English Civil War: decision game
Can your decisions win the Civil War?
You are an experienced general trained to fight for the King. However, you are a strict
Puritan and do not agree with the way the King is running the country. You join the
Parliamentarian side in the Civil War.
Working in your group, discuss each of the following developments and decide what action
you would take. You need to be ready to explain your decision to the rest of the class and
to challenge groups which make a different decision.
Decision 1
January 1642: preparing to fight
The King has been to the House of Commons to arrest five leading Puritan MPs. He
did not find them. Do you:
A. Insist on immediate war against the King?
B. Start to prepare your army?
C. Refuse to fight against the King?
Decision 2
November 1642: raising money
You are now at war with the King. You need money to pay your soldiers and to
provide supplies and equipment. Do you:
A. Send soldiers round the country to collect taxes?
B. Attack Royalist villages and steal all their things to sell?
C. Force workers to produce weapons for you?
Decision 3
1643: armour for your men
Most of your soldiers have their own suits of armour but do not want to wear them
because they are hot and heavy. Do you:
A.
B.
C.
Force them to wear their own armour?
Let them wear what they want?
Have sleeveless coats, breastplates and helmets made?
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English Civil War: decision game
Decision 4
July 1644: Marston Moor
Both sides were ready to fight but terrible weather means the Royalists are resting and
preparing to eat instead. A thunderstorm begins. Do you:
A. Attack while they do not expect it?
B. Wait and rest?
Decision 5
Autumn 1644: what to do with Prisoners
You have captured a castle. Inside there are lots of women and servants. Do you:
A. Kill them?
B. Take them as prisoners?
C. Set them free?
Decision 6
1645: looting
You have heard the following description of your soldiers’ actions in a village.
‘They ran into every house, swearing, threatening and terrifying women. They were
picking purses and pockets, searching everywhere in the house for money or goods.
They started fires with gunpowder in every street.’ Do you:
A. Congratulate your men?
B. Tell them off?
Decision 7
1645: payment for the army
The Civil War is over − the king has surrendered. Parliament has told you and the
army to go home as you are no longer needed. The trouble is that your men have not
been paid for weeks and do not want to go home. Do you?
A. Persuade them to go home without pay?
B. Accept Parliament’s offer to pay some of what they owe you?
C. Threaten Parliament and try to get rid of MPs who do not support the army?
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English Civil War: decision game
Decision 8
1646: what to do with the King
The King is now a prisoner. He surrendered to the Scots who handed him over to
Parliament. What is your advice to Parliament?
A. Offer to kill him?
B. Tell them to put him on trial for murder and treason?
C. Make a deal with the King so he can rule again?
Decision 9
December 1648 : what to do with the King after the Second Civil War
The King escaped to the Isle of Wight where he was taken prisoner again but secretly
arranged for the Scots to start the war against Parliament again. Now you have won
the Second Civil War. Many MPs are still not willing to put the King on trial. Do you:
A. Accept their decision. The king has learned his lesson.
B. March into the House of Commons to arrest the ‘soft’ MPs who are still scared
of the king?
Decision 10
1655: Oliver Cromwell
The King is dead. Oliver Cromwell is now Protector of the country. He has divided it
into 11 districts each ruled by a ‘major-general’ who has the power to keep law and
order and to arrest Cromwell’s enemies. Many extreme religious and political groups
are growing. Since the death of the King wars have been fought against the Irish and
the Dutch. New laws have cut back drinking and gambling, and banned dancing,
plays and celebrating Christmas. Do you:
A. Try to become a major-general?
B. Campaign to have Cromwell made king?
C. Campaign to have the son of Charles I made king?
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English Civil War: decision game
Teaching notes
Aims


For students to think through decisions made during the Civil War, learning about
the difficulties encountered at the time and the differing views which emerged.
To develop communication skills in History by discussing options in a group and
justifying decisions made.
Preparation


Students will need to have studied the background to the Civil War, particularly
key groups and individuals.
