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__NOTOC__[[File:Life of St. Edmund, Barbarians Invading England, c 1130.JPG|thumbnail|200px|left|Figure 1. The time of St. Edmund, who was an East Anglia king who died at the hands of the Viking invasions of England.]]The Viking, or more accurately Danish and Norsemen, invasions of England in the 9th century CE (865) helped lead to what ultimately would become the united country of England. Before 865, England was divided into four or sometimes more countries, populated by Angles and Saxons (or Anglo-Saxons). Wales and Cornwall were also occupied by the remaining Britons, who were the pre-Roman population of the British Isles. These divided lands often fought each other; however, a clear dominant kingdom rarely emerged. In the 860-890s, Alfred of Wessex forged the idea of an England, one that was a united kingdom from Anglo-Saxons. This did not happen in his lifetime but by the reign of his grandson, Æthelstan, it became a reality in 927. In effect, the invasions by the Danes and Norsemen set off a series of events that ultimately led to the unification of England, where after this time England would never be seen as having multiple states or crowns.

==Impact of Viking Invasions==By 865These divided lands often fought each other; however, the Danes and Norse had seen the British Isles as a region to settle rather than simply raid (Figure 1)clear dominant kingdom rarely emerged. At that pointIn the 860-890s, conditions in Scandinavia may have forced many populations out Alfred of Wessex forged the region because it became difficult to farmidea of an England, one that was a united kingdom from Anglo-Saxons. This likely encouraged many Danes to take to raiding and then later into settling new areas. The British Isles, fed did not happen in his lifetime but by the warmer waters from the Gulf streamreign of his grandson, Æthelstan, was attractive and fertile landit became a reality in 927. After landing in 865In effect, eventually the invasions by the Danes had defeated three and Norsemen set off a series of events that ultimately led to the four kingdoms unification of England, including Northumbria, Mercia, and East Anglia, with only Wessex having survived where after this onslaught. The conflict with Wessex occupied much of the late 860s and early 870s. Alfred, later known time England would never be seen as Alfred the Great, took up the throne of Wessex and confronted the Daneshaving multiple states or crowns.

As ===Impact of Viking Invasions===[[File:Oseberg_ship_-_IMG_9129.jpg|thumbnail|left|200px|Oseberg ship, Kulturhistorisk museum (Viking Ship Museum), Oslo, Norway.]]By 865, the Danes and Norsemen remained largely fragmentedNorse had seen the British Isles as a region to settle rather than simply raid (Figure 1). At that point, Alfred went about unifying his kingdom climate conditions in Denmark and building a stronger base Scandinavia may have forced many populations out of support among Anglo-Saxon populations. First, he appealed the region because it became difficult to most of them using his religionfarm. This also helped likely encouraged many Danes to bring some Britons take to his causeraiding and then later into settling new areas, who likely saw Christianity as where a way to unite against more stable economy could be established for them. The British Isles, fed by the warmer waters from the invadersGulf stream, were attractive and fertile land. SecondAfter landing in 865, Alfred married his daughtereventually the Danes had defeated three of the four kingdoms of England, Æthelflædincluding Northumbria, to Mercia, which helped to eventually bring that former Anglo-Saxon kingdom into and East Anglia, with only Wessex having survived this onslaught. The conflict with Wessex's controloccupied much of the late 860s and early 870s. In factAlfred, after Æthelflæd's husbandlater known as Alfred the Great, Æthelred, died, she was able to rule Mercia and effectively bring it into took up the control throne of Wessexand confronted the Danes. Mercia was once For a while, the conflict swung back and forth.<ref>For more on the background on the most powerful of conflict between the Vikings and Anglo-Saxon kingdomsSaxons, see: Baillie, Benjamin James. 2015. With Wessex's control of Mercia, it was able to use it as a base to then re-conquer East Anglia in <i>The Great Heathen Army: Ivar "the reign of Edward, Alfred's son, Boneless" and then Northumbria, during the reign Viking invasion of ÆthelstanBritain</i>. Benjamin James Baillie.</ref>

[[File:Life Although Alfred faced a devastating defeat in 878, and at that point much of Stthe resistance in England subdued by the Viking forces, Alfred was forced to seek refuge in the swamps of Somerset. EdmundThere, Barbarians Invading Englandhe was able to reorganize himself, c 1130in part by acting as a rallying cry against the polytheistic Danes.JPG|thumbnail|Figure 1. The time As forces gathered from many parts of St. EdmundEngland, who he was an East Anglia king who died at then able to win the hands crucial battle of Edington. This helped to re-establish Wessex and new boundaries where areas north of Wessex and to the east became Danelaw, or regions where the Viking invasions Danes ruled. Alfred created a series of fortified towns or forts, known as burhs, that made further conquest difficult for Danes or Norse attackers, as they had not developed effective siege warfare tactics. This bought time for Wessex to become even more powerful and develop better army strength to fight the remaining Danes and Norse in England.]]

