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Battle of Naseby, 14th June 1645

1 min read

Two years of amateur warfare had changed nothing.The English Civil War remained in the balance. Then, in February 1645, Parliament created the New Model Army.

Cromwell had raised a regiment of cavalry in Cambridgeshire. He deliberately recruited ‘men of a spirit’ and allowed complete ‘liberty of conscience’. His men – the original ‘Ironsides’– became the the deepest root of the modern British Army.

Four months later, it fought its first major battle – Naseby.

Taken from our new series the History of the British Army in 25 Battles –  here are maps of the Battle of Naseby.

Battle of Naseby
Plan showing the approximate positions of the opposing armies at the beginning of the Battle of Naseby.
Battle of Naseby
Plan showing the positions and movements of opposing forces at the climax of the Battle of Naseby.

Naseby was badly handled and close-run. The New Model Army’s first major battle was no glorious feat of arms. But it was decisive: it destroyed the King’s field army, and he never got the chance to raise another.

Later, as experience increased, the New Model evolved into one of the finest armies in the world, fighting and winning two further civil wars, campaigning successfully in Ireland, Scotland, Flanders, and the West Indies, and winning notable victories at Preston (1648), Dunbar (1651), and Dunkirk Dunes (1658).

The creation of that extraordinary army is our theme as we open the new series, the History of the British Army in 25 Battles.

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3 Comments

  1. i am very sorry but Cromwell was the Parliamentarian and Charles was Royalist, Check your facts, and Okeys dragoons had been killed after they had tried to attack the cavalry forces of Rupert, by attacking them behind the Bushes though a failed attack

    • Oh and Charles never really attack, he fled back towards a church where all his soldiers were massacred except him, he was taken as prisoner.

  2. Lots of errors with this I am afraid. Armies wrong way round, fighting does not take place in the valley. Okey too far south and should be opposite Rupert at the start. Cromwell’s cavalry does not engage like that etc. Hippo, Oakey’s dragoons were not killed afterwards, and did indeed attacked the Royalist flank. Charles did flee on the advice of one of his advisors but not to a church nor was he captured. That was a year later!

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