Just before you start, I must tell you that the 2025 History of England tour is up and available for booking.

This year we're going from the 8th to the 17th September to glorious Yorkshire.

We'll explore the natural wonder of the Dales, there'll be abys, castles, beautiful villages, loads more.

And then York, magnificent historic capital of the north,

with the Minster, the Shambles, railway museums, such an amazing place. Also, there will be fun,

laughter and folk music, not necessarily all at the same time. Hop along to the history of

england.com.com.uk to find out more.

Right, that's it. On with the episode.

As you're listening to me, Daisy, Apple's iPhone disassembly robot, is dismantling an iPhone

into lots of recyclable parts. That's how Apple recovers more materials than conventional recycling methods.

Thanks, Daisy. There's more to iPhone.

Music Hello, everyone, welcome back to the history of England, episode 423, designs and major generals.

Now then, over the last two episodes we've spoken about the Protectorate and how things are going.

We've covered Cromwell's desire for healing and for settling, to bring much-needed stability and peace to a ravaged Commonwealth, the innovation of its

new constitution, the final resolution of the settlement of the Commonwealth's, the successful

initial burst of energy of the Council state, which rather contrasted then

with a less than successful and terribly factional first protectorate parliament.

And we talked about the constant thrum of royalist dissatisfaction and the threat of rebellion and assassination.

So this time we're going to hear about how those things

all combined with some consequences of Cromwell's foreign policy to come on it in the biggest

single howler of his protectorate. Oliver Cromwell was not a well-read man. After all,

he'd only been a gentleman farmer,

...