King Alfred the Great’s public political life began with the invasion of Vikings and as such it’s fitting that his reign his largely viewed through the lens of his effectiveness in dealing with the Vikings. Alfred was quite adept at dealing with the threat of Vikings invasion and he used a variety of strategies to defend his land that were highly effective. Alfred’s strategies included a reorganization of the tax system with which he could raise an army, he reorganization of recruit, a new network of fortifications, and an expansion of the navy. These changes were made with Alfred’s knowledge of Vikings tactics in mind. Whereas previous rulers, organized their military by the standards of previous rulers, Alfred took a stance more appropriate to his contemporary situation and as such his strategies were far more effective. King Alfred was also skilled at political maneuverings by which he was often able to neutralize the Vikings threat through peaceable means.
One of the principle positions of Alfred’s strategy in dealing with the Vikings menace was the expansion of the system of taxation. Alfred changed the system of taxes to reflect the value of landholder’s property and by doing so was able to collect more to maintain his defensive infrastructure. It’s possible that Alfred instituted the reform of taxes based on methods of taxation he had witnessed on his trip to Rome when he had stayed with Charles the Bald. In his book, Alfred the Great, Timothy Reuter draws parallels between the systems of collecting taxes in the Carolingian Kingdom and the Kingdom of Wessex ruled by Alfred. The Carolingians exacted both cash and services from preeminent families, and this was one of the ways in which Alfred was also able to acquire funds....
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... viking threat. As an astute leader Alfred was able to adopt policies that were established by other monarchs who had past experience dealing with the threat of vikings. Additionally Alfred was able to improve upon existing forms of defense to defend his kingdom. Lastly, Alfred revolutionized the way his armed forces mobilized so that they could more effectively defend the kingdom. One of Alfred’s most undervalued but perhaps the most important aspect of his strategy was making peace with Guthrum. Although the peace did not last, and was broken many time, it bought Alfred some time to consolidate and strengthen his kingdom. By making peace Alfred was able to strengthen his position within the kingdom and style himself the King of all of England. This meant that he only had to fight a war on one front rather than multiple, and also had more resources at his command.
...tect his right to the throne. Ultimately, he stabilized the nation by settling the civil wars, the Wars of Roses, by marrying the apposing York family, to unite the two feuding families, the Yorks and the Lancasters. All together, King Henry VII is a new monarch for displaying all of the required traits.
In the little kingdoms or principalities, the lands over which a King ruled were regarded as no different from other property. Among the Franks, all sons were entitled to a share. Therefore, when a King died, each son became a King over his own little kingdom. Thus, many political units became small so there were no uniform laws or policies. This lack of unity made them vulnerable to enemies as well as conflict from within. Bullough points out that the loyalty of a warrior or subject to his chosen leader was not a light matter. The author does not contrast that concept of loyalty however, with our present ideas of loyalty to the homeland or institution.
In the epic poem, Beowulf, “The Beowulf” is depicted as the big bad guy. Though he is not seen as a big bad guy who resembles a villain, but a big bad guy who is boastful and arrogant. Beowulf is shown as a superhuman where nothing or no one can defeat him. However, the author does not show Beowulf with the same characteristics as he transitions from a good warrior to a questionable good king. During Beowulf’s new beginning of a king, he still lingers in the mindset of a warrior.
The brawl experienced by the epics central character Beowulf test his ethics his aptitude to prevail over sinister forces. All the way through its authoritative use of metaphors and illustration, Beowulf sketches a transparent difference between good and evil. Moreover good always prevails over evil. The ...
When you hear of historical figures that “conquered” a certain time period, you think of barbarians, spartans, or other gruesome, battle-tested men. While William I, the King of England and Duke of Normandy, was also nicknamed the “Conqueror”, he achieved success reigning over his time period in very different ways than that of Genghis Khan or Alexander the Great. Regardless of his path to success, William I played a huge part in the religious evolution of England. Using his advantageous leadership position, William I was able to be prosperous for many decades. His illustrious career is historical proof that a country does not need to be overtaken by brute force alone. William the Conqueror was a very commendable leader, and he used his knowledge, leadership, and military prowess to conquer multiple countries for almost the entirety of his life.
