Changes

If the Viking invasions did not happen, then it would have been difficult to unify England. One only needs to look at Germany or Italy in the Medieval and early modern period to see that many states that exist today in Europe took a long time to develop as unified nation states. Kingdoms in early Medieval Europe, such as Charlemagne, were able to create larger monarchies or states; however, they soon became fragmented as children of the monarch or rivals would compete for power. When threats were mostly internal, then often the state fragmented into multiple states. On the other hand, areas most threatened by invasions became more likely to unite, as a greater outside threat helped to catalyze similar cultures to merge together to form a more powerful kingdomthat opposed outsiders. For instance, Scotland and Wales also experienced similar greater unity after viking invasions of their territory, as England had.<ref>For more on what might have happened have the Viking invasions never occurred, see: Somerville, A.A. & McDonald, R.A. (2013) <i>The Vikings and their age.</i> Companions to medieval studies series v. 1. Toronto, University of Toronto Press, pg. 20.</ref>

We could, therefore, speculate that a lack of clear outside threat could have meant a longer continuity in the power struggles that affected England before the 8th century, specifically back and forth fighting between Anglo-Saxons and sometime Britons. By being unified relatively early, England became a more attractive crown, which is one reason why the Normans were interested in its conquest in the 11th century, as a larger political entity and having now greater wealth made it more of an interest for the Normans who were more boxed into their territory in France by the French. Continued Viking raids into the 11th century also showed the interest the British Isles had for Viking raiders. Overall, the Viking invasion and attempt at conquest not only helped make England united, it also allowed the spread of English, as England then formed its own Empire. In effect, this all may have not been possible if the Viking invasions did not occur. The Anglo-Saxons may have simply never formed a larger, more powerful kingdom that was attractive for conquest and subsequently became a major global power that spread English.<ref>For more on the wealth of England in the 10th and 11th centuries, as it became unified, see: Sawyer, P.H. (2013) <i>The wealth of Anglo-Saxon England.</i> Based on the Ford Lectures delivered in the University of Oxford in Hilary Term 1993. 1st ed. Oxford, Oxford University Press.</ref>