Comparative Irish History
James Scott Wheeler and James Burke's look at the Irish Civil War
The Irish Confederate Army, the battles they fought, their methods and strategy and the people who were involved, including Cromwell and Ireton, are topics of much consideration within both Irish and English history, including the accounts of James Scott Wheeler and James Burke.
Interpretation's of Oliver Cromwell
Traditionally, Cromwell is seen as a successful General whom returned to England triumphant and maintained power in Ireland through his son-in-law Ireton.[1] Wheeler maintains this view point, showing that the Irish Confederate Army failed because of division within the Irish ranks, and believed that Cromwell was a worthy General. He maintains that it was because the resistance in Ireland collapsed, and the divisions between the Irish people, that Cromwell was successful.[2] Wheeler’s lack of innovation in his comprehension of the events can be also be seen through the way he provides only a single sentence to introduce Cromwell’s exit from Ireland and his replacement, Henry Ireton.[3] Throughout his writing, Wheeler provides the information in a fact-based, scientific manner and provides no new evidence or understanding to the topic rather he simply states the events as they took place.
Oliver Cromwell and Henry Ireton
While Wheeler does not provide any new evidence or understanding to Cromwell and the defeat of the Irish Confederate Army, Burke looks at the strategy employed by both Cromwell and Ireton, as well as the use of siege warfare as the reason for the defeat of Cromwell and the success of Ireton.[4] Instead of believing that the defeat of the Irish army was due to division within the ranks, Burke believes that “the enemy in Ireland was composed of more experienced fighters” showing, unlike Wheeler, that it was not the way in which the army worked together or did not that caused their defeat.[5] He focuses on the way in which Cromwell was less of a good General, as Wheeler saw him, and more of a hindrance to the army itself, as he believes that the choices Cromwell made throughout the sieges were such that it caused the weakening of the English army.[6] Also, while Wheeler does not discuss Ireton in depth, rather simply mentions his taking over of the English army, Burke discusses him at length, seeing him as a sympathetic and skilled leader who used his previous background as a lawyer to carefully make his decisions.[7] As Burke believes Cromwell as a hindrance, and believes Ireton was one of the “Good Englishman” he would be of the nationalist historiographic tradition.
While Burke and Wheeler take opposing views on the effect Cromwell and Ireton truly had on the outcome of the war, and ultimately the reasons for the defeat of the Irish, they both take the pain and humanity out of the war. Wheeler never makes mention of how the Irish citizens reacted and were treated during the war and Burke treats it as more of an afterthought than he does a main point. Both authors, however, are interested in showing the true facts of the events, to the best of their ability. Wheeler and Burke both use a significant number of primary and secondary sources. Burke provides a new way in which to interpret some of the evidence, while Wheeler restates many of the same arguments seen in previous historiographies.
[1] S. J. Connolly, ed, Oxford Companion to Irish History (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007), 116.
[2] James Scott Wheeler, The Irish and British Wars (London: 1994), 221.
[3] Wheeler, 220.
[4] James Burke, “The New Model Army and the problem of siege warfare”, 1-2.
[5] Burke, 8.
[6] Burke, 15.
[7] Burke, 19.
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