservative than those of the Equalists, so he was attacked from both sides.
During this time, he has been thinking about how to calm down the turmoil and unify power.
The arrival of the Chinese and Dutch fleets allowed him to see an opportunity.
In the case of external enemies, internal conflicts can of course be covered up or digested.
Cromwell was a master of the medium.
Sure enough, the parliament could no longer care about fighting among itself.
“Do we still have enough maritime power to resist Sino-Dutch interference?”
"As long as we regroup and mobilize all our forces, we can ensure the security of our homeland."
Robert Blake was suffocating.
He almost broke his teeth as he watched his friend George Munch die in battle and his side suffered heavy losses.
He is determined to take revenge.
The method he came up with was also very simple, and it was commonly used by the British.
If you can't beat them in the frontal battlefield, then everyone will turn into pirates.
Anyway, as long as the British fleet can ensure that China and the Netherlands cannot effectively reinforce the king, then it will be a victory.
When the Parliament completely defeated the royalist army on the mainland, the support from China and the Netherlands would be meaningless.
At that time, we will settle accounts with China and the Netherlands.
"Has Scotland agreed to our request? We must be prepared to march and cannot place our hopes on others."
Fairfax, who hurried back, also made a claim.
He had previously led his army to march towards Scotland on Cromwell's orders. However, when he was halfway there, he was ordered to stop and he rushed back to London for a meeting.
He was already keenly aware that the arrival of the Chinese and Dutch fleets was likely to make the Scots change their minds.
But he wasn't very worried.
Although China and the Netherlands were very powerful at sea, Parliament had an absolute advantage on land. The weak Scotland had very limited fighting power, and even if it returned to the king, it could not stop the Parliament's attack.
Maybe we can also take the opportunity to wipe out the Scottish separatists who are not loyal to the United Kingdom in one fell swoop, so that the British rule over Scotland will be more consolidated.
Cromwell understood.
"We need two more infantry regiments to achieve the desired results, and Parliament must provide all its support."
The Presbyterian and Equalist MPs present all looked solemn.
They all had a premonition that Cromwell and his independent faction would probably no longer be able to check and balance.
But there is no way, war is more important than anything else.
The Presbyterians and Independents had no choice but to hold their noses and agree to Cromwell's proposition.
Cromwell announced on the spot that Fairfax was appointed commander-in-chief of the Western Expedition, with full authority for the march into Scotland.
At the same time, Robert Blake was appointed as the commander-in-chief of Operation Freedom of the Sea, and every effort must be made to prevent China and the Netherlands from assisting the king.
"Sir, we are gradually losing Parliament. If this continues, Cromwell will become a more terrifying existence than the king."
After the council, the Presbyterians gathered together and felt pessimistic about the situation.
The leader of the Presbyterian faction, Cardinal Tifa Komansi, is also full of resentment.
"The king's stubbornness is the culprit that caused all this. His greed and stupidity ruined everything."
Another MP, Sir Robert Killigrew, was very dissatisfied with Coleman's senseless complaints.
"Now is not the time to chatter. We must find ways to prevent Cromwell from expanding his authority. Otherwise, the foundation of politics will be destroyed."
However, when it came to practical methods, everyone in the Presbyterian faction turned a blind eye.
They are used to being aloof and have long been divorced from actual affairs.
In this era of wars and wars, it is obvious that words and status alone cannot have enough power.
However, just when the Presbyterians were at a loss, someone sneaked into London secretly and found them.
"Dear Sirs, on behalf of King Charles II of New England, I would like to offer my sincere apologies to you. Because of the perverse behavior of the previous king, the country has been divided. The new king believes that now is the best time to reunite people."
The news of the coup shocked the Presbyterians.
No one thought that the playboy-like Prince Charlie could be so bold and successful.
"The new king has received full support from China and the Netherlands, and has reached an agreement with Scotland. Now a new army of 150,000 is being formed and can march to England at any time. In addition, at sea, Portugal can also participate at any time. That is
Said that Parliament would no longer have any chance of winning."
It is a threat with a big stick, and the effect is very significant.
Knowing that Charles II was linked to China, the Netherlands, and Scotland, and that Portugal might be involved at any time, everyone in the Presbyterian faction felt tremendous pressure.
After the stick, of course comes the carrot.
"The new king deeply understands that the current situation was caused by the previous king's inability to accept public opinions with an open mind. His Highness the King believes that we can sit down and re-discuss the future of the country, don't you?"
As soon as these words came out, everyone in the Presbyterian sect's eyes lit up and their hearts were filled with excitement.