The Protectorate in
English history refers specifically to the English
government of
1653 to
1659 under the direct control of
Oliver Cromwell, who assumed the title of
Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland. It came into being four years after the execution of
Charles I and the successive failures of the
Rump Parliament and the
Barebones Parliament. Although The Protectorate was supposed to divide power between the Lord Protector and an appointed council of state and Parliament, The Protectorate under Cromwell became a
de facto dictatorship.