3.6 William's Preparations for Invasion Flashcards
Why did William have the support of the French?
William had conquered french Province of Maine in 1063 and had a good relationship with previous French King Henry?
Why wasn’t France a threat to William in 1066?
Henry’s son was only 14
Why did William have a secure base?
William had a secure base around Normandy as he had extended his area of authority over neighbouring province, Sicily.
What kind of preparations were the French Support?
Political preparations
What spiritual preparations did William make?
- William sent Lanfranc (leading member of Norman church) to Rome
- Here he persuaded the Pope that the English Church needed reforming + William was the man to do it
- This led to Pope giving a Papal Banner to William
What did the Papal banner mean?
Meant William had the Pope’s support in what was now a Holy War.
What Military preparations did William make?
- William didn’t have a navy, so he built a large number of flat-bottomed boats to transport horses
- Weapons produced + flat-packed castles made so when Normans landed, they could put up temporary castles quickly
- Recruited men from all over France due to Papal Banner (Aquitaine, Flanders, Maine, Brittany and Sicily)
Why were horses so important?
Horses were a weapon themselves as they were trained to kick and bite etc. English didn’t have horses but Normans did.
Why did men want to join William’s army? (2)
- As they wanted to be part of a Holy War
- Promised land and riches
How many soldiers did William have in the end?
Around 8000 men ready for invasion
What strategic preparations did William make? (3)
- Ships and men were gathered for long period, due to weather, but William made sure they were well fed so they didn’t suffer
- Moved his fleet from mouth of River Dives to mouth of River Somme at Valery => halving the journey to England to around 33km
- Waited until Harold relaxed and moved from south taking his army => Harold was in north with his soldiers fighting Harald Hadrada - prime opportunity for William
What elements of William’s process were luck? (2)
- Wind had been blowing in wrong direction at River Dives, leading to relocation of William’s fleet, which delayed his launch
- King Harold had been forced to travel north with soldiers to fight invasion from Harald at Fulford gate and Stamford Bridge
What elements of William’s process were preparations? (2)
- William landed at Pevensey bay in SE England on 28th September 1066
- Upon arrival, William’s troops immediately built a castle using ‘flat-pack’ structures they brought with them => could now defend landing spot
What element of William’s process was luck and preparation?
During summer months, King Harold had waited in south with an army, but when William didn’t come, many English soldiers had been allowed to return home.
