Wessex

## Overview

The Earldom of Wessex is the preeminant realm within the Kingdom of Ængland, it is one of the big three alongside the Earldoms of Mercia and Northumbria, the remaining Earldoms of East Anglia, Sussex, Kent and Essex fit comfortably within the West Saxon sphere of influence, with Essex even being a junior partner, however it is predicted that upon the death Eadweard Cerdicing, the Earl of East Anglia, Harold Godwinson, would ascend to become the Earl of Wessex, therefore making East Anglia a second junior partner, the reason East Anglia will become the Junior Partner and not Wessex is because Crownland of the nation cannot become Junior Partners and hence all personal unions must submit to the power of the Crownland which in this case is Wessex, therefore the King of Tngland is also Earl of Wessex and Earl of Essex. Geographically within the Kingdom of Ængland, Wessex can be found in the far South, stretching East to West, with the far southernmost and westernmost territories in the form of the Cornwall region, which is host to regular uprisings by the Cornish Celtic people attempting to gain independence and reform the Kingdom of Dumnonia. To the Northwest Wessex borders the independent Welsh Kingdom of Glamorgan, however to much of their border is maritime with the Bristol Channel separating the two realms, except for a land border in Gloucester. to the North Wessex borders the Earldom of Mercia and to the East and south reside four minor Earldoms of Kent, Essex, Sussex and East Anglia. The only Ænglish noble to not border Wessex is Northumbria to the North of Mercia. With exception to the Cornish in Cornwall, Wessex consists of Anglo-Saxon peoples, however despite cultural differences both follow the Latin Christian faith.

## Background

The Earldom of Wessex can trace it's origins to 519 when it was first established as an independent Kingdom of Saxon settlers, the Westernmost Saxon Kingdom, hence the name of Wessex from West Saxons, Wessex would rapidly expand during 519, however an attack on Cerdicesford in order to cross the River Avon and to secure a road that had been supply a Celtic strong was unsuccessful resulting in a draw and bringing an end to West Saxon expansion for three decades, only interrupting this peace in 530 by conquering the Isle of Wight. During 577, under King Ceawlin, Wessex would conquer Gloucester and Bath which opened the way to future conquest of the Southwest. Under Cædwalla Wessex would conquer the Kingdoms of Sussex and Kent, although Kent would almost immediately regain it's independently, with Sussex following soon after, however conquests into the Southwestern Peninsula would be permanent, pushing back the Cornish Kingdom of Dumnonia. Not long after however the period of Mercian Supremacy would begin during the 8th Century, which at times forced Wessex to submit to Kingdom of Mercia, however unlike it's smaller Eastern neighbours, Wessex would be able to withstand the brunt of Mercian domination and during this time Wessex would overwhelm and integrate the Kingdom of Dumnonia. In 802 Egbert would ascend to the throne, he would defeat Beornwulf of Mercia in 825, seizing control of all minor Kingdoms excluding East Anglia, which would break away from Mercian control later with the support of Wessex. In 829 the Kingdom of Mercia would be conquered by Wessex under Egbert, driving it's King Wiglaf into exile, but Wiglaf would restore Mercian independence in 830, in 851 the Danish arrived on 350 ships, after defeating Mercia they would attempt to conquer Wessex too, but would be decisively defeated by King Æthelwulf. Æthelwulf would be succeeded by his four sons, Æthelbald, Æthelbert, Æthelred and finally Ælfred, who would go onto become known as Alfred the Great. With Æthelbald and Æthelbert dying in battle against the Danish, and when Æthelred died, his sons where too young to rule. In 865, several of the Danish commanders combined their respective forces into one large army and landed in England, this army, known as the Great Heathen Army, would overwhelm the Kingdoms of Northumbria and East Anglia, then in 871 the Great Summer Army arrived from Scandinavia to reinforce the Great Heathen Army, the Great Heathen army would then go on to invade Wessex, they would be unsuccessful in conquering Wessex under Æthelred and Alfred, would leave after being paid by the West Saxons to do so. Over the coming years the Danes would focus their attention on Mercia and Northumbria, but in 876 they would invade Wessex again, but would be decisively defeated by Alfred, resulting in their withdrawal in 877, they would try a winter offensive in 878, which would be very successful initially but ultimately would be routed by Alfred who had been hiding out in the Somerset levels with a small army. In 879 a series of Viking raids on the continent would prompt Alfred to carry out a dramatic reorganisation of governance and defence of his Kingdom. In 911 Æthelred would die leaving Mercia to Alfred's daughter Æthelflæd, and when Alfred died, Eadweard the Elder would succeed him and annex Mercia and Middlesex, moving his capital to London. from 913 and 918 a series of West Saxon offensives would overwhelm the Danes of Mercia and East Anglia, bringing all Anglo-Saxon peoples, excluding Northumbria under West Saxon control. In 927 Northumbria would be conquered by Wessex, thus bringing all of England under the rule of Wessex, and hence resulting in the formation of the Kingdom of Ængland, but Northumbria would remain a tributary until 1064.