Events

Battlefields Trust Online Talk: Why no battlefield? The 'bloodless' revolution in England, 1688

Thursday 4th June 2026

In the late autumn of 1688, two armies faced each other, on Salisbury Plain. One belonged to the king of England, James II; the other to his son-in-law, William III, captain-general of the United Provinces of the Netherlands, a man who had been invited to invade the kingdom by a cabal of discontented subjects of James. Contemporaries feared civil war - yet there was no battle, because James suddenly retreated, and then fled the realm. This talk will try to explain this non-event (so disappointing for trustees of battlefields). The analysis will centre of James’ psychology, it but will explore key developments in the late Stuart Age which led to the king’s mental breakdown. These will include the shadow of the mid-century conflicts in Britian and Ireland; the emergence of a new kind of state; and the new importance of an influential public opinion.

Tony Claydon is Emeritas Professor of Early Modern History at Bangor University, in North Wales. He is author of numerous books and articles, focussing on the religious, political, and cultural history of late seventeenth century in England. He has a particular interest in the reign of William III (1689-1702), but has also explored such topics as masculinity and power, the idea of Christendom in England, the perception of time in the late Stuart era, and the role of sermons in print culture.

For further information.

• Contact name : Battlefields Trust Online Talks
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