人物介绍：

奥利弗·克伦威尔（Oliver Cromwell，1599－1658），英国资产阶级革命时期的主要军事、政治领导人。独立派领袖。克伦威尔出身于亨廷登郡的一个中等贵族家庭。青年时期就学于剑桥一个著名清教学院。被选入“短期议会”和“长期议会”。在长期议会中，与坚决反对王党的议员站在一起。参加制定《大抗议书》等文件。

Oliver Cromwell was born in Huntingdon on April 25th 1599. Since his death as Lord Protector in 1658 his life, ambitions, motives and actions have been the subject of scholarly investigation and intense, often vitriolic, debate. Whatever position is taken on Cromwell, "Chief of Men" or "Brave Bad Man", his importance as a key figure in one of the most troubled periods of British history is unassailable.

Cromwell is one of the most controversial figures in the history of the British Isles, considered a regicidal dictator by historians such as David Hume, a military dictator by Winston Churchill, but a hero of liberty by Thomas Carlyle and Samuel Rawson Gardiner. In a 2002 BBC poll in Britain, Cromwell was selected as one of the ten greatest Britons of all time. However, his measures against Catholics in Scotland and Ireland have been characterised as genocidal or near-genocidal, and in Ireland his record is harshly criticised.

自组军队：第一次内战开始后，克伦威尔筹建一支60人的骑兵队。1644年受命指挥整个东部联盟的骑兵。他指挥的骑兵在马斯顿荒原战役(1644年7月2日）中取得胜利后，被誉为“铁骑军”。1645年6月指挥“新模范军”，在纳斯比战役中取得对王党的决定性胜利。

　
弑君立国：1648年春第二次内战爆发，以克伦威尔为首的独立派高级军官联合平等派士兵重组议会军，很快击败王党。在国内革命热情高涨的气氛中，克伦威尔放弃同国王妥协的主张，转而赞成成立审讯国王的最高法庭，判处国王死刑，结束封建王朝统治。

自任“护国公”：1649年共和国成立，克伦威尔镇压平等派起义，后又驱散掘土派运动。随后率军征讨爱尔兰和苏格兰。1653年，克伦威尔自任“护国公”，进一步加强军事专政。但国内经济状况不断恶化，阶级矛盾日趋尖锐，局势始终未能稳定。1658年克伦威尔在白厅逝世。

奥利弗·克伦威尔纪年表：