Battle of Ashdown, 871 ⚔️ Alfred the Great takes on the Viking 'Great Heathen Army' ⚔️ Part 1/2

Рет қаралды 580,260

11 ай бұрын

🚩 In January 871, Alfred the Great, then a prince of only 21, led an army in battle against the invading Vikings, commanded by Halfdan, one of Ragnar Lothbrok's sons. For his valiant defence of his kingdom against a stronger army and his reforms in the reconstruction of Wessex and beyond, he became known as 'the Great' - no other English king or queen earned that sobriquet.
🚩 This video is made possible by the generous support of our Patrons. If you'd like to help us make more free content like this, consider supporting us on / historymarche
📢 Narrated by David McCallion
🎼 Music:
EpidemicSound.com
Filmstro
#vikings #history #ragnar

Пікірлер: 639

@HistoryMarche 11 ай бұрын

🚩 This video is made possible by the generous support of our Patrons. If you'd like to help us make more free content like this, consider supporting us on www.patreon.com/historymarche

@danielsantiagourtado3430 11 ай бұрын

You truly are great man! Thanks for all your amazing work!

@anilrai7010 11 ай бұрын

Yes

@Flaknoshorts 11 ай бұрын

Where is part 20 hannibal att

@1986tessie 11 ай бұрын

Can't wait for part 2, see you next week.

@shirishsharma6888 11 ай бұрын

You can make series of videos in this story.

@brianboru2762 11 ай бұрын

What's impressive about Alfred is that pretty much everything was going against him to become king. He was a surprise baby, the youngest of 4 sons, and his parents were elderly (for the time) when they had him. He was such a surprise to them that they didn't give him the Aethel part of the names of nearly all the Wessex Kings, instead giving him the name Alfred, Elf-counsel. He wasn't exactly weedy from what I understand but his brothers were much more the warrior type than he was. He was also scholarly minded and it's theorized he suffered from a chronic irritation of the bowels that could leave him on his back for days at a time. But somehow he managed to be astoundingly fearless in battle and always led from the front during every fight he led.

@princecharon 11 ай бұрын

One may wonder if his fearlessness was partly due to the knowledge that if he died in battle, he would not have to suffer his bowels any more, along with knowing that he'd be fondly remembered.

@galactica0433 11 ай бұрын

Aelfred = Real man = English man

@Rusty_Gold85 11 ай бұрын

He probably had some seriously good Lieutenants to help him out.

@frenzalrhomb6919 11 ай бұрын

@@galactica0433 English Man = 17th-20th Century = Land = Grabbing = Bastrads!!

@IamPatrickStar 11 ай бұрын

Elderly for the time?

@RushlockMedia 11 ай бұрын

As a fan of The Saxon Tales, it's great to see the historical non fiction version of events as well!

@jonbaxter2254 11 ай бұрын

"I am Uhtred, son of Uhtred..."

@desmondd1984 11 ай бұрын

@@jonbaxter2254 Books are better than the show. Very fun reads. Told from Uhtred's perspective, and it's entertaining how he holds almost everyone else in complete contempt.

@edwardmortimer8643 11 ай бұрын

@@desmondd1984- the books are always better haha !! But the show was great. This is the battle from s1 that Uhtred was locked away for….

@Phoenix_254 11 ай бұрын

The books are great, though I can’t unsee Bernard Cornwalls writing style/tropes. Rough around the edges protagonists, asshole institutional Christians, the outsider sidekick, battles where the protagonists are rescued after forcing the hands of those in power, being rich then impoverished to rich again. He’s got a lot of recurring tropes, though to be fair, he does it so well!

@fideliselan 11 ай бұрын

You have excellent taste! Love that book series as well.

@altsw27 11 ай бұрын

As an Alfred who is not nearly so great, I'm so glad you made this video.

@willgibbons1733 11 ай бұрын

You are great mate.

