Cromwell spent only nine months of his eventful life in Ireland yet he stands accused there of war crimes religious persecution & ethnic cleansing. In a century of unrelenting bloody warfare & religious persecution throughout Europe Cromwell was in many ways a product of his times. As commander-in-chief of the army in Ireland however the responsibilities for the excesses of the military must be laid firmly at his door while the harsh nature of the post-war settlement also bears his personal imprint. A warrior of Christ somewhat like the crusaders of medieval Europe he acted as Gods executioner convinced throughout the horrors of the legitimacy of his cause & striving to build a better world for the chosen few.