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Why did the second English Civil War change the army’s attitude toward Charles I?

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Painting of the Battle of Naseby shows cavalry and infantry clashing, with soldiers on horseback leading a charge and fallen fighters on the ground amid the chaos of battle. — English Civil Wars *Battle of Naseby*, by an unknown artist. The victory of the Parliamentarian New Model Army, under Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell, over the Royalist army, commanded by Prince Rupert, at the Battle of Naseby (June 14, 1645) marked the decisive turning point in the English Civil War.

The second English Civil War (1648) fundamentally hardened the attitude of the New Model Army toward Charles I by convincing soldiers and officers that the king was directly responsible for the unnecessary loss of life caused by the renewed conflict.1

Following the king's defeat in the first war, many in the army had hoped for a political settlement. However, Charles’s decision to incite further fighting by joining forces with discontented Scots—despite having previously engaged in failed peace negotiations—led the army to view him as "that man of blood".1

This shift in perspective had two major consequences:
* Open Contemplation of Alternatives: For the first time, members of the army openly considered alternatives to the monarchy, moving away from the previous goal of preserving the king's safety.1
* Political Intervention: Fearing that Parliament would compromise their sacrifices and ideals through further negotiations, the army took decisive action. This culminated in Pride’s Purge in December 1648, where the army removed moderate members of Parliament to ensure the king would be brought to trial for treason.1