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Flag of Mercia

The flag of the Kingdom of Mercia

Though there are no definite beginnings to the Kingdom of England; it is most commonly associated with the coronation of Egbert of Wessex, who took control of the kingdoms in South Britain. But what if he hadn't taken control of these territories? This is a history of what Britain might have looked liked divided.

Flag of Wessex

The flag of the Kingdom of Wessex


Wessex Dark Ages (822) - The First Irish Invasion (1430)[]

After the unsuccessful invasion of Kent and Sussex, Mercia managed to get the upper hand in the territorial grab that Wessex started. They grew so fast that in 13 years they had tripled the territory they originally had. Northumbria also began to grab territory that Picts held. To turn the tide against the invading Northumbrians, some Pict tribes united under a similar banner for a similar goal, they formed the kingdom of Picton. They finally won a battle at Albern Marsh outnumbering the enemy 11,000 to 4000. The borders were pushed back after 18 years of fighting and Northumbria settled for the status quo. Meanwhile, the kingdom of Wessex was experience out-of-control rioting in the area of Cornwall and the area that would later become the kingdom of South Wales. The so-called "fall of Wessex" occurred in this time period and didn't end until 1034. On the opposite side Kent and Mercia, to allies, went through their own gold ages, where they experienced "Romanesque" style culture and reforms, but kept their own style of government.

13th Centry King

Eatheral Eargherth 1202-1266, the longest reigning Mercian king

By the turn of the millennium, the British kingdoms entered a new era of relationships with each other, most prominent the treaty of Westbernshire, which put the kingdoms of Wessex and Mercia under the same royal house. This was as close as the two kingdoms came to uniting and the treaty lasted until 1357. And even after the treaty officially ended the two countries held strong relationship until the 16th century.

As the millennium progressed science became prosperous in the kingdoms and all of the Britainnian countries fought against France in the 70 years war for the Normandy region which the United Kingdom of Jersey and Guernsey would later gain. Then in 1301, the kingdom of Ireland was declared by Hygwer Cunryarye, a Welsh-Pict who would declare the land to be poisoned by the Saxon horde and it needed to be punished. Throughout the 14th century the kingdom of Ireland executed any Saxon who walked upon Irish territory (this included the Briton Kingdoms' ambassadors). This huge and frankly idiotic excuse for genocide led the kings of Britain to come to the diet of London (1380), a border city that was controlled by Kent, Mercia and Wessex, and devise a plan to defend Their kingdoms from the aggressive Irish army, who were devising a plan to invade the kingdoms. The kings came to a conclusion of the Saxon League, an alliance of all Britain nations except Picton. This was felt as an act of aggression by the Irish and from then on the war was justified in their minds. They began a furious military build up and fifty years after the Saxon League was born, they invaded the grand duchy of Gwynedd and the Saxon League put the Dalwalf Plan into action. They would set up a defensive position in towns outlying Gwynedd and waited for the Irish to arrive...

Fall of the Irish army (1431) - First British war (1502)[]

While the plan was at first a success, the Irish, who built up a force of 270,000 invaders, dented, then broke through the lines and finally routed the entire Gwynedd army at the battle of Fayenn, where they defeated the 22,000 men fighting with only 17,000 men using a new innovation in technology, the hand gun which itself killed 9000 men in battle. The Saxons' were fearing for themselves as their only line of defense before the Dalwalf lines. Finally the engagement at Westmenen decimated the Mercian army of 36,000 men to 5000-7000 men. The Irish continued unstoppable. They then stopped the bulk of their army (40,000-100,000) men at the village of

Irish Hight of Power, 1431

The Irish (orange) at the height of their expansion.

