Alfred the Great
History: KS3, topic 2.1.3
Alfred and Wessex
Alfred the Great, king of Wessex, led the Anglo-Saxon resistance to the Vikings.
Who was Alfred the Great?
- Alfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871.
- By 878, Wessex was the only surviving Anglo-Saxon kingdom (all the others had fully fallen to the Vikings).
A united England
- Alfred wanted to unite England as one country and defeat the Vikings.
- In 878, Alfred gathered a large army to fight the Vikings, led by Guthrum.
Victory
- Alfred's army defeated the Vikings at the Battle of Edington, and they were forced to surrender.
- Guthrum was forced to convert to Christianity.
- Alfred had managed to unite most of England as one country, after years of it being ruled as separate kingdoms, or conquered by Vikings.
Test yourself on Alfred the Great
What year was the Battle of Edington?