Interregnum

Time between 1649 and 1660 when England was a republic.

What happened

On January 1649, Charles I was executed and on 6 and 7 February the House of Lords and the monarchy were abolished. On 19 Mai 1649, England became a Commonwealth or Free State. Now, the administartion lay in the hands of the Privy Council with its fourty members. The executive power was lead by Oliver Cromwell. Whereas before lawtexts mentioned the king, they now spoke of the "Keepers of the Liberties of England" (Heiner 1993: 182). But the republic remained a republic without republicans.
on 20 April 1653, the core of the Parliament was dissolved and on 15 December Cromwell was declared the Lord Protector. The following year, England, Ireland, and Scotland were united. On 3 September 1658 Oliver Cromwell died but his son could not keep his function up. In 1660 a convention was announced: the beginning of the Restoration.

Aims

The first aim was to secure the power and the second to expand it. This lead to a more active foreign policy. Leveller groups were dissolved and rebellions in Ireland and Scotland were defeated.
But the military power did not help to consolidate the new system as the public did not stand behind it. And furthermore the core of the Parliament was represented by a minority. Some parts of the country were not represented at all. But it not really matter who was on top as long as the result was still a finacial burden.

Ireland and Scotland

The republic had a standing army of fourtyfourthousand men and thus posessed the greatest military power at that time, which it directed towards Ireland. Ireland's position was the total opposition towards England. Several incidents in Ireland where people were killed stirred up the hatred against England even more. Then, Cromwell directed his power towards Scotland. After he and his troops were defeated in England, Charles II fled to France and Scotland lost its independence for nine years.

Why did it fail

The republic did not fail because of powerful opposer but mainly because it lacked the acceptance of the political nation.

Sources

Haan, Heiner; Niedhart, Gottfried. Geschichte Englands vom 16. bis zum 18. Jahrhundert. München: C.H.Beck, 1993.
Maurer, Michael. Kleine Geschichte Englands. Stuttgart: Reclam, 1997.