Alfred the Great and the war with the Vikings

The reign of King Alfred the Great (871–899) became a turning point in the history of early medieval England. Like the rest of Europe, in the 9th century, England was overwhelmed by a wave of Scandinavian conquerors — the Vikings. One after another, Mercia, Northumbria, and East Anglia fell. Only one kingdom — Wessex — managed to withstand the onslaught, and then switch from defense to offense. And this offense is associated with the name of the Wessex king Alfred, who was rightfully called the Great for his deeds. Becoming king, Alfred managed to unite the Anglo-Saxons around him and in an endless series of battles turn the situation in his favor. To do this, he had to carry out a series of reforms, depriving the Vikings of their usual advantages at sea and on land: the king created a fleet of "long ships", laid down a whole system of fortresses-burhs, which hindered the Vikings from slipping unnoticed into the very heart of his kingdom. By the end of his reign, Alfred not only expelled the Vikings from Wessex but also subjugated other previously independent Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, laying the foundation for the existence of a unified English state.