24.The Civil war. Olivier Cromwell

The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. Parliamentary troops were known as Roundheads. The king's army were known as Cavaliers. The first (1642–46) and second (1648–49) civil wars formed the supporters of King Charles I against the supporters of the Long Parliament, while the third war (1649–51) was the fight between supporters of King Charles II and supporters of the Rump Parliament. The Civil War ended with the Parliamentary victory at the Battle of Worcester on 3 September 1651. The Civil War led to the execution of Charles I, the exile of his son, Charles II, and replacement of English monarchy with the Commonwealth of England (1649–1653), and then with a Protectorate (1653–1659) under Oliver Cromwell's personal rule. He was the head of an executive council. Several efforts were made to have him named king, but this Cromwell resisted firmly. His rule was a time of social and religious laws on radical Protestant lines. He divided the country into twelve military governorships led by major generals, established the protection of the main roads, and improved the taxation system. He died in 1658, his successor as the Lord Protector was his son Richard. Charles II was called back from exile to resume the monarchy. After his death Oliver Cromwell was charged with treason.

25.The Great Plague of 1665. The Great fire of London in 1666.

The Great Plague (1665-1666) was a massive outbreak of disease in the Kingdom of England that killed about 100,000 people, 20% of London's population. The disease was identified as bubonic plague. It was smaller than the earlier "Black Death" pandemic, but the plague of 1665 was only remembered afterwards as the "great" plague because it was one of the last widespread outbreaks in England. The English outbreak is thought to have spread from the Netherlands. By July 1665, plague was in the city of London itself. King Charles II of England, his family and his court left the city for Oxfordshire. Plague continued until September 1666. On 2 and 3 September, the Great Fire of London destroyed much of the centre of London. At about the same time, the plague outbreak ended. It continued for 4 days. It destroyed 13 thousand houses, 87 churches, St. Paul's Cathedral, and most of the buildings of the City authorities. The social and economic problems created by the disaster were overwhelming. Evacuation from London and resettlement were strongly encouraged by Charles II, who feared a London rebellion of the refugees. London was reconstructed on essentially the same street plan used before the fire.

26. The technological revolution

At the end of XVIII century there was a great technological revolution in England. It became the leading capitalist country. Industrial revolution in Great Britain began with the development of the textile industry. A flying shuttle was invented in 1773. In 1738 there was a machine that was able to weave the thread without human’s hand. In 1771 there was a spinning factory which was set in motion by a water wheel. Then the water wheel was replaced by the steam engine. There was the development of the metallurgy because of the growth of the number of machines. The major change in the metal industries during the era of the Industrial Revolution was the replacement of organic fuels based on wood with fossil fuel based on coal. Also there were great achievements in agriculture. Due to the Industrial Revolution a new working class was created, which consisted of industrial workers. These industrial workers included men, women, and even children who worked in textile factories, mines and pottery establishments.

27. The war for Spanish succession (1701-1714) was fought among several European powers, principally the Holy Roman Empire, Great Britain, the Dutch Republic, Portugal and the Duchy of Savoy, against the Kingdoms of France and Spain and the Electorate of Bavaria, over a possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under a single Bourbon monarch. The war was fought mostly in Europe, and it was marked by the military leadership of notable generals including the Duke of Marlborough (an English soldier and statesman whose career spanned the reigns of five monarchs through the late 17th and early 18th centuries. he got the title of the Duke of York through the 1670s and early 1680s, earning military and political advancement through his courage and diplomatic skill), and Prince Eugene of Savoy. It resulted in the recognition of the Bourbon Philip V as King of Spain. The union with Scotland. The Acts of Union 1707 was signed between England and Scotland, because of the political crisis in England, which was created by the War for Spanish succession and poor economical situation in Scotland. So The Kingdom of Great Britain was created.