Cromwell was more responsible for the overthrow of the Stuarts than any other man, and as the commander of a large, well-trained army, he had the power to establish a dictatorship. However, he was no ordinary military conqueror who sought civil power, and the real tragedy of his career was that he was forced to assume a political role in order to protect the ideals for which he and his men had fought. Although he …showed first 75 words of 819 total…

…showed last 75 words of 819 total…the reason for his refusal, his struggle to find an alternative to royal government was about to end. On September 3, 1658, he died, leaving as his successor a son too weak to control the quarreling generals and a jealous Parliament. Early in 1660, one of his commanders seized London and brought an end to the confusion by summoning a special parliament to invite Charles II (1660-1685), the son of the murdered king, to return to the throne.