... Essex. It was in this kingdom that Alfred lived. Alfred and his brother, King Aethelred defeated the invading Vikings in the battle of Ashdown in 871. The next year at the age of 21, Alfred became king. During the year of 878 the Vikings, lead by King Guthrum, seized much of Wessex and drove Alfred and his small forces back to the Somerset marshes. While in the marshes, King Alfred raised an army of men and defeated the Vikings by using guerrilla warfare. After this impressive victory, Alfred realized that he could not push the Vikings out of the rest of England. It was at this point, that Alfred showed his intelligence as a leader and diplomat. He organized a treaty with King Guthrum of the Vikings and as a stipulation of the treaty, King Guthrum had to become a Christian and be baptised. King Alfred also gave to the Vikings ...

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