1.2 - The Norman Conquest Flashcards
When did Edward the Confessor die?
1066
What 3 powerful rivals claimed the throne after Edward the Confessor died?
Harald Hardrada - King of Norway
William the Conqueror - Duke of Normandy
Harold Godwinson - Earl of Wessex
When and what was the Battle of Stamford Bridge?
25th September 1066
Harold defeated Harald Hardrada
When and what was the Battle of Hastings?
14th October 1066
William defeated Harold
When and where was William crowned King of England?
London
25th December 1066
What 3 things made the Norman invasion of 1066 a success?
Superior forces
Experience of Warfare
Leadership and decision making
What 3 things made the Norman invasion of 1066 a success?
Superior forces
Harold Godwinson (England):
- Had many equipped soldiers
- Fighting tactics had not changed much for a century
William the Conqueror (Normandy):
- Knights were closer and more loyal
- Better equipped
- The Norman war machine was more flexible, William had foot soldiers, horsemen and archers.
What 3 things made the Norman invasion of 1066 a success?
Experience of warfare
William of Normandy had been battling for his dukedom since he was a boy.
Whereas England had been relatively stable, without any serious civil war invasion since 1016 so it made them less experienced.
What 3 things made the Norman invasion of 1066 a success?
Leadership and Decision Making
Harold = strong leader, shown in his victory against Harald Hardrada but by turning forces around and marching straight back down to the South to battle with the Normans he risked overstretching his resources.
William = Stayed near the coast, secured his supply line and rested his troops while waiting for Harald to come.
What happened every year between 1067 and 1075?
There were serious revolts against Normal rule
What were the 3 ways the Normans were able to take control of England 1066-75?
Military efficiency and ruthless violence
Castles
By making use of Anglo-Saxon administration
How were the Normans able to take control of England 1066-75?
Military efficiency and ruthless violence
Most serious threat came in 1069 when the Northern English earls joined forces with the King of Scotland and a viking fleet to oppose William.
William marched North and arrived in York in December 1069 where he paid off the Danes and made sure they never troubled him again.
How were the Normans able to take control of England 1066-75?
Their castles
English had no castles to help defend their land.
Norman castles had a symbolic role and could be built fairly quickly and defences could be put up. So William paid for 500 new castles by implementing a massive tax on the Church.
How were the Normans able to take control of England 1066-75?
Making use of Anglo-Saxon Adminsitration
Officials collected taxes, raised armies and maintained law and order, carrying out royal commands through wits.
William used the strength of this system to his own advantage and as time passed English sheriffs and other officials were replaced by Normans which gave William more control.
What were the 3 impacts of the Norman Conquest?
Removal of the English Nobility
Changes to the English Church
The Norman ‘yoke’
