'Oliver Cromwell is a Devil!' Religious Radicalism and Political Turmoil in Geneva during the English Civil Wars

When King Charles I was beheaded in 1649 it incited a series of events in the Reformed city of Geneva. The Civil Wars and Regicide uncovered the political and religious tensions within Geneva during the English Civil Wars. In Geneva, two important bodies, the Small Council of civil magistrates and t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Seventeenth century Vol. 39; no. 4; pp. 559 - 577
Main Author Cumming, Nicholas A.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Durham Routledge 03.07.2024
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
17th century
Civil war
Radicalism
Religion & politics
Geneva Switzerland
Switzerland
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Summary:When King Charles I was beheaded in 1649 it incited a series of events in the Reformed city of Geneva. The Civil Wars and Regicide uncovered the political and religious tensions within Geneva during the English Civil Wars. In Geneva, two important bodies, the Small Council of civil magistrates and the Company of Pastors jockeyed for an appropriate response from their diverse members. Additionally, the leaders of Geneva had to respond to English and Continental rumours that they were to blame for England's woes. Utilizing archival research, this article examines the transnational implications of the English Civil Wars and it shows that the Genevans had far from a unified view of the Civil Wars. Ultimately, the primary fear for the leaders in Geneva was not necessarily the death of a king, but instead that they would be associated with the worst aspects of the Radical Reformation: Anabaptism.
ISSN:0268-117X
2050-4616
DOI:10.1080/0268117X.2024.2339548