Editing Pride's Purge (section)

{{short description|Event in second English Civil War}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Operational plan
| name        = Pride's Purge
| partof      = the [[Second English Civil War]]
| image       = PridesPurge.jpg
| caption     = [[Thomas Pride|Colonel Pride]] refusing admission to the secluded members of the [[Long Parliament]].
| scope       =
| type        =
| location    =
| coordinates =
| planned     =
| planned_by  = Elements within the [[New Model Army]]
| objective   = Removal from the [[Long Parliament]] of members considered to be opponents of the [[New Model Army]] 
| target      =
| date        = {{Start date|1648|12|06|df=y}}
| time        =
| time-begin  =
| time-end    =
| timezone    =
| executed_by =
| outcome     = Establishment of the [[Rump Parliament]]
| casualties  = None
| fatalities  =
| injuries    =
}}
'''Pride's Purge''' is the name commonly given to an event that took place on 6 December 1648, when soldiers prevented [[members of Parliament]] considered hostile to the [[New Model Army]] from entering the [[House of Commons of England]].

Despite defeat in the [[First English Civil War]], [[Charles I of England|Charles I]] retained significant political power. This allowed him to create an alliance with Scots [[Covenanters]] and [[Roundhead|Parliamentarian]] moderates to restore him to the English throne. The result was the 1648 [[Second English Civil War]], in which he was defeated once again.

Convinced only his removal could end the conflict, senior commanders of the [[New Model Army]] took control of [[London]] on 5 December. The next day, soldiers commanded by Colonel [[Thomas Pride]] forcibly excluded from the [[Long Parliament]] those MPs viewed as their opponents, and arrested 45.

The purge cleared the way for the [[Execution of Charles I|execution of Charles]] in January 1649, and establishment of the [[The Protectorate|Protectorate]] in 1653; it is considered the only recorded military ''[[coup d'état]]'' in English history.{{sfn|Macaulay|1891|p=68}}