In this essay I aim to find out how far the creation of a New Model Army contributed to the defeat of the Royalists. Firstly it is noticeable simply from the title question that there must have been other factors involved, the New Model Army being just one of them. I am aiming to find and evaluate the significance of these factors.
Britain was not psychologically prepared for war, but was even less prepared militarily because of a long period of peace. Because of this the population was largely without military knowledge and experience. However there were local militia units who served within their county. The local militias were simply defence units and were truly untrained in war, they were once described as 'a dark, stomping stinking mass.' They grew in size as they marched towards the battlefield as civilians joined them. Not all the militias were as untrained as this, some united with trained troops to fight off opposing armies.
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