Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who defeated royalist forces in the English Civil War, established England as a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England from 1653 until his death in 1658. He was born in 1599 and was one of the key commanders of the New Model Army, playing an important role in several pivotal battles including Marston Moor and Langport, which led to Parliamentarian victory over royalist forces. After the war, Cromwell remained politically active as a member of the Rump Parliament and was appointed to the Council, leading a successful campaign against Irish royalist forces in the 1640s.