維京人-北海帝國-克努特大帝征服英格蘭 1016

在1015年夏天,一支殲滅的軍隊聚集在墾丁海岸的頂端, 領導著康努特大人, 尋求強大地復興英國。 在他面前的就是Edmund Ironside, 後王Ethelred the Unready的兒子。 在接下來的14個月中, 英國的命運將會被決定。 但首先,我們要為我們的朋友在Curiosity Stream, 世界第一的直播服務, 提供我們生命中的任務, 去學習,探索和理解。 他們的圖書館擁有接近兩千五百多部紀錄片, 只需三美元月費。 我個人比較喜歡歷史, 而今天我看了Hannibal, a march on Rome, a fantastic, concise take on Hannibal's life, and his struggle against the Roman Empire. You should definitely check it out. And you can watch it for free. Curiosity Stream gives out 30 days of free unlimited access, to their entire library to all of our viewers. After being subscribed for a few months, I think they're one of the best streaming services available, for anyone that loves watching documentaries. And they're available on many platforms. If you want to check out their entire library for free, and help support our channel, click on the link in the description below, and register using the code HISTORYMARCH to get 30 days of free unlimited access to thousands of documentaries on Curiosity Stream. The past 20 years of Ethelred the Unready's rule were marred by his distinct inability to deal with the Viking threat, as well as internal divisions and court politics. Unsurprisingly, he was quite unpopular. So when the Danish king Swen Forkbeard descended on the shores of Kent in 1013 with an army, many disgruntled nobles in the north welcomed the invader as their new king. But the lands to the south had to be taken by force. Before the year was out, Swen was at the gates of London. He had forced Ethelred to flee the country, and was declared king of England. Triumphant, he was at the height of his power, ruling over a vast overseas empire. But Swen didn't enjoy his victory for long, dying unexpectedly just weeks into his reign. However, he laid the groundwork for his sons to build on his legacy. Meanwhile, English nobles bargained with Ethelred for his return to the throne, on the condition that he ruled more justly than before. Words and pledges were exchanged, and Ethelred became king for the second time. Support for the king grew, and as he moved north to drive out the Danish invaders, Cnut wasn't able to mount a defense in time, so he boarded his ships and left England. Although hostilities ceased for now, Ethelred's court became more divided than ever. In the summer of 1015 at Oxford, an assembly was held as an attempt to keep the peace between Ethelred and the two most powerful northern nobles, Siegfurth and Morcar, who had submitted to the Danish invaders in 1013, accepting Swen, Cnut's father, as their king. But the gathering that was meant to unite the north and south under the restored king was a trap. The two nobles were murdered by a certain Edric Stryona, the king's main advisor and enforcer, who played an important role in all affairs of the kingdom, and was not only made elderman of Mercia, but also married the king's daughter, a clear sign of how much the king valued his contribution. The killings of Siegfurth and Morcar may have been punishment for their submission to the Danish invaders in 1013, but to murder them under the guise of hospitality was an especially despicable act, not least because the king declared prior to the assembly that he would forgive all injuries against him. Ethelred may have gotten rid of two powerful enemies, but in doing so he made a much more dangerous enemy, his own son Edmund Ironside, who was a close friend of the murdered nobles. Moreover, after the recent death of his older brother, Edmund was now the heir to the throne. He quickly married Siegfurth's widow and claimed all of his territories, then began building his power base in the north in an open rebellion against the king. Meanwhile, Canute embarked on a voyage back to England. With the help of his older brother, King Harold II, he restocked supplies, repaired the ships and recruited troops from across Scandinavia. With 200 ships under his command, he landed with 10,000 troops. As he began raiding Wessex, Ethelred lay ill. The slippery Edric used this opportunity to gather an army and persuade the king to assign 40 ships to him, and he then shamelessly turned and submitted to Canute. By midwinter much of Wessex also submitted to Canute, providing his army with men and horses. And once Edric further bolstered his ranks, Canute moved north into Mercia. Edmund Ironside tried to assemble an army, but he could not count on his ailing father, and the troops refused to fight without their king present. So the campaign was abandoned. The heir to the throne then made another attempt to mount a defense, this time persuading his father to come with all the support he could muster. But once the army gathered, the king believed he would be betrayed and he promptly went back to London. During this spectacle of mistrust among English leaders, much of Northumbria submitted to Canute. Come spring, the war shifted south. King Ethelred spent the last few months in London, sick and frail. And then, after 38 years on the throne, he died on April 23, 1016. Edmund Ironside was elected king, adding much needed impetus to the defense of the country. Canute marched on London and besieged the city. However, Edmund managed to escape just in time with a portion of the city's garrison and headed to Wessex to raise an army. The Danes went after Edmund and the two armies met at Pencilwood in Somerset in a small-scale but hard-fought battle. Another encounter took place at Sherston in Wiltshire, a much bloodier yet inconclusive battle. While Canute was still looking for a decisive victory, for Edmund it was vital that he had managed to avoid defeat. The war gradually moved east as the invaders again moved on London. But the English king drove the Danes back and then defeated them in the Battle of Brentford. Canute turned northwest to regroup, plundering the land as he went. Meanwhile, after suffering heavy losses at Brentford, Edmund, although he successfully relieved the siege of London for a second time, was forced back to Wessex to recruit more troops. Canute used this opportunity to march on London for a third time while the English king was away. It took weeks to rebuild his army, but Edmund came back to aid the city, this time numerically superior and with fresh troops. The Danes