Civil War London

London was the critical location throughout the English Civil Wars - a fact that has been emphasised by countless historians, with some going as far to say that by fleeing his capital in January 1642, King Charles I lost the war several months before the fighting actually started. Most studies focus on London as the political and economic powerhouse - overlooking the fact that militarily, London was just as important; it is 'London: the militarised city' which is the focus of this new history. At the outbreak of the fighting, Parliament was able to call upon the capital's ‘citizen soldiers' - well trained and equipped soldiery - although their commitment was not always assured. In addition to its militia and other volunteers, London was also able to defend herself through the construction of the largest system of urban fortification constructed anywhere in the country - a factor made even more critical by the fact that the London arms trades supplied the Parliamentarian war effort.