@swagathshetty 11 ай бұрын

Alfred the less great

@slavicdudeasiandude6943 11 ай бұрын

Alfred the Average

@whoareyouyouareclearlylost323 11 ай бұрын

Alfred the dude...

@BenDexter1945 11 ай бұрын

Alfred the coomer

@SmilingGator96 11 ай бұрын

Alfred the Great. A man who was truly great. He may not have lived to see his dream of a united England, but without him it would not have existed.

@theawesomeman9821 11 ай бұрын

So why is he called the "Great" if he never fully unified England?

@SmilingGator96 11 ай бұрын

@theawesomeman9821 the man saved Wessex from destruction at the hands of the Danes. Was largely responsible for helping stop the tide of Danish conquest and laid the foundation for a unified England.

@aidanallan8591 11 ай бұрын

@@SmilingGator96 word

@sgtsolo1 11 ай бұрын

@@theawesomeman9821 He also understood the massive importance of education, for both his nobility and local leadership. The man was not a conqueror, but a defender and a builder of what would become civilisation in England. It is simple to conquer and destroy, compared to healing and building a nation while also undersiege. He truly was a great King

@galactica0433 11 ай бұрын

@@theawesomeman9821 He set everything up that allowed his children to reconquer England.

@conradnelson5283 11 ай бұрын

It’s amazing how much history is packed into England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. Every Cross Roads has a story going back to Stonehenge. Amazing.

@N0rdman 11 ай бұрын

Very much so all over Europe, although not as popularized as the English and the stories of what happened in early dark ages, quite possibly because the language was changing and the written word more often due to the accounts of Latin scholars like priests and monks wasn't as prevalent as in the Christian parts of Europe. Accounts of battles in Scandinavia pre-Christian period is much more vague and part of the folklore more than proper written account, but go to southern Europe and other places you'll find a rich history too.

@velkanzi 6 ай бұрын

Soo, if you want to be remembered/venerated throughout the ages you had better respect your bars, your historians. ie, be nice to nerds. @@N0rdman

@TorianTammas 3 ай бұрын

If one ignore the rest of Europe sure one can belief that.

@danielsantiagourtado3430 11 ай бұрын

Yes! A video on the Savior of the Saxons and Vanquisher of the Great Heathen Army! He's one of my favorite Kings of all time! Thanks for this man! You're the best!

@gcanada3005 11 ай бұрын

A brilliant man who believed in education and written accounts for provenance

@danielsantiagourtado3430 11 ай бұрын

@@gcanada3005 And accidentally burned cakes.

@gcanada3005 11 ай бұрын

Hahahaha

@jonathangodin4775 11 ай бұрын

The only english monarcj to ever be styled as "the great" and for good reason. He was simply a very strong king

@willgibbons1733 11 ай бұрын

@@jonathangodin4775King Canute was also called 'the great,' he wasn't english though. But he was king of england.

@YaBoiFetz 11 ай бұрын

This dude has by far the best voice of the history channels

@joaovictornave 11 ай бұрын

For those who want to experience this better, the Mount & Blade Warband: Viking Conquest DLC has this battle as it’s final story, with a few historical licenses. Edit: and you can choose your side a few missions earlier.

@simonedallachiesa9804 11 ай бұрын

I remember when I was 9 or 10 my father took me to see the movie Alfred the Great. Young Alfred studied ancient Greek or Roman texts and learned of the shield wall formation. The Danes were beating on their shields before battle shouting "Valhalla! Valhalla!". I soon wrote a novel inspired by the story.

@brunolima7402 11 ай бұрын

This part of European history deserved to be featured more in movies/shows. The Viking era was short, but brutal in every aspect. Great job as always.

@wedgeantillies66 11 ай бұрын

Ashdown was a key victor for the west saxons as it not only broke the back of the myth of the invincibility of the great army, as well as giving them a belief that they could and would defeat the enemy. That would prove vital in the dark days ahead. Given that the history of the first part of Alfred's reign is that of a triumph against all the odds and overcoming adversity by never giving up the fight, even when it looked hopeless.

