Following the launch of the new DLC "Empire Split" in Total War 2 in Rome, CA has launched a new game for friends who love British history, A Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia, which will be released in 2018.
This new work mainly tells the story of England's invasion by the Vikings at the end of the 9th century, and the hordes rose up to compete for supremacy in the British Isles. The greatest ruler of the Anglo-Saxon era, King Alfred, is undoubtedly at the heart of the story of this heroic age.
<h1>The Sea Kou first appeared in Britain</h1>
The Vikings who attacked from the sea
On June 8, 793, a massive Mass was being held in The Catholic Church in Linstephan. A sudden fleet of pirate ships broke the calm. These pirates plundered the area and slaughtered unarmed clerics and civilians. Eventually, the church was burned to the ground.
Soon, news of pirate raids in the Linstephan region spread throughout Western Europe. The atrocity even shocked Charlemagne's court scholar, Alquin of York. In a letter to King Ethelred of Northumbria, Alquin lamented:
yes! We and our ancestors have lived in this wonderful land for almost three hundred and fifty years, and now Britain under our rule has suffered an unprecedented and terrible ordeal brought about by infidels. No one could have predicted that they would complete such a voyage. Check out St. Cusbert's Church! It spilled the blood of Christian missionaries and the supplies of worship were looted.
These pirates, who were written by English chroniclers, were the famous Vikings. Beginning in 850, the Vikings swept away the other Anglo-Saxon kingdoms except West Saxony in just about twenty years, leaving the kingdoms of Northumbria, East Anglia, and Mercia vassals.
The Vikings attacked Linstavian Church
<h1>The Vikings rushed forward</h1>
The marching route of the Viking pagan army
In 865 AD, a Viking army known as the "Army of Infidels" entered Britain and began the conquest and settlement of England. This force was also the largest foreign invasion army the English had encountered since the 9th century. They became the greatest threat to the English for the next 14 years.
At that time, there were only four major kingdoms left in England: East Anglia, Northumbria, Mercia and Western Saxony. By 870 AD, all three kingdoms, with the exception of West Saxons, had been conquered by pagan armies.
It is not difficult to find that the political division of England was an important reason for the Viking invasion. The geography of the Isles of Britain also facilitated the invasion of the Vikings. The coastline in the east is extremely tortuous, with many fjords and harbors deep inland. The surrounding island also became a base for viking invasions. What's more, most of the island's rivers run east-west, which greatly facilitates the Vikings' penetration of the interior and the expansion of their raids.
The fallen Saxon kingdoms
Of course, the military superiority of the Vikings was also a factor that could not be ignored. The English had a very similar army configuration to the Vikings, but the Vikings' naval and infantry superiority gave them the upper hand.
The heavy infantry of the English consisted mainly of freedmen who were temporarily conscripted. They used spears as their primary weapons in combat, with longswords and short-handled tomahawks as secondary weapons. Their common equipment also included a round shield made of basswood and a short knife. With the exception of a few nobles who could be armed with chainmails and iron helmets for protection, most wore only leather or linen clothing, and lacked defense against slashes and arrows. The English army also lacked archers, which made it difficult for them to pose a threat to the enemy from a distance, and relied heavily on hand-to-hand combat.
In addition, these temporarily conscripted freedmen were poorly trained and poorly disciplined. Their defenses were limited to brief service in areas around the conscription area. When the service period expired, the army was disbanded on the spot, making it difficult to conduct effective combat.
Early Anglo-Saxon militia
The Viking heavy infantry used similar weapons to the English, but they also had a powerful armor-breaking weapon, the two-handed axe. This 1.5-1.8 meter long tomahawk can cut through the opponent's shield and helmet with a single blow, and is also a weapon to restrain cavalry.
In addition, the Viking army also had advantages in long-range weapons and armor equipment. They were adept at using bows and arrows in both naval and land battles, and there were a certain number of archers in their troops. The Vikings' longships also ensured that they remained active in their offensives against the coastal strip. Viking longboats were generally made of oak and were propelled mainly by paddler rowing. It is characterized by a shallower draft - faster speeds - flexible steering, and can swim up the river against the current, even mooring in streams with smaller depths. The sturdy hull, in turn, allows it to adapt to a variety of harsh navigational conditions, making it ideal for sailing expeditions and raid-style looting.
