The written history of Scotland essentially began with the arrival of the Roman Empire in southern Britain, when the Romans occupied what is now England and Wales and called it Britannia. To the north was territory not conquered by the Romans: Caledonia. Caledonia was peopled by the Picts, with the Gaels of Dal Riata in Argyll. Pictland became dominated by the Pictish sub-kingdom of Fortriu, but the Kingdom of Scotland is traditionally dated from 843, when Kenneth I of Scotland became King of the Picts and Scots. In the centuries that followed Scotland was plagued by internal disunity, yet continued to expand to eventually include the bulk of the territory that is modern day Scotland. The critical year for the young kingdom was perhaps 1018, when Malcolm II defeated the Northumbrians at the Battle of Carham. In the 13th century after the nobles of the country sought English help to mediate the succession of the throne, England installed its own puppet king in Scotland and sought outright control of the kingdom. This led to the famous uprising by William Wallace and eventual complete independence for Scotland and the stabalizing of its government by the last 1300's. Scotland begins the game as a minor country, though its defensive position in the north of the British Isles is a strong one. England stands to be either Scotland's greatest foe or its most potent ally. Scotland begins with a strong local troop advantage over England, but that advantage will quickly disappear if England should build all of its production in England within the first couple of turns rather than attempt to reinforce its holdings in France. So the Scottish player must decide early on whether they want to join France in war with England, or should it seek other avenues for expansion.