# English armies capture major Danelaw towns (917)

URL: https://english-history.com/timeline/917-english-armies-capture-major-danelaw-towns
Categories: battle

Edward and Æthelflæd took fortified centres including Derby and other strategic boroughs. 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 917 in the chronology so it can be read alongside the political, military, social and cultural changes around it. The victories rapidly reduced independent Danish power in the Midlands.

## Why it matters
The victories rapidly reduced independent Danish power in the Midlands.

Ruler at the time: [Edward the Elder](https://english-history.com/rulers/edward-the-elder)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — English armies capture major Danelaw towns](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=English+armies+capture+major+Danelaw+towns&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — English armies capture major Danelaw towns](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=English+armies+capture+major+Danelaw+towns)
- [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)