# Battle of Edington (878)

URL: https://english-history.com/timeline/878-battle-of-edington
Categories: battle, main-event

Alfred defeated Guthrum's Viking army after a winter crisis in Wessex. Within the broader Vikings & Unification period, Scandinavian invasion and settlement transformed the political map while Wessex and its allies built the institutions of a unified English kingdom. This event is placed at AD 878 in the chronology so it can be read alongside the political, military, social and cultural changes around it. The victory preserved Wessex and led to a political settlement with the Danes.

## Why it matters
The victory preserved Wessex and led to a political settlement with the Danes.

Ruler at the time: [Alfred the Great](https://english-history.com/rulers/alfred-the-great)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Battle of Edington](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Battle+of+Edington&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Battle of Edington](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Battle+of+Edington)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of British history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_British_history_%28before_1000%29)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica — Viking Britain topic search](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Viking%20Britain)