Editing Roundhead (section)

==Beliefs==
Most Roundheads sought [[constitutional monarchy]] in place of the [[absolute monarchy]] sought by Charles;<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://rfb.bildung-rp.de/fileadmin/_migrated/content_uploads/Monarchy_versus_Parliament_01.odt|title=Monarchy versus Parliament: England in the 17th century|last=Krowke|first=André|website=rfb.bildung-rp.de}}</ref> however, at the end of the [[English Civil War]] in 1649, public antipathy towards the king was high enough to allow republican leaders such as [[Oliver Cromwell]] to abolish the monarchy completely and establish the [[Commonwealth of England]].

The Roundhead commander-in-chief of the first Civil War, [[Thomas Fairfax]], remained a supporter of constitutional monarchy, as did many other Roundhead leaders such as [[Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester]], and [[Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex]]; however, this party was outmanoeuvred by the more politically adept Cromwell and his radicals, who had the backing of the [[New Model Army]] and took advantage of Charles' perceived betrayal of England in his alliance with the [[Scottish people|Scottish]] against Parliament.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.olivercromwell.org/wordpress/?page_id=818|title=Oliver Cromwell: a Scottish perspective|first=Laura |last=Stewart|publisher=The Cromwell Association}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://bcw-project.org/church-and-state/second-civil-war/engagement|title=The Engagement, 1647–48|last=Plant|first=David|date=November 2008|website=BCW Project}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/civil_war_revolution/cromwell_01.shtml|title=Oliver Cromwell|last=Morrill|first=John|date=February 2011|publisher=BBC}}</ref>{{dubious|date=February 2020}}

England's many [[Puritans]] and [[Presbyterianism|Presbyterian]]s were almost invariably Roundhead supporters, as were many smaller religious groups such as the [[Independent (religion)|Independents]]. However, a number of Roundheads were members of the [[Church of England]], as were most [[Cavaliers]]. Roundhead political factions included the proto-anarchist/socialist [[Diggers]], the diverse group known as the [[Levellers]] and the [[Christian eschatology|apocalyptic Christian]] movement of the [[Fifth Monarchists]].