History: Beginners' History : Before 1066

A course that will provide a detailed look at the life & times of Anglo-Saxon England and the British Isles generally as the later reign of King Aethelred developed under the Viking threat. Additionally, we will also consider in some detail what factors may have led to the evolution of the Kingdom of Denmark, the identity of its earliest leaders and some analysis as to why and how such a kingdom was able to form. Thereafter, we will go on to look at the increasing difficulties faced by the house of Wessex as it continued in its efforts to stem the Viking threat; and then how these efforts led to the circumstances under which Anglo Saxon authority finally collapsed under the pressure of the Danish invasion, and the final overthrow of Ethelred and his family. The course will conclude with some wider consideration of the establishment of the reign of King Cnut, his means of government across England, and the ways which he was able to establish a maritime empire that stretched across the North Sea, as well as developing a highly respected and widely understood reputation as one of the great leaders of the 10th century In Western Europe.