Question

As [the Vikings] were going to their ships, the English army should have come back into the field to prevent them turning inland again. And that’s when the English army went home. . . . All the council was summoned to the king to determine how to defend the realm. But whatever was decided on did not last even a month. In the end, there was no man prepared to call up his forces. Everyone ran off and did the best he could.

What does this excerpt indicate about the general state of European military power at the time of that invasion?

The military needed help from the Roman Empire.
The military was powerful enough to stop the invasion.
The military was not strong enough to protect Europe.
The military was full of strong, independent leaders.

Answer 1

The military was not strong enough to protect Europe.

The passage describes leaders failing to muster or coordinate forces, councils that produced no lasting defense, and men dispersing rather than stopping the invaders—showing weakness and disorganization.