HISTORY OF GREAT BRITAIN FROM ANCIENT TIMES TO THE MIDDLE AGES
Special geographical position Great Britain has always distinguished it from other European countries.
Great Britain was not always an island. She became one only after the end of the last ice age, when the ice melted and flooded the low-lying lands that were on the site of today's English Channel and the North Sea.
Of course, the Ice Age was not one long, continuous winter. The ice either came to the islands or retreated to the north, giving the first man the opportunity to settle in new places. The most early evidence about human presence in the British Isles - flint tools - date back to approximately 250,000 BC. However, the noble endeavors of these people were interrupted by another cold snap, and were not resumed until approximately 50,000 BC, when the ice retreated and a new generation of people arrived on the islands, the ancestors of the modern inhabitants of Great Britain.
By 5000 B.C. Britain finally turned into an island, inhabited by small tribes of hunters and fishermen.
Around 3000 BC The first wave of settlers arrived on the island, who grew grain, kept livestock and knew how to make pottery. Perhaps they came from Spain or even North Africa.
Following them around 2400 BC. other people arrived who spoke an Indo-European language and knew how to make tools from bronze.
CELTS
Around 700 BC The Celts began to arrive on the islands, who were tall, blue-eyed people with blond or red hair. Perhaps they moved from central Europe or even from southern Russia. The Celts knew how to work iron and make better weapons, which convinced earlier inhabitants of the island to move further west to Wales, Scotland and Ireland. To consolidate their success, groups of Celts continued to move to the island in search of permanent place residence for the next seven centuries.
The Celts lived in distinct tribes ruled by a warrior class. Of these warriors, the most powerful were the priests, the Druids, who did not know how to read and write, and therefore memorized everything necessary knowledge in history, medicine, etc.
ROMANS
Julius Caesar made an unofficial visit to the British Isles in 55 BC, but the Romans did not conquer Britain until a century later, in 43 AD. Under the Romans, Britain began exporting food, hunting dogs and slaves to the continent. They also brought writing to the island. While Celtic peasants remained illiterate, educated city dwellers could easily communicate in Latin and Greek.
The Romans never conquered Scotland, although they tried for a good hundred years. Eventually they built a wall along northern border with unconquered lands, which subsequently determined the border of England and Scotland. The wall was named after Emperor Hadrian, during whose reign it was erected.
With the collapse of the great Roman Empire came the end of Roman control over the British. In 409, the last Roman soldier left the island, leaving the "Romanized" Celts to be torn apart by the Scots, Irish and Saxons, who periodically raided from Germany.
ANGLO-SAXONS
The wealth of Britain by the fifth century, accumulated through years of peace and tranquility, haunted the hungry Germanic tribes. At first they raided the island, and after 430 they returned to Germany less and less, gradually settling in British lands. Illiterate and warlike people were representatives of three Germanic tribes - the Angles, Saxons and Jutes. The Angles captured the northern and eastern territories modern England, Saxons - southern territories, and the Jutes - the lands around Kent. However, the Jutes soon completely merged with the Angles and Saxons and ceased to be a separate tribe.
The British Celts were very reluctant to cede land to England, but under pressure from the better armed Anglo-Saxons they retreated to the mountains in the west, which the Saxons called "Wales" (land of strangers). Some Celts went to Scotland, while others became slaves of the Saxons.
The Anglo-Saxons created several kingdoms, the names of some of which still remain in the names of counties and districts, for example, Essex, Sussex, Wessex. A hundred years later, the king of one of the kingdoms proclaimed himself the ruler of England. King Offa was rich and powerful enough to dig a huge ditch along the entire length of the Welsh border. However, he did not control the lands of all of England and with his death his power came to an end.
The Anglo-Saxons developed good system reign, under which the king had a council, then called Witan, which consisted of soldiers and church ministers and made decisions on difficult issues. The king could ignore the advice, but it would be dangerous. The Saxons also divided the territory of England into districts and changed the way the land was plowed. Residents now plowed long, narrow strips of land with a heavier plow and used a three-field farming system, which, by the way, survived into the eighteenth century.