By the end of the Hundred Years’ War, England was embroiled in civil wars, which became known as the Wars of the Roses. King Henry VI became king as a baby and he was not very warlike; for this reason, he was an unsuitable king for such a violent society. Noblemen were exceedingly powerful and they had their own army to threaten the local people and impose their rules. However, the noble families had different interests and were divided in the ones who supported Henry VI, the so-called ‘Lancastrians...
As of 2007, nine states have granted juveniles the constitutional right to request a jury trial. Eleven more states will grant a jury trial under very narrow circumstances such as when juveniles may be subject to adult incarceration facilities, violent and serial offenders, as well as juveniles who seek appellate review of their disposition. That leaves thirty-one jurisdictions, including Maine, that have fallen into the shadow of the Supreme Court decision McKeiver v. Pennsylvania to not yet extend jury trials in juvenile court systems. But the landscape of juvenile courts looks much different today than it did forty-three years ago when McKeiver was decided. The juvenile system is no longer so distinct from its criminal counterpart; in fact, juvenile courts have developed many punitive practices that go against the idea of a purely rehabilitative focus. This paper will focus on the origins of the jury trial and the juvenile justice system, the constitutional arguments that render jury trials necessary in juvenile courts, policy arguments for the functioning of those jury trials, and how jury trials fit and thus should be included in the Maine Juvenile Code.
The character of Beowulf stands as a hero to the ancient Danes because of his actions. He is constantly being cited as a "war-chief" and a "gold-giver" (61). Beowulf has achieved fame through what he has done with his own hands. His identity as a leader is based upon the Danish society’s emphasis on personal action, as opposed to the delegation of responsibility through conscious thought. It is this very sense which spurs Beowulf to fight the dragon: "In my youth I engaged in many wars. Old guardian of the people, I shall still seek battle, perform a deed of fame, if the evil-doer will come to me..." (59). Beowulf derives his power from a strong link to the past. Without his history of glorious deeds, he would see himself bereft of the very power which qualifies him to be a good King. Beowulf’s bravery never comes in to question, he does meet every challenge head-on, with deadly attention. The society which labels Beowulf as a legendary hero, recognizes his actions and his bravery as a integral part of his definition as a hero. Without the society to support th...
In this essay, I will uncover the countless insights that can be learned about the characters in Beowulf, as well as the society as a whole, based on the weapons the characters choose to use in battle. During the Anglo-Saxon time, roughly between 400 and 1066, swords were considered the most precious weapon someone could own. Although it is not certain who wrote Beowulf, and when, many people believe it was composed in the middle to end of the Anglo-Saxon period. Analyzing the different weapons, and significance of each, in Beowulf, and comparing them to the weaponry at the time, provides the readers with a great deal of insight into the society during this period. The use of weapons in Beowulf not only provides the readers with insight into
Beowulf is an epic poem telling the story of Beowulf, a legendary Geatish hero who later becomes king in the aforementioned epic poem. While the story in and of itself is quite interesting, for the purpose of this paper it is important to look at the character more so then his deeds, or rather why he did what he did.
Uthred reminiscences about his childhood before the Danes began to attack his home and family. Looking back on his childhood, Uthred states, “He was my king and all that I have I owe to him. The food that I eat, the hall where I live and the swords of my men, all came from Alfred, my king, who hated me,” (Cornwell 1). Uthred believes that all he has belongs to his king and he put all his faith in his king to provide for him. Alfred, his king, is in the guiding role in Uthred’s life and Uthred believes blindly in Alfred. Anglo-Saxon commoners believing blindly in their leaders is a common attribute due to the fact that every necessity is provided by their leaders for them. In Anglo-Saxon culture, most, if not all, commoners believe that being wholeheartedly dedicated to their lord will, in return, bring them what they need, whether that be food, protection, or anything other
On the surface, the poem Beowulf seems to be a simple tale of a brave hero who triumphs over three monsters and who engages in several other battles in order to preserve what is just and right. A more thorough reading, however, reveals that the epic poem is filled with events that symbolize historical and social conditions that prevailed during the European reign of the Scandinavians in the seventh century to around the ninth century, following the Danish invasion of England (Sisson 1996).
Alfred felt constantly threatened, and had to fight skirmishes with the Danes for many years. In order for Alfred to be successful he had to establish an organized army. Alfred began by developing stronger defensive m...
him a special place beside English kings since the time of Alfred. The body of writings were
With the need for war came the need for protection. Castles surrounded the king for his protection against enemies. In addition,...