Arrange your class into small groups with the aim of creating teams which will
work well together for extended discussion.
Main task
Each of the decisions could be projected in turn. Alternatively, a set could be printed for
each group.
1. Work through each of the decisions. They are best discussed one by one, with a
time limit, as decisions are made under pressure in times of war!
2. Feedback after each of the decisions is taken. Choose a different group for each
decision and press for a justification on why that decision has been made. Other
groups may challenge the decisions. Encourage debate.
3. Explain what actually happened in each scenario. If you want to introduce an
element of competition, a point could be awarded to each team that chose the
correct decision.
4. Debriefing – discuss what was learned about the difficulties encountered in the war
and the different opinions which emerged.
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English Civil War: decision game
Decisions that were actually taken or are likely to have been taken
Decision 1
The actual decision was B − at this point the Parliamentarians began to
prepare.
Decision 2
The actual decision might have been C. Resources of roundhead
supporters were used e.g. the Sussex iron works, which was mainly
Parliamentarian, was used to make guns. They wanted to avoid looting to
appear disciplined in contrast to the Cavaliers.
Decision 3
The actual decision was C. The men were not keen to wear full armour
except to have their pictures painted. Some were provided with a sleeveless
coat under which they wore a shirt, with a breastplate and backplate and
leather boots. Most wore helmets. Foot soldiers often did wear their ordinary
clothes: breeches, stockings, coat and shoes – later they wore coloured coats
to show their company. Secret passwords and signs were used as
identification e.g. some Puritans had ‘God our strength’ as a password and
wore a piece of white paper in their hats.
Decision 4
The actual decision was A. Roundheads did attack in a thunderstorm,
despite the difficulty in lighting wet muskets.
Decision 5
The decision is likely to have been C. Neither side was keen to take
prisoners and would use them to bargain if they did. You might discuss the
role of women in defending castles, providing supplies etc.
Decision 6
The decision is likely to have been B because the Roundheads were keen
to keep strong discipline.
Decision 7
The actual decision was C. The army refused to be disbanded. Parliament
passed the Self Denying Ordinance to prevent any members of the House of
Lords or the House of Commons from becoming Parliamentarian generals.
This was because of the suspicion that they would be too scared to fight the
King. Cromwell was the only exception. The army was soon required again
for the Second Civil war.
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Decision 8
The actual decision was B but only after a long time thinking, and the
Second Civil War. Many Parliamentarians had never envisaged killing the
King and had only wanted to restrict his powers. They had not thought
through who or what kind of system would replace him. They feared
repercussions from his supporters if they played any part in his death. While
the Parliamentarians considered what to do with their captive, he escaped to
Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight in the hope that its governor, a friend
of his, would help him hide. Instead the governor kept him as a prisoner, but
was unable to prevent his negotiations with the Scots.
The actual decision was B. After the Second Civil War was won there was
more pressure to put the King on trial. Some army officers began to call him
a ‘man of blood’. Since most MPs were still opposed to a trial, Colonel Pride
led a troop of soldiers into the House of Commons. 96 MPs were expelled
and 41 arrested in Pride’s Purge of December 1648.
Decision 9
The trial then went ahead with 135 judges appointed by the “Rump” of
remaining MPs. Only 85 of these dared turn up on the day of the trial, 20th
January 1639. Judge Bradshaw wore a steel-lined hat! The trial continued
for several days. Only 60 judges remained to the end.
Charles was found guilty of murder and treason despite his refusal to speak.
A masked woman was removed from the court by soldiers after shouting out
that it was Cromwell who was the traitor.
Decision
10
Parliamentarians were split over this, so any decision might have been the
actual one taken by the general you are in role as. Cromwell was offered
the throne in 1657 but refused it. In 1658, when he died, his son Richard
became Protector but did not have the support of the army. Richard resigned
in 1659 and General Monck brought his army to London to recall the Long
Parliament. This parliament contained many supporters of the monarchy and
invited Charles II to return from exile in Holland to take the throne.
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