CHRISTIANITY
It is not known how Christianity was brought to Great Britain, but it is known for certain that it happened before the beginning of the 4th century. AD In 597, Pope Gregory the Great sent the monk Augustine to officially bring Christianity to Great Britain. He went to Canterbury and became the first Archbishop of Canterbury in 601. By the way, he converted only a few families of noble and wealthy people to Christianity, and Christianity was brought to the people by Celtic priests who went from village to village and taught the new faith. The two churches were very different, but the Celtic Church had to retreat when Rome began to control the lands of Britain. Also, the Saxon kings preferred the Roman church according to economic reasons: villages and towns grew around the monasteries, trade and connections with continental Europe. Anglo-Saxon England became famous in Europe for its exports of wool, cheese, hunting dogs, tableware and metal products. She imported wine, fish, pepper and jewelry.
VIKINGS
By the end of the eighth century, new hungry tribes began to arrive, driven by the hunt for Britain's wealth. These were the Vikings, like the Angles, Saxons and Jutes, Germanic tribes, but they came from Norway and Denmark and spoke a North Germanic language. Like the Anglo-Saxons, they first visited the islands only briefly. In the end sea travel they were tired of it, and they decided to settle on the islands, having previously destroyed, if possible, more villages, churches and monasteries.
In 865, the Vikings captured the north and east of the island and, having converted to Christianity, settled down and did not bother local residents. King Alfred fought with them for more than ten years and only after he won decisive battle in 878 and eight years later he captured London and made peace with them. The Vikings controlled the north and east of England, and King Alfred controlled the rest.
DISPUTE ABOUT THE THRONE
By 590, England had regained the peaceful state it had enjoyed before the Viking invasion. Soon the Danish Vikings came to control western part England, and after the death of the next Saxon king, the Danish Vikings began to control most of England. After the death of the Viking king and his son, Edward, one of the sons of the Saxon king, ascended the throne. Edward devoted more time to the church than to government. By the time of his death, almost every village had a church, and a huge number of monasteries had been built. King Edward died without leaving an heir, so there was no one to lead the country. A dispute for the throne broke out between a representative of the powerful Saxon family, Harold Godwinson, and the Norman Duke William. In addition, the Danish Vikings also had their eyes on the tempting English throne. In 1066, Harold was forced to fight off persistent Vikings in north Yorkshire. As soon as Harold defeated the Danes, news arrived that William and his army had arrived in England. Harold's tired soldiers were unable to defeat William's fresh army, whose warriors were better armed and trained. Harold was killed in battle, and William marched with his army to London, where he was crowned on Christmas Day in 1066.
AND AT THIS TIME IN...WALES.
By the beginning of the eighth century, most of the Celts had been driven into Wales. Due to the fact that Wales is Mountain country, the Celts were forced to settle in cramped valleys. The rest of the land was barren and inaccessible, and it was only possible to graze domestic animals. That is why the number of Welsh remained small until the eighteenth century, when it finally exceeded half a million people.
People lived in clans, forming villages and small clusters of farms. The leaders of such clans, or tribes, proclaimed themselves kings, gradually capturing neighboring villages and expanding their possessions. In the 10th and 11th centuries there were six kingdoms in Wales. Kings generally did not die a common death, and the lives of ordinary residents were no less dangerous when the king’s men approached their villages. in 1039 Wales effectively ceased to be independent after the Welsh kings swore allegiance to Edward, King of England.
... IRELAND.
Ireland was never conquered by the Anglo-Saxons or the Romans. Celtic culture flourished. As in Wales, people lived in clans on which they were completely dependent. The kings in these tribes were chosen according to a system in which the strongest should rule. There were four kingdoms in Ireland.
Christianity was brought to Ireland around 430 AD. It was brought by a British slave, Patrick, who later became the patron saint of Ireland. Christianity brought with it writing, which made it possible to write history and weakened the position of the Druids, who relied on memory rather than on written word. But the Vikings came, and the relatively peaceful period in the life of Ireland ended. The Vikings carried away everything they could, giving Special attention values in monasteries. Viking raids forced Irish kings unite. In 859, Ireland chose its first king, but this did not lead to the actual unification of Ireland.
