Conquest and Control

Question 1

When did Edward the Confessor die? How soon after was Harold crowned king? - Conquest + Control

Answer 1

5th January 1066

Harold crowned King the day after on 6th January 1066

Question 2

When was the Battle of Fulford Gate? Who won? - Conquest + Control

Answer 2

20th September 1066

Vikings won

Question 3

When was the Battle of Stamford Bridge? Who won? - Conquest + Control

Answer 3

25th September 1066

Anglo-Saxons won

Question 4

When was the Harrying of the North? - Conquest + Control

Answer 4

The Summer of 1069

Question 5

When was the revolt of Norman Earls? - Conquest + Control

Answer 5

1075

Question 6

Who was the King of England prior to Harold? - Conquest + Control

Answer 6

King Edward the Confessor

Question 7

What were the King’s earls? Give an example of an earldom - Conquest + Control

Answer 7

Important and influential men who ran an area of the country eg. Wessex, Mercia

Question 8

How was Normandy linked with England? - Conquest + Control

Answer 8

William has become great friends with Edward and visited him many times in England, whilst William was also Edward’s distant cousin

Question 9

Explain how the English throne could be claimed through 1. ‘son of the king’, 2. ‘closest male relative’, and 3. ‘post obitum’ - Conquest + Control

Answer 9

1. Being the son of the king
2. Being the king’s closest male relative
3. Being nominated by the king prior to their death

Question 10

Explain how the English throne could be claimed through 1. ‘novissima verba’, 2. ‘the witan’ and 3. ‘use of force’ - Conquest + Control

Answer 10

1. Being nominated by the king on their deathbed
2. Having the support of the Witan, a group of earls who helped the king run the country
3. Claimants fighting each other and the victor being king

Question 11

Explain Edgar Aetheling’s claim to the English throne? Explain the negatives to this claim - Conquest + Control

Answer 11

Closest male relative to Edward, was Anglo-Saxon so had the support of earls, lived with Edward.
Edgar was only a teenager so would not be adept in military tactics or battle

Question 12

Explain Harald Hadrada’s claim to the throne - Conquest + Control

Answer 12

Harald was the King of Norway and a relative of a previous Anglo-Saxon King. He said his father should’ve been king of England instead of Edward as the previous King had allegedly promised his father the throne

Question 13

Explain Harold Godwinson’s claim to the throne - Conquest + Control

Answer 13

Harold was the Earl of Wessex (2nd most powerful man in a England), had been deputy king (sub regulus) since 1060, had the support of most Earls and the Witan, said he had been promised throne on Edward’s deathbed

Question 14

Explain William of Normandy’s claim to the throne - Conquest + Control

Answer 14

Distant cousin of a Edward, claimed that Edward had promised him the throne in 1051, said Harold had supported this claim in 1064. Fierce warrior, brutal ruler

Question 15

How many men did William prepare to sail to England when he found out about Harold’s coronation? - Conquest + Control

Answer 15

William gathered 80,000 men from Normandy, France and Italy

Question 16

How did William have the ‘support of God’ in his conquest? - Conquest + Control

Answer 16

William persuaded the Pope that the English Church needed reforming, and the Pope gave William’s conquest the Papal Banner and branded it a holy war

Question 17

How did the branding of William’s conquest as ‘holy war’ aid William? How did the idea of conquering land help William? - Conquest + Control

Answer 17

Many men wanted to be part of a holy war as it would help them to get to heaven, whilst others wanted land or riches that William had promised his troops

Question 18

When was the Battle of Hastings? - Conquest + Control

Answer 18

14th October 1066

Question 19

Why could the size of military have been the reason for loss at the Battle of Fulford Gate? Give an example of this - Conquest + Control

Answer 19

Edwin and Morcar may have been outnumbered. It is believed that they had 6000 troops battling 9000

Question 20

How could strategy have been a cause of defeat at the Battle of Fulford Gate? Give an example of this - Conquest + Control

Answer 20

Hadrada and his housecarls were battle hardened veterans who used clever strategy. Weaker troops were positioned on one side, and when they engaged with the Anglo-Saxons, the strongest troops did a rushed attack from the side

Question 21

How could positioning of the Anglo-Saxons have been a reason for defeat at Fulford Gate? - Conquest + Control

Answer 21

Edwin and Morcar positioned their troops with marshland behind them, meaning that they could not retreat if they were pushed back

Question 22

How was Harold’s final approach to Stamford Bridge crucial to victory? - Conquest + Control

Answer 22

Harold approached Stamford Bridge behind a small hill, meaning he could attack completely undetected

Question 23

How could luck have been a cause of victory at Stamford Bridge? - Conquest + Control

Answer 23

The Vikings had left their armour on their ships because it was a hot day
Harold’s approach was a surprise to Hadrada
Hadrada’s army had fought a battle 5 days earlier and would be exhausted

Question 24

Name 3 reasons why Normans built castles in England - Conquest + Control

Answer 24

Protection from hostile locals, used as a military base to launch attacks from, a show of Norman control and force to locals, a centre for local government, physical size meant to be intimidatory, protect Norman nobles

Question 25

Where were Castles built? Name 2 areas and explain - Conquest + Control

Answer 25

Castles were built on sites or strategic importance to the Normans. Built in the North and the Welsh Marchlands as these were areas of discontent at Norman rule. Rebellions!