==Why England Became United==What is clear is that all of the kingdoms that became England either willingly joined Wessex or eventually joined after a relatively brief power struggle. In effect, While the invasions and occupation by the Danes and Norse led likely seemed to be a threat to many Anglo-Saxons Saxon England, it also effectively gave Alfred a chance to see Wessex as foster the unifying force for the country. While Alfred did call himself "King idea of the a unified English speaking peoplekingdom," he which was able to transplant this idea to his son and grandsonalso Christian. Furthermore, Danelaw lacked very strong central governments, where the idea of England rulers often had little real power and local warlords were able to do as a unified state soon became state policy in the reconquest (Figure 2)they please. ManyHowever, particularly in Mercia, did not want Wessex such conditions began to rule over all England; however, favor the continued threat eventual unity of Danish and Norse invasions, including those England that occurred later, did help rally people now stood as a strong contrast to Wessex (Figure 2)Danish held regions. Thus, it <ref>For more on why Alfred the Great was the weakness of the defeated kingdoms and Wessex proving that it could stand against Norse and Danish invasions that helped able to ultimately unify triumph over the land in what became known as the land of the Angles (iVikings, see: Dougherty, M.eJ., England(2014). Alfred may have harbored interests in unifying the state even without the invasions <i>Vikings: a dark history of the Danes and Norse; however, this would have been very difficult, as it would have required fighting the three other kingdomspeople. The Danes and Norse had weakened potential enemies for Alfred, while also making themselves as a rallying cry for Anglo-Saxons to unite under the banner of Wessex. The viking invasions of England, in effect, became a perfect opportunity for a smart ruler such as Alfred to realize it created a great opportunity to unite the divided states</i> New Holland Publishers.</ref>

InterestinglyAs the Danes and Norsemen remained largely fragmented, while Alfred and went about unifying his successors became successful in preventing successful Danish kingdom and Norse invasions building a stronger base of Englandsupport among Anglo-Saxon populations. First, this also created the seeds for the eventual Norman conquest he appealed to most of Englandthem using his religion. Many of the Norse, rather than settling in England, settled in what became NormandyThis also helped to bring some Britons to his cause, who likely saw Christianity as this land seemed easier a way to settle than England that had many burhs and increasingly became more united. Over time, unite against the invaders even though they formed often fought the kingdom Angles and Duchy of Normandy by the 10th centurySaxons. As Normandy became more powerful in EuropeSecond, Alfred married his daughter, Æthelflæd, to Mercia, it was able which helped to invade England and conquer it in what became known as the Norman invasion in 1066eventually bring that former Anglo-Saxon kingdom into Wessex's control.

[[File:18205178532 3b824328aa bIn fact, after Æthelflæd's husband, Æthelred, died, she was able to rule Mercia and effectively bring it into the control of Wessex. Mercia was once one of the most powerful of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.jpg|thumbnail|Figure 2With Wessex's control of Mercia, it was able to use it as a base to then re-conquer East Anglia in the reign of Edward, Alfred's son, and then Northumbria, during the reign of Æthelstan. Statues In effect, the control of Mercia was critical to the eventual unification of all of King AthelstanEngland, who first as it brought the two more populated regions under united control.<ref>For more on the process of unification for England, see: Stafford, P. (1989) <i>Unification and conquest: a political and social history of Englandin the tenth and eleventh centuries.</i> London ; New York : New York, NY, E. Arnold ; Distributed in the USA by Routledge, Chapman, and Hall.]]</ref>

==Alternative Possibilities=Why England Became United===If the Viking invasions did not happen[[File:18205178532 3b824328aa b.jpg|thumbnail|200px|left|Figure 2. Statues of King Athelstan, then it would have been difficult to unify who first united England. One only needs to look at Germany ]]What is clear is that all of the kingdoms that became England either willingly joined Wessex or Italy in eventually joined after a relatively brief power struggle. In effect, the invasions and occupation by the Medieval Danes and early modern period Norse led to see that many states that exist today in Europe took a long time Anglo-Saxons to develop see Wessex as unified nation states. Kingdoms the unifying force the country needed in early Medieval Europe, order to effectively deal with major invasions such as Charlemagnethat witnessed in 865. While Alfred did call himself "King of the English speaking people, were " he was able to create larger monarchies or states; howevertransplant this idea to his son and grandson, they where the idea of England as a unified state soon became fragmented as children of state policy in the reconquest and propaganda that justified why Wessex now controlled the monarch or rivals would compete for powerformer Anglo-Saxon states (Figure 2). On the other handMany, particularly in Mercia, areas most threatened by invasions became more likely did not want Wessex to uniterule over all England; however, as a greater outside the continued threat helped of Danish and Norse invasions, including those that occurred later, did help rally people to catalyze similar cultures Wessex, weakening opposition to merge together to form a more powerful kingdom. For instance, Scotland and Wales also experienced similar greater unity after viking invasions of their territoryWessex (Figure 2).

