They established a treaty that Alfred's successors would eventually break. Alfred took London in 886, which was assigned under Guthrum's control. Alfred established his boundaries "up to Thames, and then up to Lea, and along the Lea to its source, then in a straight line to Bedford, then up the Ouse to Watling Street (citation here). King Edward would eventually expand the kingdom through multiple battles and near the end of his life would claim all of the territory south of the River Humber (citation here). The Viking defeat model would be followed by his immediate successors, succeeding in gaining more territory for themselves and eventually centralizing the government due to a more centralized militaristic system, the burghal hidage system, and the educational reform program that helped literate people get access to books in English, therefore expanding the intellectual