@SyTheMetalhead Ай бұрын

Born and bred Wessex boy, grew up near King Alfred's Tower(one of the mustering points), dad was born in Athelney where King Alfred burnt the cakes so the videos about the great heathen army and the battles with the forces of Wessex are of special interest to me. Thank you for the excellent videos

@SolidAvenger1290 11 ай бұрын

Another great video by HM. What I like about HM over some other historical channels is that they always consider the primary source material while trying to present an outside POV of other alternate sources & a common sense approach that continues to have people debate about a specific event's own narrative. For example, from 17:26 to 17:46, regarding the King's record during the battle

@LostDisciple24 11 ай бұрын

To me, Alfred the Great ranks high up there with Julius Caesar. He may not be a great conqueror like Caesar, but his defensive strategies are to be commended, not to mention, his civic duties as well.

@Vandelberger 11 ай бұрын

I’m far more impressed with Ivar and Halfdan. A supposed cripple, Ivar, to have the will too keep the Scandinavians in line, and defeat a more advanced people on their land is incredible.

@Asonunique23 11 ай бұрын

@@Vandelbergerjust fiction

@streetprofessor 11 ай бұрын

Considering the education of Alfred and the still extant usage of Roman tactics and strategy which were taught when most adolescent elites learned Latin.

@aurelian2668 11 ай бұрын

@@Vandelberger Ivar wasnt a cripple thats just fiction. No norse would viking with a cripple.

@guaporeturns9472 11 ай бұрын

@@aurelian2668You know this because you were there , right?

@The_ZeroLine 11 ай бұрын

Anyone else immediately think of Saxon Tales and Uhtred the Wicked when Lindisfarne was mentioned?

@NathanMulder 11 ай бұрын

Great books!

@willgibbons1733 11 ай бұрын

@@NathanMulderhave you read all 13?

@NathanMulder 11 ай бұрын

@@willgibbons1733 Yes! A few of them a couple times actually. I really like the humor and sarcasm in the books as well as the compelling story that keeps you on your toes with many of the twists. Although from like book 11/12 it did become predictable and kind of the same old.

@mrhumble2937 11 ай бұрын

The show

@slore.137 11 ай бұрын

I appreciate the responsible assertions and supplementary detail boxes! This channel is standing out among others of its kind.

@greatbriton8425 11 ай бұрын

These are super great videos! It's history brought to life. Not made into boring date lists, not made grotesquely funny, not pushed into anything. We just look back in time to see who was doing what to who, how, and what they wanted. Amazing.

@CharlesbGallup 11 ай бұрын

DESTINY IS ALL!

@PeterOkeefe54 11 ай бұрын

your simple and enjoyable version of history will interest many of the young. For that I am grateful

@chessmastertactics6929 11 ай бұрын

Thanks for uploading this. Great work, i hope a great overall documentary about Alfred's heroics and reformation of his kingdom comes next! I have studied the life and deeds of Alfred the Great and i have to say that he stands out as the greatest Anglo-Saxon king, a merciful and learned man who had a deep interest in learning and a talent for just administration. His military victories were just as important as his law-giving and revival of education in Wessex. His work set the basis for the formation of England by his successors (son and grandson). Keep up the good work, respect from Greece ;)

@bigsarge2085 11 ай бұрын

Incredible documentary as always, learned something new, thank you!

@odd-ysseusdoesstuff6347 11 ай бұрын

We should get more stories from the Viking Invasions! Not only in England, but also in Scotland, Ireland, Russia, France, Lithuania, and many more!

@Delogros 11 ай бұрын

Do the other countries have anything like the Saxon Chronicle? Or contemporary accounts to draw on for those stories? I'm sure the Viking written material covers it but from what i understand due to the time it was written that also heavily focuses on England as well.

