The Fall of Wessex
If Alfred had been defeated at Edington, Wessex might have fallen into Viking hands, as had much of the rest of England. This would have marked the end of Alfred's reign and possibly the collapse of Wessex as an independent kingdom. The Vikings, emboldened by their victory, would have been able to solidify their control over the kingdom, potentially forcing the Anglo-Saxons into submission or into exile. Without Alfred’s leadership, Wessex may have been absorbed into the Viking-controlled Danelaw, leaving the Saxons with little territorial power.
The End of the Anglo-Saxon Resistance
Alfred’s victory at Edington marked the beginning of the eventual defeat of the Vikings in England. His military reforms, including the establishment of a strong defensive network and the creation of a navy, helped to secure Wessex’s borders and allowed the Anglo-Saxons to push back against the Viking threat in the coming decades. A defeat at Edington, however, would have undermined these efforts, leading to a much stronger Viking presence across southern England.
Without Alfred’s strategic vision, it is likely that England would have remained divided between Viking and Anglo-Saxon control. The unity that Alfred fostered among the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms would have been shattered, leaving the Saxons fragmented and unable to mount an effective resistance against further Viking invasions. The Vikings, with their dominance over the southern kingdoms, might have been able to impose their rule across all of England. shutdown123