Question 26

Explain how 1. Mottes, 2. Outer Baileys, 3. Palisade and 4. Gateways and Gatehouses helped the Normans to control the Anglo-Saxons - Conquest + Control

Answer 26

1. The motte is built on high ground to show Norman power, built using slave labour, Earth is fireproof so couldn’t be burned 2. Contained barracks and troops used as a disciplinary force 3. Provided added protection and fortification to Normans 4. Controls movement of people out and in of castles, prevents attacks from entering the castle

Question 27

Explain how 1. Inner bailey, 2. Keep and 3. Moat helped the Normans to control the Anglo-Saxons - Conquest + Control

Answer 27

1. Inner bailey contained Norman locals and symbolised invasion 2. The keep housed Norman earls, could be used as an elevated attacking position to ward off Anglo-Saxon attacks 3. Prevents any attacks or battering rams to the wall as a ditch or artificial lake would have to be crossed

Question 28

When was William crowned King of England? - Conquest + Control

Answer 28

Christmas Day 1066

Question 29

How did William deal with a potential uprising from Edwin and Morcar? - Conquest + Control

Answer 29

Made them swear an oath of fealty to him in return for them being allowed to keep their land and titles

Question 30

How did William use terror to establish control 1. on his march to London and 2. in the Harrying of the North? - Conquest + Control

Answer 30

1. William followed along the South Coast, burning towns such as Romney and pillaging land 2. William burned and pillaged majority of land around York, with 80% of the land being made waste. He also salted the land to make it infertile

Question 31

How did William use military presence to assert his control 1. on his march to London and 2. after to being crowned? - Conquest + Control

Answer 31

1. William fortified towns such as Dover and Winchester to assert military control 2. William built around 50 castles around England to assert control

Question 32

How did William make concessions when 1. dealing with English lords, 2. dealing with the seizing of York and 3. the uprising of Hereward the Wake - Conquest + Control

Answer 32

1. William promised to allow English lords to keep their land if they remained loyal to him (Edgar, Edwin, Morcar) 2. William persuaded them supporting Vikings to leave York by offering them money 3. Allowed Hereward to keep his land in return for peace

Question 33

How did William use Patronage (giving land to people of power to ensure control) in order to establish control? - Conquest + Control

Answer 33

William had deputies, William Fitz Osbern and Odo. Fitz Osbern was out in charge of York after the Harrying of the North. He paid Norman people to prevent them from returning to Normandy William disinherited Anglo-Saxon's land and gave it to Normans to maintain control over land

Question 34

How did William deal with the Norman Earls revolt? When was this? - Conquest + Control

Answer 34

The Norman Earls revolt was in 1075. A number of Earls rebelled against William with the support of Waltheof. Odo and Fitz Osbern were ordered to deal with the revolt, who beheaded Waltheof and imprisoned, blinded or murdered others

Question 35

Why did Hereward the Wake hate William? How did he rebel in East Anglia? Name an example of Hereward's attacks- Conquest + Control

Answer 35

Hereward hated William because he had killed his brother and taken his land from him. Hereward launched guerrilla attacks in East Anglia, an example being his looting and burning of Peterborough Abbey in 1070

Question 36

Why did William's usual tactics not defuse Hereward's rebellion? Where were the rebels based? - Conquest + Control

Answer 36

William's usual tactics of dealing with rebellion did not work on marshy terrain, and the rebels knew the land better than William. The rebels were based on the Isle of Ely near Cambridge, where they built up supplies.

Question 37

How did William stop Hereward's uprising? - Conquest + Control

Answer 37

William was told of a secret entrance to the Isle by monks, with the rebels surrendering and Hereward disappearing

Question 38

In what year did William the Conqueror die? - Conquest + Control

Answer 38

1087

Question 39

Which Forest was created by William the Conqueror? - Conquest + Control

Answer 39

The New Forest

Question 40

What did William carry from Normandy to assert control instantly upon arrival at Pevensey? - Conquest + Control

Answer 40

William carried flat pack castles which could quickly be built to establish Norman power