The Protectorate

The Protectorate was a period in England (1653–1659) when Oliver Cromwell and later his son governed as military leaders after the English Civil War. It functioned as a kind of government where Cromwell held the title of Lord Protector, acting as both head of state and government, with power exercised on behalf of a parliamentary council. The Protectorate aimed to stabilize the country and enforce religious and political reforms. However, it lacked wide parliamentary support and faced challenges, ultimately leading to Cromwell’s death, the end of the Protectorate, and the restoration of the monarchy in 1660.