Introduction
Few states in the world have such a rich past. The history of England is a set of alternating liberations and seizures of territories, heroic victories and defeats, battles for their lands. These are millennia during which their own culture was formed, and a number of attempts to introduce it to other countries. When considering this issue, it must be borne in mind that England means the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, existing since 1927.
Start
The history of England begins before our era, when its territory was inhabited by Celtic tribes who called themselves Britons. After the invasion of the troops of the famous conqueror Julius Caesar, this area became known as Roman Britain. Over time, the Roman Empire gradually disintegrated, and the Britons turned to the barbarian Germans for help to protect them from the Scots and Picts.
Development of British history
The Germans turned out to be far from fools and took advantage of their position, beginning to slowly oust the Britons from their own lands, and the very first kingdoms began to appear in the liberated territories. From time to time, one of the kingdoms became the leader over all the others and controlled its neighbors. But everything comes to an end. Exact date unknown, but the British ran out of patience. According to the information available to historians, this happened when the Danish Vikings also wanted to seize part of the lands from the Britons.
Unification of kingdoms
All ambitions were abandoned, and a unification took place in order to preserve the integrity of the state. Some scientists believe that the history of England begins in 1066, when the countdown of its rulers began. This period is reminiscent of many different artifacts stored in museums in Great Britain.
British dynasties
The country was ruled by different dynasties: the Franco-Normans, the Anglo-Normans, the Plantagenets, who fought with neighboring France for more than a hundred years, the Tudors, when power was strongest. Then there was the restoration of the Stuart dynasty, they managed to unite the English and Scottish kings. After this, the Hanoverians were in power and defeated Napoleon's army at Waterloo. The country achieved unsurpassed prosperity under the reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901. The Windsors have ruled England since 1917. Since 1952, Elizabeth II has been on the throne of the country. It is in her honor that the British sing the national anthem “God Save The Queen”.
England today
Having gone through periods known in history as England's wars (including civil ones), the country has now reached a powerful level of social, economic and cultural development. All other states have long been taking into account its independence and listening to its opinion. Many tourists visit this magnificent island every year, starting their excursions in the capital - London, continuing them in other industrial cities and ending in small quiet villages on the mountain slopes. We just touched on this a little most interesting topic, as the history of England, superficially went through its main milestones. Those who want to study this issue more thoroughly can find many different sources to satisfy your curiosity.
When it was invaded by the troops of Julius Caesar, it was inhabited by Celtic tribes who called themselves Britons. As a result of the invasion, all South part The islands became part of the Roman Empire. The entire territory where it is now located modern England and Wales was called Roman Britain. Further, the history of England is already connected with the Germanic tribes. In the 5th century AD it collapsed, and then the Britons turned to the barbarian Germans to protect them from the invasions of Celtic tribes from the north - the Scots and Picts.
The Germanic tribes that arrived consisted of three groups: Saxons, Angles and Jutes. The Germans quickly mastered the territory of the Britons and gradually began to push them into the territory of Wales and Cornwall. Separate kingdoms gradually formed on the lands occupied by Germanic newcomers. Subsequently, these kingdoms formed a union of seven kingdoms, which was called the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. One of the seven Anglo-Saxon kings gained control of for the most part territory of England. This king was called “Britvalda”, which in translation is close in meaning to the name “Ruler of Britain”.
This went on for quite a long time, so the history of England cannot accurately determine the date when it happened. final unification states. Some historians believe that unification came at a time when the Danish Vikings captured eastern part England, which forced everything english kingdoms join forces for defense. The first king of all England is often called King Egbert of Wessex, who died in 839. However, the history of England suggests that the title "King of England" arose only two generations later - during the period when Alfred the Great ruled the islands (871-899).
Some historians make their calculations, paying attention to the wars of England. For example, the rulers of the state are counted from the Norman conquest in 1066. This date is usually used for numbering English monarchs How zero point. For example, Edward I, who was crowned in the 13th century, was not actually the first king to bear this name, but he was the first Edward, if you count from 1066. In this year, the Duke of Normandy, William the Conqueror, captured England and became king, thereby founding the Anglo-Norman dynasty. However, William the Conqueror is not the founder of England and he did not unite the country, he only captured the already existing England, introducing Franco-Norman rule in it.