@raditz9676 11 ай бұрын

These clips are so well made and the narration is so damn good I feel myself on the battlefield watching these videos!

@LeftToWrite006 11 ай бұрын

The footnotes at the end as a sort of epilogue was a good touch. That pushed me over the edge to subscribe.

@lovesagt 11 ай бұрын

Netflix has the BEST TV series on this subject, it's called The Last Kingdom. The shows begins after the fall of Northumbria. The King was killed in battle and his son is taken captive.

@onetruesaxon6417 11 ай бұрын

I love English history all the wars we've had over 2000 years has made us what we are ,the best 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

@rg20322 11 ай бұрын

Great video - appreciate the details that you provide!

@allanmcphee3360 11 ай бұрын

Amazing. I love your videos of the most famous battles in history!!

@yilmazb123 11 ай бұрын

Excellent animation, unbiased perspective, quality information and legendary narrative style, I would like to thank you for your efforts and I really congratulate you, I am a Turk and I am very happy to hear from you with these excellent perspectives. Can you make more video about Turkish history? Like the Battle of Manzikert or the Battle of Ankara. Thanks! I wish you continued success in this excellent success!..

@TarihciDay 11 ай бұрын

It can be good!

@vyckturvon-ozeghe3157 11 ай бұрын

Aren't you guys tired of gloating over Manzikert?

@yilmazb123 11 ай бұрын

@@vyckturvon-ozeghe3157 Without Manzikert, the Turks would not have entered Anatolia. Besides, for this important reason, only 50,000 Turks fought with the Byzantine army of 200,000, and this is an important victory for us.

@joelmara5165 2 ай бұрын

Thank you. Entertaining and informative.

@darthveatay 11 ай бұрын

Alfred the great is one of my favorite kings

@michotito4874 11 ай бұрын

who?

@gthreesix 11 ай бұрын

Always a pleasure to watch your videos!

@jackgreen1698 11 ай бұрын

Thanks for this- an excellent video and very well narrated

@user-uv4yw3em4p 5 ай бұрын

great review of this important historical events.

@InTaco7 11 ай бұрын

There's a lot about Alfred which wasn't said. He was never expected rule, as he was very far down the list of succession with many older brothers. Suffering from bouts of pain when stressed/exhausted, he spent his time with books instead of hunting and feasting like his family. This might explain his sweeping reforms later once he had finally dealt with the Viking conquorers.

@peterjorgensen1086 11 ай бұрын

Hey HistoryMarche, could you make a video on the battle of Brunanburh? Schwerpunkt already made an excellent tactical analysis of it, it comes out well schematically on the base of the accounts.

@raypurchase801 11 ай бұрын

An admirer told Winston Churchill that he was the greatest ever Englishman. Churchill denied this. He replied that Alfred was the greatest ever Englishman. There were times in 1940 when he must have seen himself in the same position as Alfred.

@rdelrosso1973 4 күн бұрын

But Alfred never had Spitfires and the RAF!

@wilcowen 11 ай бұрын

Battle of ashtown is such a cool name

@wilcowen 11 ай бұрын

Down

@danielsantiagourtado3430 11 ай бұрын

The trailer is impeccable as always man! And as a suggestion you need to tackle the battle of Edington at some point!

@dooder456 11 ай бұрын

Your videos are great, and you have a nice voice. Also, when I can't sleep I play the Hannibal playlist. Thanks for all the effort and energy you put into these videos.

@laszlolorand8326 11 ай бұрын

Thank you I love your videos!!! Keep up the good work!!!😊

@finalfalcon7368 11 ай бұрын

This just made my Saturday morning!

@willieeversole390 11 ай бұрын

Great history video love the Viking battles in England!

@scomo532 11 ай бұрын

If you want all the details and more read The Viking Wars: War and Peace in King Alfred's Britain: 789 - 955 by Max Adams It was a very complicated and interesting time

@tominnorcal 11 ай бұрын

Good video. Thanks

@KHK001 11 ай бұрын

Great video! as always HM!

