Editing New Model Army (section)

==Interregnum==
In England, the New Model Army was involved in numerous skirmishes with a range of opponents, but these were little more than policing actions. The largest rebellion of [[the Protectorate]] took place when the [[Sealed Knot]] instigated an insurrection in 1655.<ref>{{cite ODNB |last=Roberts |first=Stephen K. | year=2004 |title=Sealed Knot (act. 1653–1659) |id=98250}}</ref>

The major foreign entanglement of this period was the [[Anglo-Spanish War (1654)|Anglo-Spanish War]]. In 1654, the English Commonwealth declared war on Spain, and regiments of the New Model Army were sent to conquer the Spanish colony of [[Hispaniola]] in the Caribbean. They failed in the conflict and sustained heavy casualties from tropical disease. They took over the lightly defended island of [[Jamaica]]. The English troops performed better in the European theatre of the war in [[Flanders]]. During the [[Battle of the Dunes (1658)]], as part of [[Turenne]]'s army, the red-coats of the New Model Army under the leadership of Sir [[William Lockhart of Lee|William Lockhart]], Cromwell's ambassador at Paris, astonished both their French allies and Spanish enemies by the stubborn fierceness with which they advanced against a strongly defended sandhill {{convert|50|m|ft}} high.<ref>{{Harvnb|Atkinson|1911|p=248}}; {{Harvnb|Tucker|2009|p=634}}.</ref>

After Cromwell died, [[the Protectorate]] died a slow death, as did the New Model Army. For a time, in 1659, it appeared that factions of the New Model army forces loyal to different generals might wage war on each other. Regiments garrisoned in Scotland under the command of General Monck were marched to London to ensure the security of the capital prior to the [[Restoration (England)|Restoration]], without significant opposition from the regiments under other generals, particularly those led by [[Charles Fleetwood]] and [[John Lambert (general)|John Lambert]]. Following the riots led by [[Thomas Venner]] in 1661, which were quelled with the aid of soldiers from Monck's Regiment of Foot and the Regiment of Cuirassiers, the New Model Army was ordered disbanded, with the large arrears of pay financed by a [[Poll tax#17th century|poll tax]]. Monck's Regiment of Foot, upon the end of the New Model Army, was incorporated into the army of [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] as the [[Coldstream Guards]].<ref name=history>{{cite web|url=http://www.coldstreamguards-boro.org/Regimental%20History.htm|title=History of the Coldstream Guards|access-date=26 April 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130906170010/http://coldstreamguards-boro.org/Regimental%20History.htm|archive-date=6 September 2013}}</ref>

Some of the demobilized soldiers and officers of the New Model Army were sent to Portugal, to support the [[Portuguese Restoration War]] and help Portugal regain its independence after many decades of Spanish rule. The British brigade, which numbered 3,000, arrived in Portugal in August 1662{{sfn|Hardacre |1960|pp=112–125}} and proved a decisive factor in winning back Portugal's independence,{{sfn|Riley|2014|loc=Back cover}} defeating the Spanish in a major engagement at [[Battle of Ameixial|Ameixial]] on 8 June 1663, and this forced John of Austria to abandon Évora and retreat across the border with heavy losses.{{sfn|Riley|2014|p=}}