The Vikings

The Viking (“pirates”) raided Britain in 8^th century from Norway and Denmark. First of all they burnt everything along the east, north and west coasts of Britain. London was raided in 842. In 950 Danish Vikings started raiding westwards. The Saxon king, Ethelred, decided to pay them to sat away – the new tax appeared (“Danegold”). The Witan chose a person from a local family without royal blood, but courageous and rich, to be the king. Harold’s rights were challenged by the Duke William of Normandry. Normans actually were grandchildren of the Vikings who came to France. William marched to London and was crowned a king in 1066.

The early middle ages

William was careful and gave the land in the following way – small parts of the land in different parts of the country to one person. Besides, he kept enough land for himself. He introduced feudal system. At each level a man had to promise loyalty to his lord. Each lord had responsibilities to his vassals: he had to give him land and protection.

William governed England and Normandy by traveling from one place to another. There was no capital, the kings were crowned in Westminster, their treasury was in Winchester.

William controlled two large areas – England won in the war, Normandy – his original possession where he was a vassal to the French king. When William died in 1087 he left the Duchy of Normandy to his elder son, Robert, and he gave England to his second son William. When Robert went to fight the Muslims in the Holy Land, he left William in charge of Normandy. William died in 1100 in hunting accident. He had no son to take the crown. Robert, the Duke of Normandy, was in Holy land. Henry, their third brother decided to take the English crown. He took the king’s treasure and was crowned quickly. His grandson Henry II was the first unquestioned ruler of the country (no other heirs). He destroyed castles built without his permission. He married Eleanor de Aquitaine who ruled the lands south of Anjou. But then he quarreled with his wife and his sons Richard and John took her side.

Henry was followed by his rebellious son Richard “Lionheart”. He was very popular, although he didn’t spend time in England, fighting in the Holy land. On his way back he was captured by the duke of Austria, with whom he had quarreled in Jerusalem. The duke demanded a lot of money and got the sum in two years.

Richard was followed by his brother John, who quickly quarreled with three powerful groups of people: the nobles, the merchants, the church. He was very greedy. The nobles went to London, joined angry merchants and made the king sign a new agreement “Magna Carta” (the Great Charter): promised protection and the right to a fair trial. Lords made a committee of 24 people to look after the king.

Parliament

Simon de Montfort, earl of Leicester, and his supporters created a council of nobles (parliament), which took control of the treasury. They were supported by the town which didn’t like heavy taxes. But some of the nobles supported the king and killed de Montfort. Henry had the whole authority. In 1272 Henry’s son Edward I brought together the first real parliament. Parliament was able to make written laws and political decisions, but they couldn’t provide the king with the money he needed as for they were land-owners. The rest should be got by taxation. The king created a “representative institution” – the House of Commons, which contain a mixture of knights and merchants. From each shire 2 representatives were sent to the Parliament.