Then a dynasty called the Plantagenets (1154-1485) came to power. At this time, the history of England was marked by the longest Hundred Years' War with France (1337-1453). From 1485 to 1603, England was ruled by the Tudor dynasty. It was an era of centralized power and strengthening English absolutism, the period of the Reformation. The Tudor dynasty ended with a reign that established the Anglican Church. In 1603, the Stuart dynasty, which was a dynasty of Scottish and English kings. I replaced Elizabeth I on the state throne. This period of reign was marked civil war, which arose as a result of the revolutionary crisis led by
Despite the fact that the Stuart dynasty was subsequently restored, the Hanoverians came to power in 1714. During their reign, the English army won a victory on June 18, 1815 at the Battle of Waterloo over Napoleon's troops. From 1837 to 1901, the reign passed to Queen Victoria. This period is rightfully considered the peak of Britain's prosperity. Since 1917 ruling dynasty The Windsor dynasty became the kingdom.
A Brief History of Great Britain
Great Britain is a country with an ancient and rich history. The earliest evidence of human presence in the British Isles dates back to 250000 BC However, due to the onset of the Ice Age, this civilization did not develop. In the 1st millennium BC. The territory of modern Britain was inhabited by the Celts. They lived in separate tribes and were engaged in agriculture, cattle breeding, weaving and even trade.
The ancient Greek traveler Pytheas, who lived in the 4th century BC, called these lands Brettania, and the Celts - Prettanoi. After the conquest of the island by Rome in the 1st century BC, the local residents began to be called in the Latin manner - Britons. Actually, the history of Great Britain dates back to this period, since with the arrival of the Romans the first cities and writing appeared. For a long time The Romans tried to conquer Scotland but failed. Eventually, they built a wall to fence off the conquered lands.
In the 5th century AD The era of the Anglo-Saxons began. In honor of this North Germanic tribe, the country began to be called England. It is believed that the Christianization of this nation occurred twice. The first time was during the reign of the Romans, and the second time around the 6th century, when Christian missionaries led by Augustine arrived on the island. IN 865 The island was captured by the Vikings, who gradually took control of all of England. The formation of the English language, which included many words borrowed from French and German, dates back to this period.
IN 1066 The year the Anglo-Saxon dynasties were replaced by the Norman dynasties. Duke William not only conquered England, but also united the small kingdoms into one single state. During his reign, cities began to grow (Bristol, York, Gloucester, Cambridge, etc.), and crafts and trade developed rapidly. IN 1388 year began Hundred Years' War with France, which gave way to a war for the throne. As a result, the Tudor dynasty won. The country reached its greatest prosperity during the reign of Elizabeth I (Queen Bess). She significantly expanded the territory, developed navy, acquired extensive colonies on other continents.
IN early XVII century, thanks to the Scottish king James VI (James I), Scotland and England were finally united. However, the United Great Britain Act was signed only in 1707 year. At the same time, London was elected the capital of the state. The accession of Ireland refers to 1801 year. IN mid-17th century century there was a fierce struggle between the ruling Stuart dynasty and parliament. As a result, the rights of the monarchy were significantly curtailed, and a republic reigned in England under the control of O. Cromwell. During the 18th century, Britain lost a number of colonies in North America, but has significantly strengthened its position in India.
The role of England in the defeat of Napoleonic army was great. After this, it strengthened its position as a leading European power. The 19th century passed under the slogan of peace and expansion british colonies. Queen Victoria had a particularly favorable influence on the development of the country (1837-1901). Economic crisis swept the country during the First World War, which the Irish immediately took advantage of liberation movement. IN 1921 Ireland declared itself independent state. The struggle for independence from the United Kingdom continued throughout the 20th century, with periodic flare-ups in Scotland and Northern Ireland. national problems. Today, the UK is a member of the EU and one of the largest states Europe.