Alfred's Reforms Save England - Battle of Buttington

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Kings and Generals animated historical documentary series on medieval history and history of Britain continues with episode 3 of our coverage of the Viking invasion of Britain, as we cover the battle of Buttington and the reforms of Alfred the Great. In 878, Alfred of Wessex had been driven into the marshes by Guthrum’s Viking invasion. But after his victory at Edington, Alfred did more than survive — he rebuilt his kingdom into the strongest power in Britain. This episode explores the reforms that turned Wessex from a vulnerable Anglo-Saxon kingdom into a fortress state capable of resisting the greatest Viking threats of the age. Alfred punished traitors, built more than thirty fortified burhs, reorganized the army into rotating forces, created a coastal fleet, and launched an ambitious educational revival to restore literacy and improve royal government. His reforms reshaped warfare, administration, and kingship in early medieval England. We also follow Alfred’s rise beyond Wessex: his alliance with Mercia, the recovery of London, the Treaty of Alfred and Guthrum, and his adoption of the title “King of the Anglo-Saxons.” Finally, the system Alfred created is tested by Hastein’s massive invasion of 892–896, as Viking armies strike Kent, Devon, Mercia, and the Thames.

This is the story of how Alfred saved Wessex — and laid the foundations for a united England.

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