Assess the reasons for Aethelstan’s success in bringing stability to England.
It is evident that there are a multitude of reasons for Aethelstan’s success in bringing stability to England. These
include his use of military force, introduction of administrative reforms, and implementation of a new law code.
Undoubtedly, all factors hold great importance in solidifying Aethelstan’s kingdom and bringing long-term stability
to the country, however it must be said that the implementation of his law code was the most significant in creating
and maintaining stability, as its focus on crime, loyalty and piety had the most influence in controlling punishment
and unifying the judiciary system to ensure internal stability.
Initially, it is certain that Aethelstan’s use of military force had a great impact on his success in bringing stability to
England. At the Battle of Brunanburh 937, their strategic tactics and well-equipped army was able to defeat the
allied Scottish and Strathclyde forces, killing astute members of the opposing army and gaining support and
authority from many factions, thus improving his position as king and unifying the people under him to reduce
internal threat. This defeat of the Scottish also ensured that the threat from them would be quelled, as Aethelstan
had been harrying them since 934 using land and sea routes to raid settlements, creating further stability. In addition
to this, military force was also used against the Viking threat when Aethelstan stormed York after Guthrith went
against their agreement, causing him to gain control over an important trading place and stop a new wave of Viking
raids, increasing stability in the face of external threat. As a consequence, it is evident that Aethelstan’s use of
military force was a vital reason for his success in bringing stability to his kingdom.
Alternatively, one could argue that Aethelstan’s administrative reforms were a more important factor in his success
in bringing stability to England. He stressed the importance of oath taking and following the law code, as well as the
duty of the ealdormen and magnates, ensuring that internal stability was maintained due to the authority of his
kingship. Moreover, the formation of new administrative units such as the shires and hundreds enabled further
control over the judiciary system and the ensuring of suitable punishment, and courts met every four weeks in
hundreds to administer justice and capture criminals, such as thieves, who Aethelstan viewed as a particular
challenge, thus increasing internal stability. The increasing of the status and power of the ealdormen further
increased stability as the dynamic of power of Anglo-Saxon society was altered, ensuring that their kingdoms
reflected their status and that they were wholly loyal to the king. As a result, it is clear that the administrative
reforms were crucial to Aethelstan’s success in bringing stability to his kingdom, however his use of military force
and law codes were more important as they created more long-term stability.
On the other hand, it is clear that the introduction of a new law code had the greatest impact on Aethelstan’s
success in creating and maintaining stability within England. It was crucial in securing the position and authority of
the king, seen through II and IV Aethelstan, which put particular emphasis on the crime of theft, which was linked to
a lack of loyalty or oath taking, and social unrest, and thus, the law codes were important in maintaining stability and
obedience throughout the kingdom. Furthermore, the law codes helped to shape the formation of the new
administrative and judicial institutions of the shires and hundreds, so increased internal stability as they monitored
the distribution of punishment for crime and administering justice, as well as highlighting Aethelstan’s
acknowledgement of the importance of his people. In VI Aethelstan, the views of Londoners about law and order
were recorded, reflecting his desire to please the people and listen to their views. The overwhelming theme
throughout the law codes is that of piety, with I Aethelstan discussing the importance of paying tithes to the church
in order to gain the protection of God, reflecting a desire to strengthen his kingdom and improve the piety of the
people, thus unifying them under a common goal of religious protection against the Viking threat. Thus, it is evident
that the introduction of the new law code was the most crucial factor in Aethelstan’s success in bringing about
stability to his kingdom.
To conclude, it is certain that the success of Aethelstan in bringing about stability to his kingdom was undeniably his
introduction of a new law code. The new laws unified the people under a common goal of gaining protection from
God, showed the importance of punishment for crime, introduced a new judiciary system to ensure internal stability,
and highlighted the importance of loyalty to the king to promote stability within his rule. While the use of military
force and introduction of administrative reforms were also evidently significant in creating stability as they reduced
external threats and changed the distribution of power to ensure further internal stability and organisation, it must
be ultimately concluded that the law code had the greatest impact in creating and maintaining stability throughout
Aethelstan’s reign.
