isfaction with both the policy of the Presbyterians and the program of the power-crazy Independents.first Leveller groups sprang up in London and then in other cities and counties. By 1647 the Levellers became a wide self-sufficient nation-wide group while before that they were considered as just a left wing of the Independents. Their program was expressed in pamphlets and manifestoes (such as «The Case of the Army», 1647 or «An Agreement of the People», 1647) and it was a program of wide and radical political reforms. They were in favour of abolition of monarchy, of the House of Lords and aristocratic privileges: they were in favour of making England a republic with a one-chamber Parliament elected on the basis of universal suffrage. They also advocated a radical reform in the domain of law and justice, they were in favour of everyone s equality before the law. [5, p.152], the Levellers were not consistent democrats. Their social-economic program was quite moderate. They wanted abolition of patents and monopolies, lightening the burden of taxes, a return to the pre-enclosure state of land owning, a transformation of copy-holding into free-holding. But all that did not mean any radical solution of the agrarian problem, that is liquidation of aristocratic landownership. This repulsed the wide masses.Levellers were headed by John Lilburn. They fought against the growing taxes and said that the revolution merely replaced the chains of monarchy by new chains while the living standard and the political position of the poor and middle classes remained unchanged. In 1649 Lilburn and other leaders of the Levellers were arrested. The army Levellers revolted (May-September 1649), the Independents pretended to concede and declared England a republic «without the king and the House of Lords». Meanwhile Cromwell suppressed the rebellion in the army and the democratic movement ended. [3, pp. 105-107]
.3.4 The Civil War of 1648. The Establishment of the RepublicCromwell was not going to stand any dangerous radicalism, and he suppressed the democratic movement so successfully that the bourgeoisie and gentry were delighted with a leader who could protect the country from the dangerous left groups. He showed his trustworthiness still further when he suppressed the national liberation movement in Ireland and Scotland as well.Royalists were quick to take advantage of the struggle between the Parliament parties. Supported by the Presbyterian desire of compromise, they rallied and began another civil war in 1648. They got part of the navy, headed by the Prince of Wales, to support them; the Scotch reactionaries were helpful; but by the end of 1648 the royalist armies were defeated by Cromwell «s now formidable forces. The task of the moment was suppression of the Presbyterians and Cromwell displayed wonders of simple strategy, he directed troops to surround the House of Commons and stationed a staunch independent, one Colonel Pride at the door with a list of the Presbyterian members and all unreliable members in general. The procedure was called «Pride» s Purge « and it left only a »Rump» of independents, some hundred people who dutifully voted thanks to Cromwell and formed a High Court of Justice to judge the king. The latter was later brought before this court, accused of acts of tyranny, of raising taxes without the consent of Parliament and of making war upon his subjects. The trial took seven...
