Which best describes the type of government England had in the period before Restoration?

theocratic

foreign dictatorship

absolutist

military dictatorship

The correct answer is military dictatorship. In the English Civil War, King Charles I was killed in 1649 and a new republic was ushered in the following decade which was lead by Oliver Cromwell who created a type of military dictatorship. He used lead forces in the civil war and used the military victory over the king to obtain leadership over the new republic or Protectorate. While he was a devout puritan, he persecuted many Roman Catholics especially in Ireland and used military force to quell any unrest. When he died in 1658, the Protectorate quickly evaporated and a call for a return to monarchy was made, known as the Restoration with Charles II coming to the throne.