Viking army in battle
The Vikings who took long ships to carry out raid and harassment operations not only had strong reconnaissance capabilities, but also could actively choose combat strategies according to the enemy's situation. If the Number of English was small, the Viking archers used longboats as cover to shoot the lack of armor on the English infantry and cover the landing of their own heavy infantry. If the English were more numerous, the situation would be unfavorable. The Vikings could quickly board ships and evacuate, heading to areas where they were less prepared to continue their infestation.
It can be said that the Viking army equipped with long ships had the functions of light cavalry reconnaissance, raiding and covering operations. Combined with the original heavy infantry and light infantry two types of weapon systems, so that it has obtained all the advantages of raiding and harassing operations.
The Vikings were actually nomadic armies on boats
<h1>The first showdown between the British and the Finals</h1>
Kings and nobles of the Western Saxon Kingdom
In this way, the only remaining Kingdom of West Saxony became the only hope for the English to fight the Vikings, and it was about to face the challenge of the strongest Viking army of the 9th century.
At this time the Viking army began to penetrate deeper inland, systematically building settlements. These settlements not only served as their logistical bases, but also as their defensive strongholds. In addition, the Vikings began to be equipped with horses after the conquest of East Anglia, which greatly improved their ability to maneuver on land. They rode horses as they marched to increase the speed of their march. But in the battle they still dismounted and continued to maintain the superiority of the heavy infantry in defensive capabilities. The defensive superiority of the Vikings was strengthened by the reliance on fortifications.
In 871 AD, a pagan army that had conquered all of East Anglia entered the Kingdom of West Saxony and built a fortress in the Reading area, in the first confrontation between the two sides. The Western Saxons were victorious in the first battle, and this battle also began the frequent confrontation between the two sides in 871. Four days later, the victorious West Saxon army marched toward Reading under the leadership of King Ethelre, but they were attacked internally and externally by the Viking army and were eventually defeated.
After their defeat at the Battle of Reading, the West Saxons regrouped and subsequently won the greatest victory in the War of 871, the Battle of Eshton. Under the joint leadership of King Ethelreid and his brother Alfred, they launched a back attack from unfavorable terrain, killing a large number of enemy troops. Alfred, who led the charge, won his first battle.
The Vikings' pig-like tactics always caught the Saxons off guard
Although the Vikings suffered heavy losses, the Battle of Ashton did not completely destroy the Viking army. They regrouped just half a month later and won two in a row. First defeated the Western Saxon army at the Battle of Basin. Two months later, he won the Battle of Mereton and was replenished with reinforcements after the war.
Shortly after the Battle of Meretton, King Ethelre, who was not yet thirty years old, died after Easter. Because his sons were still young, his younger brother Alfred succeeded to the West Saxon throne at this critical moment.
Alfred: Here I come!
<h1>Alfred the Savior</h1>
Alfred continued to face the threat of the Vikings
Alfred had only been on the throne for a month before facing another attack by viking forces. Forced to fight, Alfred suffered another defeat at the Battle of Wilton Downs. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, there were a total of nine full-blown encounters between the two sides during the year. Although they killed 9 Danish counts and 1 Danish state, they also suffered heavy losses, almost to the point of total annihilation. As a result, the two sides temporarily negotiated peace in the face of both sides, ending the war of 871.
In 876, the two sides resumed war. The Viking army led by Guthren unexpectedly entered the Wareham area and began to plunder. When Alfred led an army to surround the Vikings, the Vikings surrendered. But Guslan soon tore up the agreement, suddenly seized Exeter, and built a fortress in Exeter. Alfred then hurried to Exeter with his army. But by the time the Western Saxon army arrived, the Viking army had built a barrier that was difficult to overcome. So Alfred had to resort to siege tactics, forcing the Vikings to ask him for peace, and they solemnly swore to abide by the peace.
Battle of the Saxon army against the Vikings
The peace did not last long either. After the Night of the Epiphany in 878 (6 January), Gusren led his army out of Exeter and quietly entered Chippenham, the seat of Alfred's court. While the West Saxons were letting their guard down to celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany, they slaughtered and occupied most of the West Saxon lands. The West Saxon power collapsed almost overnight, and Alfred, who had suffered heavy losses, could only lead a few nobles and some soldiers into the forested and swampy Somerset region. Apart from the occasional raid to loot supplies, they have no other source of sustenance. With most of the kingdom falling and the king short of major generals, the fate of the West Saxon kingdom seemed inevitable.
However, the total annihilation of a Viking army greatly boosted the morale of the West Saxons. The detachment, led by the Viking chief Ivar and the brother of the chief Hafdan, Ubi, was defeated by the Western Saxon defenders at the Battle of Kantisbury at the Battle of Kandysbury. Ubi and his 1,200 men were completely annihilated, and the Viking Raven banner was captured.
