Why did Parliament win the Civil War?

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Why did Parliament win the Civil War?

Both the Royalists and Parliamentarians were very similar in their approach towards the war, at first.  Their reliance upon locally-based forces and even the divisions experienced within each camp hindered their ability to fight to their optimum level.  The conclusion of Parliament’s victory was the result of a cascade of events, each one of them benefiting or hampering parliament’s progress in the war. The Royalist’s failure to develop their methods of fighting and warfare left them trailing as Parliament modified and synchronised their army and resources, making use of outside resources such as the Scottish. It was not only Parliament’s actions, which enabled them to win the war. The Royalist’s occasional misjudgements and the King’s complacency at times only encouraged the eventual outcome of the war.  

The King’s inability to capitalise on his early advantage was perhaps one of the most significant reasons for why the loyalists were eventually defeated.  Upon the declaration of the war, Charles had received much support from most of the west and north.  He also had a majority of the gentry loyal to him which provided him with tenants, horses and military.  Amongst his followers were many professional soldiers and officers, such as Prince Rupert and Maurice of Nassau, who had both had much experience in the ‘Thirty Years War’ giving them a vast knowledge of war and a degree of expertise, vital for winning a war.  Money had also been donated providing the Royalists with a temporary financial base enabling them to purchase resources.  However, this money would not last for the duration of the war unlike Parliament’s finances, which were being provided through tax, thus providing a permanent, reliable income, which would later prove vital for them. If the King and his army officers had have been more ruthless and co-ordinated, as Pym, Fairfax and Cromwell had been, it’s possible that they could have taken control of the war convincingly enough to ensure victory.  

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Parliament’s army at the beginning of the war was inefficient to an extent, largely because of the regional command both sides seemed to have adopted. Military and political advisers clashed and the result was a weak army, which wasn’t united in its aims and spirit.  This showed as the Royalists were securing base after base e.g. York.  At this point, the Royalists were winning, largely because the Parliamentarians were not co-ordinated enough and didn’t have the immediate resources the royalists had access to (but Parliament’s resources would increase into the war as they sought an alliance with Scotland and ...

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