퓨리턴 정체성, 개신교 동맹과 무역: 크롬웰의 대 프랑스와 에스파냐 외교정책 = Puritan Identity, Protestant Alliance and Trade: Cromwellian Protectorate`s Foreign Policy on France and Spain

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

To talk about hegemony when addressing the subject of England`s relationship with Europe in mid seventeenth century is certainly premature. One of the primary reasons for this is because England only came to dominate the European scene politically in latter 18th century. Prior to it, Spain occupied the center stage in the European diplomacy during the 16th and 17th centuries, and France in the 17th and 18th centuries. However, an absence of hegemony does not necessarily imply that historians cannot speak of influential foreign policy and diplomatic activity. Although Oliver Cromwell was at the helm of government for only a brief period of five years, his government was able to intervene efficiently in the affairs of the European continent, much more so than their predecessors, especially by using their powerfully built up navy as an effective lever. Further, such an interventionist policy threw the spothght on England during this time. In developing its foreign policy, the Cromwellian government took into primary consideration its own puritan identity and the concomitant aspiration to create a pan European alliance of Protestants, the consolidation of the newly formed government, and the strengthening and expansion of England`s commercial interests. The main regions with which the government engaged in active diplomacy were the Netherlands, the Baltic region, and France and Spain. Unlike the first two, France and Spain continued to present a threat to Cromwellian government`s security after 1654 because they recognized and supported Charles II`s claim to the throne of England. Thus, the Protectorate found itself preoccupied with keeping in check these powers or even weakening their position. Historians differ, and markedly at times, in their assessment of Cromwell`s diplomatic engagement with the two countries and the impact it had on England`s national interests. Broadly speaking, such assessments tend to be either positive or negative. Historians who do not think too highly of Cromwell`s foreign policy generally focus on its economic and strategic aspects, while scholars who are complimentary of the policy tend to provide a more inclusive consideration of religious beliefs, economic demands, and domestic needs. In this article, I examine the varying assessments given by historians of the Cromwellian Protectorate`s foreign policy and offer my own criticism and assessment.