Llowes, and unexpectedly a Wessex army made mostly of normal village men numbering up to 30,000, surrounded the village and bombarded it with guns captured from the battle of Hay-On-Wye. They entered the town victorious after five months of fighting and completely massacred the army that ended with only 2300 escaping or being captured. This battle ended the Irish armies advance into Britain. The final Irish army was defeated by newly recruited Gwynedd's army at Swansea Bay. This was a humiliating loss to an enemy that the Irish people deemed in-human. The win also ushered in the age of fear and hatred between the British nations (due to the spies that were used by all sides, even on each other) , that eventually came around to end the Saxon League in 1495. Then, the constitution crisis happened, as the death of Harold Irecel II in 1497 happened and Wessex king Ethrelbert IV claimed the throne on the basis of their old royal ties, even though the royal ties were broken when the treaty of Westbernshire ended in 1357. The tension finally erupted by Mercia claiming they found assassins attacking their crown prince Rudolf Baethel. They invaded Wessex and East-Angles with their allies Kent and Northumbria in 1502 ending the 70 year peace on the British Isles. The opening shots were fired at the battle of Ashdown with the Mercians winning a decisive battle that opened the "eastern" and "western" fronts. London, which was at this time a shared capital with Kent, Wessex and Mercia, was invaded and was taken over by Mercia and Kent and they declared it north (Mercian) and South (Kent) London. With the push south happening, the "East-Angles" front was opened and the Mercians taking it over after 4 months of siiging the capital Edmondsbury. The take over was swift but bloody, with 17,000 men dying to defend the Mercian horde from annexing their country, but it was all in vain as the final town was taken six months after the beginning the front.

British Isles 1503

Britain at the time of the war, Mercia is in light blue.

Meanwhile in the south Wessex soldiers began to fire back and win battles especially around the Winchester area. They developed tactics to that of attack, run then use special groups to sabotage the enemy supply routes. It was an ingenious idea that work well in their favour. The war then entered a period that would not be experienced until the 3rd British war, both sides could not make any ground on each other and the balance of power was constantly being tossed around. The war had many battles that could of changed the balance of power but it had no major effect. The war dragged on for three years and finally the "Galloway decision" was signed bringing the kingdom of Galloway into the war on Mercia's side tipping the scales to the Mercian "empire" as they described it due to the influence of Mercia on the nations. They began to see themselves in the "Britain sun", a termed describing the greatest member of the re-created Saxon League, now being a group of three ministers from the five Strongest nations on the British Isles which was created to solve royal issues, especially after the constitution crisis.


Rise of Colonies (1547) - Mercian Civil war (1719)[]

Colonies weren't the main priority of the British nations as they were mainly trading nations and only members of the Saxon League could have a navy and even then they were used for trade only. They spent the first half of the 16th century by building up and economy and resources, which were going to be used for in the Poaynen Plan. The Poaynen plan was the plan by the kingdom of Galloway to gain territories in the Americas, especially in the marsh lands that are now Louisiana. But, Galloway couldn't gain the money in time due to being expelled from the Saxon League and stripped of their navy. After this other nations adopted the Poaynen plan as it was fast, easy and not cost worthy to the nation. Meanwhile, Mercia began to colonize Africa mostly for its slave trade to Spain which it earned a quarter of its yearly income.

Religion was also prominent in this era, from the Saxon League members signed the "Anti-Blasphemy act" (1585) that banned all non Catholic religions and made it illegal to practice any blasphemous (speaking out against a deity) and it would be the death penalty for breaking any of the laws. It was a law until 1717.

King Aelfredus III

King Aelfredus III, reign 1596-1623, became the first and only Protestant King of Kent, and the whole British Isles.

During this time of religious inequality, the government held little sway over the people and the church corrupted the lords. Finally, Protestant revolts occurred in Kent (Kent revolts of 1593) and quickly spread throughout the nations and the church began to lose their power and sway over the kings and lords. Finally after three years of revolt, the Kent royal house collapsed and replaced with the house of Hamburg and the protestant king, Aelfredus. He would be the first and only protestant king on the British Isles, as he had so little amount of power due to the new sway of power of the protestant lords and dukes. Even though the revolts would not die down for more years to come, it had no profound change of the religion and laws put on the people, even the successor to Aelfredus III officially joined the Catholic Church after his fathers death and denounced Protestantism. But after all of this the revolts would bring in a new era of religious oppression, with all open people who denounced Christ, being hanged and people weren't even allowed to convert, and instantly killed. The only "good" king of this era was Suthere II of South Wales, 'the protector'.

