BattlefieldsBattle of Assandun Aftermath and Treaty at Alney 1016
Early Medieval

Battle of Assandun Aftermath and Treaty at Alney 1016

1016
Essex, England
Era
Early Medieval
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
Essex, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Edmund Ironside
Forces
Cnut: c.5,000–7,000. Post-Assandun negotiation.
VS
Victor
Cnut
Forces
Edmund Ironside: c.4,000–6,000
Outcome
England divided between Cnut and Edmund at Alney; Edmund died November 1016; Cnut accepted as king of all England; Viking conquest of England complete
The Battle

History & Significance

After the Battle of Assandun in October 1016 in which Edmund Ironside was defeated but escaped, the two kings met on the island of Alney in the Severn near Deerhurst and agreed a division of England. Cnut received Mercia, Northumbria, and East Anglia; Edmund kept Wessex. Edmund died in November 1016 and Cnut was accepted as sole king. The treaty at Alney was a pragmatic recognition that neither king could destroy the other after a year of inconclusive fighting.

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