We could, therefore, speculate that a lack of clear outside threat could have meant a longer continuity in the power struggles that affected England before the 8th century, specifically back and forth fighting between Anglo<dh-Saxons and sometime Britons. By being unified relatively early, England became a more attractive crown, which is one reason why the Normans were interested in its conquest in the 11th century, as a larger political entity and having now greater wealth made it more of interest for the Normans who were more boxed into their territory in France by the French.ad/>

Thus, it was the weakness of the defeated kingdoms and Wessex proving that it could stand against Norse and Danish invasions that helped to ultimately unify the land in what became known as the land of the Angles (i.e., England). Alfred may have harbored interests in unifying the state even without the invasions of the Danes and Norse; however, this would have been very difficult, as it would have required fighting the three other kingdoms. The Danes and Norse had weakened potential enemies for Alfred, while also making themselves as a rallying cry for Anglo-Saxons to unite under the banner of Wessex. The Viking invasions of England created an opportunity to unify the country that could not have easily existed otherwise.<ref>For more on how the Viking invasions both united the English and weakened rival kingdoms, see: Stafford, P. (1989) <i>Unification and conquest: a political and social history of England in the tenth and eleventh centuries.</i> London ; New York : New York, NY, E. Arnold ; Distributed in the USA by Routledge, Chapman, and Hall.</ref> Interestingly, while Alfred and his successors became successful in preventing successful Danish and Norse invasions of England, this also created the seeds for the eventual Norman conquest of England. Many of the Norse, rather than settling in England, settled in what became Normandy, as this land seemed easier to settle and conquer than England that had many burhs and increasingly became more united. Over time, they formed the kingdom and eventually Duchy of Normandy by the 10th century. As Normandy became more powerful in Europe, it was able to invade England, under William the Conqueror, and integrate it into their kingdom in what became known as the Norman invasion of 1066.<ref>For more on the Normans, see: Brown, R.A. (1994) <i>The Normans.</i> New ed. Woodbridge, Suffolk UK ; Rochester, NY, Boydell Press.</ref> ===Alternative Possibilities===If the Viking invasions did not happen, then it would have been difficult to unify England. One only needs to look at Germany or Italy in the Medieval and early modern period to see that many states that exist today in Europe took a long time to develop as unified nation states. Kingdoms in early Medieval Europe, such as Charlemagne, were able to create larger monarchies or states; however, they soon became fragmented as children of the monarch or rivals would compete for power. When threats were mostly internal, then often the state fragmented into multiple states. On the other hand, areas most threatened by invasions became more likely to unite, as a greater outside threat helped to catalyze similar cultures to merge together to form a more powerful kingdom that opposed outsiders. For instance, Scotland and Wales also experienced similar greater unity after viking invasions of their territory, as England had.<ref>For more on what might have happened have the Viking invasions never occurred, see: Somerville, A.A. & McDonald, R.A. (2013) <i>The Vikings and their age.</i> Companions to medieval studies series v. 1. Toronto, University of Toronto Press, pg. 20.</ref> We could, therefore, speculate that a lack of clear outside threat could have meant a longer continuity in the power struggles that affected England before the 8th century, specifically back and forth fighting between Anglo-Saxons and sometime Britons. By being unified relatively early, England became a more attractive crown, which is one reason why the Normans were interested in its conquest in the 11th century, as a larger political entity and having now greater wealth made it more of an interest for the Normans who were more boxed into their territory in France by the French. Continued Viking raids into the 11th century also showed the interest the British Isles had for Viking raiders. Overall, the Viking invasion and attempt at conquest not only helped make England united, it also allowed the spread of English, as England then formed its own Empire. In effect, this all may have not been possible if the Viking invasions did not occur. The Anglo-Saxons may have simply never formed a larger, more powerful kingdom that was attractive for conquest and subsequently became a major global power that spread English. <ref>For more on the wealth of England in the 10th and 11th centuries, as it became unified, see: Sawyer, P.H. (2013) <i>The wealth of Anglo-Saxon England.</i> Based on the Ford Lectures delivered in the University of Oxford in Hilary Term 1993. 1st ed. Oxford, Oxford University Press.</ref> ===Conclusion===The so-called Viking or Danish and Norse invasions of England had a profound effect in the making of what became known as England. The idea of England may have been more ancient than Alfred, that is a united kingdom of English speaking people; however, its forging was unlikely prior to the 9th century. During the Anglo-Saxon period after the Roman Empire's rule of England, much of the land was politically fragmented and Angles, Saxons, and Britons were often in competition. Kingdoms such as Mercia were able to at times become relatively more powerful, but even then it was difficult to fully conquer the area we know as England.  It took outsiders, who were far more superior in military capability, initially, that created great weakness in three of the four major English kingdoms. This provided an opportunity for Alfred the Great and his successors to not only eventually reconquer the kingdoms but the invasions served as a way to unify the English speaking population. In effect, if the invasions did not occur, it It would be hard to imagine that England could have formed relatively easily in the 10th centurywithout the invasions in the 9th century by the Vikings. Possibly, it would have taken longer and examples of Italy and Germany in the 19th centuries show that this process could have even taken centuries. Nevertheless, the invasions allowed the eventual creation of England and subsequent spreading and dominance of English culture and language that occurred many centuries later.