Talk:George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle
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[edit] Rewrite of article, changes passages & reasons therefore
This article, imo, needed some major revisions. It was too long and included more information that should be in encylopedia's biographical sketch. The On-line Britannica article is only a few paragraphs and contains far fewer details while getting the point, as it were, much more efficiently.
Below are the major passages that I've edited. Beneath them, in parentheses, are the reasons for the changes. The reasons are not in a polished, concise form.
PainMan 23:37, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Paragraphs Changes; Reasons for edits
corps in the army
(the corps was not a military formation until the Napoleonic Wars, 160+ years after this period)
At first as adjutant-general to the Parliamentary lord-lieutenant, his old friend Lord Lisle, and afterwards
as governor of Ulster, he rendered great services to his new masters. In conjunction with Colonel Michael
Jones, governor of Leinster, he made headway against the rebels for two years, but in the third (1649) the
Parliamentarians, weakened by defections brought about by the execution of the king, were no longer able to
keep the field.
. Ten days after hoisting his flag for the first time he was engaged with his colleagues, [[Robert Blake
(admiral)|Robert Blake]] and Richard Deane, in the Battle of Portland (28 February - 2 March
1653). In the Battle of the Gabbard (2 - 3 June 1653) Monck exercised the general command
after Deane's death. The Battle of Scheveningen followed on 29 - July 31,
(far too much detail for an encyclopedic bio article; this belongs, more properly to the history of the English Civil War or English Commonwealth
diplomatist
(incorrect word and rather archaic)
It is improbable that at this time Monck had proposed to himself the restoration of the king, though so astute
a politician must have weighed the chances of such an event. His very reticence, however, caused alarm on one
side and hope on the other.
(It seems unlikley Cromwell would have continued to trust him if he thought Monck wavering in his loyalty to
himself. The subsequent part of the paragraph thus directly contradicts the first.)
But when Booth rose in Cheshire for the king, so tempting did the
opportunity seem that he was on the point of joining forces with him, and a manifesto was prepared. His
habitual caution, however, induced him to wait until the next post from England, and the next post brought
news of Booth's defeat.
(Not really important enough for inclusion; the important point, to which this is redundant, is made again in
the same paragraph.)
The navy, some of the English garrisons and the army in Ireland declared for the parliament, and the army from
Scotland crossed the Tweed on 2 January 1660. It was inferior in numbers, but in all other respects
superior to Lambert's, and Monck slowly marched on to London, disbanding or taking over on his way the
detachments of Lambert's army which he met....
(Just too much information; this belongs more to an article on the Restoration or the history of Britain or
even Parliament itself)
which Monk was imposing on the remnant of the old,
(if Monck had the power to force the Rump's dissolution, then he obviously had the power to call for new
elections)
With the Restoration the historic interest of Monck's career ceases.
(just a little bit of POV...)
and commander-in-chief
(of what? The army? Which army & where? Also, citation needed for that.)
As long as the army existed of which he was the idol, and of which the last service was to suppress [[Thomas
Venner]]'s revolt (January 1661), he remained a person of influence.
(Venner's revolt was minor of little conciquence. And Monck clearly remained a "person influence" since he was
given further military responsibilities by Charles II, notably fighting in the Second Anglo-Dutch War.
Charles II remained sincerely grateful.)
In 1664 Monck had charge of the admiralty when James, duke of York, commanded the
fleet, and when in 1665 much of the populace deserted London on account of the Great Plague, Monck, with all the readiness of a man accustomed to obey without thinking of risk, remained in
charge of the government of the city.
(not really important enough for Monck's biography, belongs more to the story of the Plague of 1665)
Once more, at the end of 1665, he was called upon to fight, having a joint commission with [[Prince Rupert of
the Rhine|Prince Rupert]] against the Dutch in the Second Anglo-Dutch War. The whole burden of the
preparations fell upon him. On 23 April 1666 the admirals joined the fleet, and on 1 June 1666
began the great Four Days Battle, in which Monck showed not only all his old coolness and skill, but also
a reckless daring which had seemed hitherto foreign to his character. As this recklessness had cost the
English many ships, command of the fleet was taken from him and given to Rupert, whom he would accompany in
the St James's Day Battle, the last battle at sea in which he would participate. Later in the same year he
maintained order in the city of London during the Great Fire.
(this can be put more pithily, since the only really important point is that he fought in the Second
Anglo-Dutch War)
Isle of Rhe
(This is normally spelled as Isle of Ré or the French Île de Ré)
PainMan 23:38, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
