2. William of Normandy’s Invasion and the Battle of Hastings 1066 Flashcards
1
Q
William of Normandy’s invasion preparations
A
- When he decided on invasion, he ensured he had strong support by firstly sending an envoy to the Pope asking for his blessing, showed his followers that his claim was a lawful one, he managed to get full support from the Pope, who saw the English church as corrupt and had excommunicated the archbishop of Canterbury, he went into battle with the Papal banner and thousands flocked to him due to the cause
- William toured Normandy, visiting each of his most powerful barons in person and also made deals with neighbouring leaders such as Eustace of Boulogne and Count Alan of Brittany, he promised them land and positions within his new kingdom in return for loyal service
- William’s planning was meticulous, men were fed, horses provisioned, ships built, arms and armour manufactured
- ## William’s invasion fleet moved north of the River Somme but did not cross the Channel, the sources say he was waiting for fair weather but he may have also been awaiting news that Harold was distracted
2
Q
Hardrada’s Invasion
A
- On Sep 20 1066, Hardrada and Tostig sailed up the Ouse, with more than 10,000 men in 200 longships, to launch their invasion of Northumbria
3
Q
Battle of Fulford
A
- Edwin and Morcar came out to meet them with a hastily assembled fyrd that consisted mainly of their own personal soldiers
- They were defeated at Fulford and their forces were so decimated that they were unable to play any further part in the campaigns of that year
4
Q
Battle of Stamford Bridge
A
- Harold reacted by scraping together a scratch force of his own, made up largely of his own housecarls and his thegns
- He raced north, calling up all the shire fyrd he could muster on the way, in four days he marched 180 miles to surprise Hardrada and Tostig at Stamford Bridge on 25th September
- Harold won a decisive victory and it is said that only 24 ships were needed to return the remnants of the defeated army to Norway
- Harold had won, but at a price as his army were tired and badly mauled, he had lost the forces of both the Earl of Northumbria and the Earl of Mercia
5
Q
Norman Landings in Hastings and Harold’s response
A
- William acted once Harold was distracted and exhausted from the Battle of Stamford Bridge
- William waited for the wind to be in the right direction and sailed two days after Stamford Bridge
- Fleet consisted of almost 700 ships
- Landed in Pevensey Bay Sep 28th
- Once onshore, William ordered that some of his boats be symbolically burnt whilst the rest were dismantled and pulled ashore, then constructed a castle on top of the hill
- Normans pillaged and burnt the surrounding area in order to force Harold to come south and defend his people
- Harold did not hesitate, by 12th October he was back in London and gathering what forces he could and by the 14th he was on the way to Hastings
- Harold could have delayed confronting William to assemble a larger, fresher army however the core of Harold’s army had marches south in under three weeks and must have been very tired
6
Q
The Course and Outcome of the Battle of Hastings
A
- 5000 tired Englishmen vs 15,000 Norman force made up of infantry, archers and cavalry - William had a cavalry and Harold did not
- Facing such odds, Harold was forced to fight a defensive battle, his army was positioned on a hill and his intention was to contain particularly the cavalry
- He was forced to rely on the English shield-wall, behind which his men could stand and let the Norman attacks break themselves
- Tactic was hugely successful, additionally upon hearing a rumour that William had been killed, the Normans began to run, English charged after them believing that they were close to victory but therefore exposed themselves to a devastating counter attack, the feigned retreat
- Harold supposedly shot in the eye and although the English still fought on bravely after their king had fallen, they eventually lost and fled
7
Q
Reasons for William’s Victory
A
8
Q
Preparation and Army Organisation
A
- William planned meticulously, he built a large amount of ships and weapons as well as pre-fabricated castles which could be quickly assembled after landing
- William had cavalry available which was lacking in the Anglo-Saxon army
9
Q
Past experience
A
- William was able to recruit a large force, helped in part by his reputation which encouraged men from Maine and Brittany to join his forces
- He had vast experience in battle, fighting the King of France and defeating various rebellions in Normandy, he was an expert in the use of the feigned retreat and the use of cavalry
10
Q
Strategy and Tactics
A
- William moved his fleet to the mouth of the River Somme so the crossing would be shorter
- William charged into battle alongside his troops
- William took his helmet off and motivated his army after the rumours of his death
- Feigned retreat
11
Q
Religion
A
When William decided on invasion, he ensured he had strong support by firstly sending an envoy to the Pope asking for his blessing, showed his followers that his claim was a lawful one, he managed to get full support from the Pope, who saw the English church as corrupt and had excommunicated the archbishop of Canterbury, he went into battle with the Papal banner and thousands flocked to him due to the cause
12
Q
Chance
A
- The wind changed for William at the very moment that Harold was confronting Hardrada
- The absence of a number of important Anglo-Saxon housecarls was a result of bad luck, many had been killed at Stamford Bridge
- Faced an English army complacent with success and depleted by two battles
- Rumour of his death and success of the feigned retreat
13
Q
Hardrada’s Invasion
A
- Hardrada’s forces invaded in September, 300 ships sailed up the River Humber while the English forces retreated to the River Ouse
- The Battle of Fulford Gate followed, then the Battle of Stamford Bridge
- Although Hardrada did lose this battle, it was still hugely impactful on Harold’s army- they were wounded and exhausted and many of his most skilled soldiers were killed in these battles
14
Q
Harold’s mistakes
A
- Upon hearing of William’s invasion, Harold quickly marched south in order to try and confine William before he could establish a power base and also destroy much of Wessex
- Florence of Worcester in the 11th century suggested that Harold moved from London before half of his army had arrived, if he had waited in London 30,000-40,000 fyrd troops could have joined his campaign
- Harold failed to see how his army had been depleted by the previous battles
- Some primary sources suggest that Harold made the mistake of crowding his army together at the top of the hill
15
Q
William’s march through the south
A
- William kept his army in Hastings for about a week then he marched through south-eastern England, via Dover and Canterbury to London Bridge
- He continued this campaign until December which had eventually sapped the English will to resist, Dover and Southwark had been razed to the ground and William now had control of Canterbury, the religious centre of England, and Winchester, the ceremonial seat of the English kings
- By Christmas, the Earls Edwin, Morcar and Waltheof, along with Archbishop Ealdred of York had surrendered having ensured that their positions would be secure under the new regime
