Oliver Cromwell, who protected Britain from freedom

Oliver Cromwell was declared Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland "and of the dominions thereto belonging" on December 16th, 1653. He had been one of the Parliamentarians opposed to the rule of Charles I, and had distinguished himself as a commander in the civil war that ensued. He had signed, with others, the order to execute King Charles in 1649, and served in the so-called Rump Parliament until he forcefully dissolved it, sending soldiers to overwhelm its independence.

Britain had given up its monarchy to be ruled under a military dictatorship. Cromwell thought he was guided by God to implement his will on Earth, and was ready to do so without pity. He was fervently anti-Catholic. Indeed, the Long Parliament he dominated passed an ordinance in 1647 confirming the abolition of the feast of Christmas, which Cromwell believed was an abhorrent and sinful vestige of 'popery.' His troops slaughtered Catholic civilians in Ireland in their thousands.

After Cromwell became Lord Protector, he took to signing himself "Cromwell P." with the 'P' standing for Protector, mimicking kings who put an 'R' for Rex after their name. He set up local groups of 'triers' to vet potential ministers for their purity of thought, and 'ejectors' who could dismiss 'impure' clerics and teachers.

Just like a monarch, he was succeeded when he died by his son, Richard. Cromwell, but the latter was soon forced from office, and the monarchy restored under Charles II. Cromwell had been given an elaborate state funeral and a burial in Westminster Abbey, but after the Restoration his corpse was dug up, displayed, and then beheaded.

Cromwell was regarded by some historians as a liberator who saved Parliament, but subsequent judgements have been harsher. It is now regarded as absurd that Parliament has a statue outside it of the only man who abolished it. An influential children's novel, "The Children of the New Forest," published in 1847 by Frederick Marryat, helped turn the tide, portraying Roundheads as dour killjoys, and Cavaliers as dashing and romantic.

Many people today see in Cromwell a prototype of the 20th Century dictators, so convinced of the rightness of their cause that they would slaughter people in their millions to advance it. And even today, some see a reflection of Cromwell in people gripped by an ideology that tells them that it alone embodies justice, and that the rightness of their cause allows them to engage in any behaviour that supports it, even if this involves renouncing basic human decency.

Cromwell was a fanatic, and those who today think that their self-convinced virtue justifies any behaviour share that fanaticism.