A nation forged on the anvil of war

Although the concept of the nation that is now the United Kingdom is so embedded in the contemporary consciousness as to motivate little consideration as to how such an unusual circumstance came into being, it requires little thought to realise that there can be no process by which such a political union can be wrought without much strife and bloodshed, for the very term 'kingdom' denotes singular interest. Perhaps the one man who did more than any other to bring about a unified Great Britain was Edward I. Naturally, he was a single minded and utterly ruthless monarch barely mindful of the loss of life, misery or destruction that was required to achieve his objectives. Edward had a substantial list of political objectives, including the subjugation of the Scots, the recovery of lost dominions on the continent, the return of powers signed away in Magna Carta and, high among them, the bringing to account and control of the Welsh. In Wales were a people who stood apart in every way from those who held power in England. Yet these troublesome people lived behind a long border which looked towards the nearby English heartland. The border-land was ever in turmoil and the situation could not be allowed to endure. Edward posted his most resilient men to a string of fortifications to hold the Welsh at bay, and also began a systematic campaign to subjugate them. Edward was, of course, singularly successful in his strategy and tactics and the history of these 13th century wars of domination makes fascinating reading for all those interested in mediaeval history. Frowde's book is a well regarded classic on the subject and is recommended.
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