Page 38 - History of War - Issue 18-15

Great Battles
BATTLE OF NASEBY
WORDSWILLLAWRENCE

Parliament’s New removal of MPs from their military commands besiegeKingCharles’scapitalcityofOxford,
and their replacement with experienced,
andthoughFairfaxlackedthemanpowerand
Model Army wins the dedicated soldiers. The Self-denying Ordinance, firepower to take the city outright, the move
as it was known, carried the notable exception of allowed the New Model’s scattered regiments
dayduringthedecisive OliverCromwell,whohadprovedhisownmartial to unite into one army and would, Parliament
excellence at Marston Moor during the previous hoped, lure the king into battle as he moved to
encounter of the yearandwaspermittedtoretainhisseatin Oxford’s relief.
English Civil War the Commons while also taking the position of This painting depicts
lieutenantgeneralwithinthenewstructure.
The new system saw Parliament merge the moment when
hough Englishman continued to fight several existing armies into one centrally theEarlofCarnwath
discourages the king
Englishman in the field and at siege controlled unit consisting of ten regiments from committing his
Tthroughout the course of the year, by ofcavalry,12ofinfantryandaregimentof reservetothefray
mid-summer 1645 the outcome of the civil dragoons. This new force, numbering
war was no longer in doubt. The Royalists and more than 20,000 men, came to
Parliamentarians met in battle on Saturday 14 beknownastheNewModelArmy.
JuneatNasebyparishinNorthamptonshireand It was placed under the command
thedecisiveblowwasstruck. ofSirThomasFairfaxandbytheendof
The Roundhead victory was precipitated by April it was ready to start what Parliament
amovetoreformitsmartialstructure,which hopedwouldproveaconclusivecampaign.
gathered pace early in the year following the During May, the New Model was ordered to

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