During the recent century and a half the attitude of Europe has
undergone a sudden change and the general tendency is to discredit
monarchism and adopt republicanism. The one great European power
which first attempted to make a trial of republicanism is Great
Britain. In the Seventeenth Century a revolution broke out in
England and King Charles I was condemned to death by Parliament
and executed as a traitor to the nation. A republic was
established and the administration was called republican with
Cromwell as regent, i.e. President, Cromwell was able to control
the power of government because at the head of the revolutionary
army he defeated the King. This English republic however, only
existed for a few years and was finally defeated in turn. The
reason was that the problem of succession after the death of
Cromwell was difficult to solve. Cromwell had a desire to place
his son in his place as regent after his death, but as the English
people were then unsuited for a republic and his son had not the
ability to act as chief executive, the republic of England
suddenly disappeared. The British people then abandoned the
republican system and readopted the monarchical system. Thus
Charles II, the son of Charles I, was made King not only with the
support of the army but also with the general consent of the
country.
The second European race which attempted to have a republic was
the American.
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