Upon hearing the news of the victory, Alfred was thrilled and planned to take action as soon as possible to engage in a decisive battle with the main viking force. So he summoned local militias to meet. When the West Saxon people heard that their king was still alive and actively fighting, they rejoiced and responded in groups. In May 878, Alfred mobilized armies from Somerset, Wiltshire, and Hampshire to attack the Vikings. At the Battle of Eddington, the situation was turned around and Guslan was forced to make peace and lead his people to convert to Christianity.
Similar to the Battle of Ashton in 871, the West Saxon army also used the shield wall formation to win a head-on duel with the Viking infantry. However, unlike Ashton's post-war pursuit and failure to blockade the fleeing enemy, Alfred's strategy after the Eddington war appeared more mature. He not only launched a timely pursuit of the fleeing enemy, but also implemented the tactic of clearing the field with a solid wall, successfully cutting off the enemy's contact with the outside world and psychologically giving the enemy a second blow. Thus, the Battle of Eddington in 878 was more decisive, and it also marked the ripening of Alfred's command.
After the Battle of Eddington, the Vikings did not launch another major offensive against West Saxon territory. In 886, Alfred took advantage of the situation to retake the city of London, and he also changed from King of West Saxons to King of Anglo-Saxons.
The Battle of Ashton gave the Saxons renewed their confidence
<h1>The founder of the recovery of lost land</h1>
Alfred at the Battle of Ashton
After the reconquest of London, Alfred began his famous military reforms:
Alfred first reformed the traditional system of military service, dividing the militia into two parts of rotating service. Some of them were ordinary militiamen who worked in agriculture in peacetime and were recruited by local governors to join the army in wartime. It is mainly used for local security and combat in the region. The other part is more effective and well-trained special agents. These militias are generally selected from among the inhabitants of the municipalities and can be recruited at any time for a longer period of combat, with their remuneration settled on a daily basis.
Select warriors became the backbone of the Saxon army
The second item of military reform is to strengthen land defenses. To this end, Alfred began to build forts in various places after 880 as a defensive center of gravity against Viking invasion. Some were restored from the old city of Roman times with stone walls and trenches. Others were completely new temporary strongholds and towns. Each fort is 20 miles apart and could provide shelter for residents of the surrounding area. The resulting defense system not only effectively improved the security situation of the Western Saxon Kingdom, but also reduced the infestation of the Viking army to the inland areas. At the same time, these fortresses also became the guarantee of solid local rule.
The third item of military reform was the establishment of a navy. In order to ensure sea supremacy in a short period of time, Alfred believed that the manufacture of a small number of large ships with better performance would effectively offset the advantage in the number of ships in the Viking Navy. In 896, Alfred drew on the advantages of Frisian ships and Viking longships to build a new type of warship, forming the first regular navy in English history. The new longboats soon came into play in the naval battle that soon followed, enhancing the defensive capabilities of the West Saxon coastal strip. From then until Alfred's death in 899, the Vikings never invaded The English territory again.
Alfred's new ship crushed the Vikings' longship in performance
<h1>Merit in the present, profit in the thousand autumns</h1>
The Viking chief Gusren converted to Christianity after his defeat
King Alfred succeeded in reversing the passivity of the English and crushing the Viking attempt to conquer the Western Saxon Kingdom. Successful military reforms enabled the Western Saxon Kingdom to organize a considerable number of militias and elite troops. The fort defense system was built, which effectively resisted the Viking attack on land and prevented the Vikings from penetrating deep into the hinterland of the kingdom. The establishment of the navy allowed the English to begin to control the sea for the first time. More importantly, Alfred's inspiration provided his successors and all The English with a strong impetus to repel the Viking invaders.
Alfred's fortress town effectively improved its ability to withstand Viking raids
In this sense, King Alfred deserves to be the greatest King of West Saxony and the founder of the unified Kingdom of England, as Churchill said:
During the dark period of Normandy rule, Alfred remained a national hero. Its image is a beacon that flashes the glorious achievements of the Saxon nation. This ruler gave the Saxons courage and a spirit of self-reliance in their endless war against the Danes. He inspired them with his faith in his people and his religious beliefs. He enforced the rule of law, governed the country well, and recorded their heroic deeds in the annals of history. All this earned him the title of King Alfred in legends and poetry... (End of full text)