Aethelbad’s War
Date: 733 – 750
Aethelbad’s War involved the kingdoms of Mercia, Wessex, and Northumbria. The Mercian king, Aethelbad (r. 716 – 757), and his cousin Offa — who was to be Athelbad’s successor — invaded Wessex and Northumbria with the vision of unifying England under Mercian rule. At the time, Mercia was one of the richest and most powerful kingdoms in all of Anglo-saxon medieval England. Using his power and wealth as leverage, Aethelbad invaded and conquered Wessex in 733 and Northumbria in 744. He encountered some setbacks, especially in Northumbria, and in 749, he invaded the Northumbrian kingdom again and solidified his rule over that region. As an additional part of his plan to gain complete control and unify England, Aethelbad assisted the kings in the west of England — in those areas bordering Wales — to help them defend against Welsh invasions.
After his complete conquest of Northumbria in 749, Aethelbad achieved the first meaningful unification of England and was recognized by many, including Charlemagne, as “King of Britain.” This achievement, however, did not bring peace to Anglo-Saxon England. An intense period of civil war followed his conquest, and in 757, Athelbad’s own bodyguard assasinated him, and his cousin Offa (r. 757 – 796) — who actually opposed Athelbad in the civil war — ascended to the Mercian throne.
Sources:
Phillips, Charles, and Alan Axelrod. “Aethelbald’s Wars.” Encyclopedia of Wars, vol. 1. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE49&iPin=EWAR0012&SingleRecord=True (accessed December 3, 2008).
Additional Reading:
Albany F. Major, Early Wars of Wessex (Poole, U.K.: Blandford Press, 1978); David A. E. Peteret, ed., Anglo-Saxon History: Basic Readings (New York: Garland, 2000).