What title did Oliver Cromwell take in 1653?

After the execution of Charles I, England became a republic known as the Commonwealth. Oliver Cromwell, the leader of the Parliamentarian forces, became the most powerful man in the country. In 1653, he took the title of Lord Protector, effectively ruling as a military dictator. He was a strict Puritan who banned many forms of entertainment, including theatre and Christmas celebrations.

Cromwell was a controversial figure. He brutally suppressed a rebellion in Ireland, where his forces massacred thousands of people at Drogheda and Wexford. These events left a lasting legacy of bitterness in Ireland. Cromwell also conquered Scotland and united England, Scotland, and Ireland under one government. He died in 1658, and his son Richard briefly succeeded him but was unable to maintain power.