ABSTRACT
The Solemn League and Covenant and the Irish cessation of September 1643 transformed the strategic situation in the Stuart Kingdoms. The Scottish Covenanters became inextricably committed to the parliamentarian cause and further militarized their nation. The Irish Confederates hitched their fortunes to those of the English king. For the next two years, the Irish and Scottish revolutions depended on the results of the English Civil War. Whichever side won in England would have the power to affect the military and political outcomes in the other kingdoms. At this juncture, the opposing forces in England each possessed strategic advantages that balanced the military odds. Consequently, the outcome of the conflict remained uncertain and unpredictable as the war entered its second year.