King Suthere Eatherald of South Wales.

"The Protector", King Suthere of South Wales was widely hated by other monarchs due to his helpful nature, reign 1604-1631.

He helped fleeing refugees into his country and granted services to all males of the family no matter what religion or background. He declared slavery illegal on mainland South Wales, but allowed it in the colonies. He was also the last of the Kings of the British Isles to fight alongside his soldiers and was beloved dearly. When he died on the 4th of April 1631, he was mourned over for five months and his birth was made an official holiday on the 9th December 1702. The death of one of the greatest kings in the history of the British Isles didn't phase the other monarchs, even the son of Suthere began to persecute the refugees. This period was known as the deconstruction, the period of no advancement, and it seems they were going back in time to a simpler but more hateful time. This was about to change.

The turn of the century came hard to the British nations, as they were financially bankrupt, and revolts were happening throughout the countries, mostly based on the popular revolt in France, the worlds leading superpower. This and the combine weakness of the kings led to the final dissolution of the Saxon League in 1708. The next years would have to be seen to be believed.

  • 1709- A thousand Jews are executed by gunshot after the Foarbank incident in Wessex. A Jewish scholar and refugee carries 1043 Jews from the Middle East to a port in south Wessex where they were captured and all sentenced to death.
  • 1711- Mass demonstrations from farmers are put down by force in the capital of Mercia, Tamworth, and more revolts happen even into 1712.
  • 1712- The bombing of the tower of London, anarchists destroy the tower by gunpowder fuses and the outcome frightens even the most powerful of monarchs, two of the six plotters get away and raise a small army of 5000 men that are put down at the battle of Cott Fields, but not as easily as the King wants (7000 of his men died defending the fields).
    Battle of Cott Fields

    A painting depicting the battle of Cott Fields.

  • 1715- A mass rally at Tamworth square begins and doesn't end for four weeks. The ministry is created with the position of lord-at-hand, a position that the nobility elects to power. This lays first frameworks for civil war.
  • 1717- The first ever elections on the British Isles, with the nobility electing the king, and people begin to revolt. The king close the elections as the nobility's choice. Mercia is calmed for a short time.
    First Lord-at-hand elections

    The first elections, with 97% of the nobility voting for the king. The voters voting against the king later joined the Ministry army.

  • 1719- King Offa II is assassinated by members of the ministry after he issued law 11, where everyone had to give all land to him personally. The ministry flees to London and sets up an army in the west and north-east of the country. Offa's brother, King Egbert VI, declares the ministry liquidated. The ministry shoot back with their soldiers at the battle of Tamsworth but lose and are forced back to London. They are now fighting for the future democracy.
Offa Ethralbert II

Offa II. His assassination would spark one of the most fiercest wars in history.

The Mercian Civil war (1719 - 1725)[]

The Mercian Civil War was the first time the ideas of democracy had to fight to survive, as the idea wasn't around up to the 1710's. King Egbert VI saw an increased number of revolts and noble rebellions during this time. The nobles that voted for the king stayed with him until the had resigned their position, died in battle or were executed. The leader of the Minstrel army was a wealthy mayor of the small town of Aldercy city, Ceid Bray. He took control during the battle of Tamsworth and during the march back to north London. He also oversaw the battle of ridge coast at the colony of Ausce-Lau, an island of the coast of Africa that they captured from the French in 1633. The main fighting occurred along the Margrave's line,

Mercian Civil war-1720

The civil war. The ministry in green, royalists in blue and the Margrave's line in black.

named after Lord Margrave, the supreme general of the Royalist army fighting at the "line", and a powerful noble that used to have control of the capital city of Tamsworth, even more powerful than the king.

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