were driven back and defeated at Ottford, though the English again suffered significant casualties. Canute turned back into Essex and went towards Mercia, destroying all that he overtook. Ever the opportunist, Edric Stryona switched sides again, managing to ingratiate himself with Edmund, perhaps feeling that the tide had turned in favor of the English, and he brought with him vital troops. With his army strengthened, Edmund went after Canute upon learning that he was inland and moving towards his ships after ravaging Mercia. On the 18th of October the two armies met near the village of Assendoon. Edmund moved to block the path that the Danes had to take to get to their ships. The English king had every reason to be optimistic. His army was the larger of the two and he had recently enlisted fresh troops. In contrast, the Danish army was weary and reduced in numbers after 12 months of campaigning and 4 battles, and although they certainly recruited a number of English fighters, they lacked the steady supply of troops that their opponent could rely on. Nevertheless, Canute decided to fight. He would either get the decisive victory he needed or die in the attempt. The Danes, though outnumbered, were approaching slowly across the level ground. The English, meanwhile, formed a battle line four men deep atop a gentle hill. Edmund encouraged his men to defend themselves and their kingdom from the enemy that they had beaten before. As the Danes came halfway up the slope, Edmund gave the signal. The English charged down the hill. Canute ordered his men to stand and fight. A fierce battle ensued. Clashing of swords and a thundering of shield walls could be heard in nearby villages. By some accounts, it seemed to the English that the Danes fought in a rage, determined to die rather than withdraw. But after hours of fighting, sections of the Danish line began wavering. It looked like the English would win. But then, Edric,with all of his men, withdrew from the field. In one stroke, Edmund lost a substantial part of his army. But the English king remained undeterred. He told his men that they were better off without the cowards that deserted them. And with those words, he rallied his personal retinue and charged into the midst of the enemy, cutting down Danes on all sides. However, now it was Canute who had the numerical advantage and he urged his troops to press the enemy. Edmund and his men fought on until nightfall, but the defeat was inevitable. Exhausted, the English retreated and Canute was left master of the field. Chronicler William of Malmesbury wrote, on that field Canute destroyed a kingdom, there the whole flower of our country withered. The Danes had their victory. While the impact of Edric's betrayal is clear, what caused it is not fully understood. Did he decide on his own to set Edmund up to fail, reasoning that his own future would be uncertain if the English king won the war because of their decade-long uneasy relationship? Or was he still secretly allied to Canute, even after rejoining Edmund, and perhaps promised to deliver victory to the Danes in exchange for political favours after the war? Whatever the case, it's clear that Edric was loyal to neither side and was acting only in his own self-interest. Throughout the conflict he knew that his substantial contingent of troops could decide the winner, which is why both Canute and Edmund wanted him on their side. So he took advantage of this by playing kingmaker, trying to secure the best possible position for himself once the war was over. Many prominent figures have fallen at Assundun, but Edmund Ironside survived,though wounded. Not willing to concede defeat, he marched across England with the remnants of his army, perhaps hoping to raise more troops in the west and seek allies in Wales. But Canute was hot on his heels. Past Gloucester, not far from the forest of Deen, the two leaders met again, this time at a negotiating table. And it was the treacherous Edric who brokered a settlement to divide England, with Edmund keeping the southern shires of Wessex, while Canute took Mercia and Northumbria, including the mercantile centre that was London. The two leaders agreed that if either of them should die, the other would take control of the whole country. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Edmund Ironside died first, just over a month later. It may be that he succumbed to the wounds he sustained at Assundun, or that he was poisoned. Another account suggests that an assassin impaled him from below with a spike, when the king sat on his toilet. The exact cause of Edmund's death is unknown, but the man who was ironically blamed for it was Edric Stryona. Although he kept hold of his position as Elderman of Mercia, by next Christmas he was executed by none other than King Canute the Great himself. The Battle of Assundun put a Dane on the English throne. Although less famous than the conquest of William of Normandy in 1066, Canute's invasion changed the history of England. He became one of the most powerful kings of the age, ruling England, Denmark, Norway and parts of Sweden. He quickly became a king that the English could accept. There's no evidence of rebellion against the Danish conqueror or any ethnic tensions that can be associated with the Normans 50 years later. Canute mostly ruled England with existing laws. He was conciliatory and generous towards the English Church, appointing many churchmen as his advisors and promoting many Englishmen to serve as his earls. There was also no jettisoning of the English language, widescale destruction of the land or imposing a foreign culture on the people. In most respects Canute worked with, not against, the society he had conquered. During his two-decade reign, his shrewd employment of marriage alliances, ingenious implementation of proxy rule and maintenance of a dominant fleet would go on to transform Denmark from a fragile kingdom into a North Sea empire. Credit goes to our awesome patrons for giving us the means to produce videos like this one. With YouTube Ads revenue going down, the continued support from our patrons makes a world of difference. Consider joining them to help support our work. As always, thank you for watching.