@dominikdurdynets6576 11 ай бұрын

Good video, please more of viking history

@Woc413 11 ай бұрын

Destiny is all! I feel like I’m watching the Last Kingdom watching this

@easternlights3155 5 ай бұрын

What I find truly heartwarming is Alfred and Æthelred's relationship. They were just a year apart in age, and once Æthelred became king, Alfred rarely left his side (according to what we can glean from his biography). The two effectively ruled together, with Alfred serving as his brother's secundarius.

@Mannazify 7 ай бұрын

It's rather amusing how many times I've heard, "If you've stayed around this far...". You make fantastic videos. It's a pleasure to stick around. Thank you.

@heartwork86 11 ай бұрын

I cannot put to words how much I enjoy your content. Great history, very well portrayed! Keep'em coning!

@udipalles9649 11 ай бұрын

Always great videos!

@delong8998 9 ай бұрын

Great video!

@vtraveler1 11 ай бұрын

Happiness is seeing "Part 1" 🎉😁🙌

@muhamadhatimmohdbasir3104 11 ай бұрын

The narration is superb

@robbabcock_ 11 ай бұрын

Wonderful video!⚔🔥🏹

@rdelrosso1973 4 күн бұрын

I hope Alfred is GREATER in Part 2 !

@chrisprou9216 11 ай бұрын

Keep making great content 👍👍

@jamesreynolds5045 11 ай бұрын

So much great History! has been lost to those of us over here in "the Colonies"!

@Wanderer628 11 ай бұрын

Great video. One note is your segement on the East Anglian King, King Edmund. The exact circumstance of his death doesn't matter to his martydom, dead in battle or by torture and execution, it had no effect on the reason for his martyrdom.

@stevelebreton3489 11 ай бұрын

Thanks for the video

@davidcunningham2074 7 ай бұрын

great narration.

@havoc_64 11 ай бұрын

great video!

@alejandrotapia4749 11 ай бұрын

What a great video! I hope to see more from "the anarchy" in this channel

@urostrivunovic5162 11 ай бұрын

Excited for this series

@tonybirch9440 11 ай бұрын

Great content part 2 now

@milabugtcher990 11 ай бұрын

Wondering for next part!

@ahmedsabbir7705 11 ай бұрын

Just awesome in your voice Please make some on the life of Ragnar Lothbrok

@Calatriste54 11 ай бұрын

"History doesn't repeat, but it does rhyme.." Mark Twain Situational awareness..

@craigfowler7098 10 ай бұрын

Very very interesting documentary

@gomahklawm4446 11 ай бұрын

Great video.

@pjthehomelessmage 11 ай бұрын

I literally just downloaded and beat Thrones of Britannia 3 days ago and now I’ve just been seeing Alfred everywhere. Freaky

@marialuisamoreubarcena7391 11 ай бұрын

Fascinating video❤

@Teukel-gy7gy 11 ай бұрын

Love this stuff.

@seloss5734 11 ай бұрын

Great job

@skeletorlikespotatoes7846 11 ай бұрын

Please do another on Alfred....this is epic!

@samueldisturbing761 11 ай бұрын

It is part 1/2

@GHST995 11 ай бұрын

Here comes the Boar of Ashdown!

@amirazhar8377 11 ай бұрын

We meet again to see war in square form fight for hours...😊😊 Loving the series

@thesnakehunter2137 11 ай бұрын

History Marche is the best channel on KZfaq

@1986tessie 11 ай бұрын

Excellent video, thanks for chilling in the chat.

@thomasbraden8242 11 ай бұрын

Nicely done.

@pilotdawn1661 7 ай бұрын

Envisioning characters from Vikings and The Last Kingdom as the video proceeds. Very interesting and clear to follow the historical events dramatized by the shows. Very interesting and well done.