Military Aspects - Battle Of Stanfors Bridge; Battle Of Hastings; Anglo-saxon And Normand Tactics Flashcards
Who claimed the throne soon as Edward died?
Harold Godwinson claimed the throne but this created the threat of Hardarad and William so had to prepare for battle. He was under threat form invasions form both the north and south.
Hardrada from the north and William of Normandy from the south.
What were Harold’s 4 options?
- defend the south against William
- defend the north against Harold
- position his army in the middle
- split his army in two
What was a problem Godwinson faced in the winter of 1066 (Jan and Feb) and what was the solution?
Refused to honour the oath to support Williams claim to the throne so feared invasion from Normandy. During February he realised his army lacked numbers and skill. He had a small amount of trained soldiers.
In response to the problem he sent out orders and was successful in raising 6000 fryd. (Unskilled men from villages) demanded men and ships from all over the country to make the biggest army.
What was a problem Godwinson faced in the late spring May 1066 and what was the solution?
Tostig Harold’s brother made an alliance with Harald Hardrada King of Norway in pursuing the claim to the English throne. Tostig’s soldiers were raiding towns along the Sussex coast.
Godwinson sent his fleet after Tostig, who fled northward to their approach along the river Humber where the earls Morcar and Edwin defeated him.
What was a problem Godwinson faced in summer June-September 1066 and what was the solution?
He couldn’t keep 6000 men hanging around the south east coast forever. It was expensive to lay and feed them. They also needed to go back to their villages to bring the harvest in.
So Godwinson sent his soldiers home. Disbanded the fleets and headed home to London.
What happened in late April 1066?
Tostig came out of exile in Flanders and sailed across the channel to pursue his aim of removing Godwinson from the throne. He aided Harardrada. He landed in the south east coast near the isle of white and raised towns along the south coast.
What happened to Tostig in May of 1066 after raiding towns along the south coast?
Tostig fled up the east coast, fearful of the threat of Godwinson’s army. He paused at Scarborough but was driven of by earls Morcar and Edwin. He waited in Scotland for Hardrada who arrived from Norway on September.
With Tostig gone Godwinson prepared for an invasion from Normandy his army waited along the south coast
What happened in the 12th September?
William moved his entire fleet along the coast of Normandy to saint Valery to await a favourable wind to cross the channel.
While William was preparing in Saint Valery was was Tostig and Hardrada doing?
Tostig and Hardrada began their separate journeys and sailed down the north east coast from Scotland. They had a fleet of 300 ships and up to 8000 soldiers at their disposal.
Where did Hardrada and Tostig meet to combine their forces and what did they did next?
They joined fleets just outside of Scarborough on the northeast coast and they prepared to invade England. They jointly moved their troops to Fluford to face the earls that had banished Tostig, Morcar and Edwin. A battle took pace here and the armies fought.
What happened at the battle of Fluford?
On 20th September, during the battle of Fluford, Earls Edwin and Morcar were defeated but not killed. As a result the city of York quickly surrendered to Hardrada.
When Godwinson learned of their victory he regathered his armies and swiftly marched north. His men covered nearly 200 miles in 4 days of their journey towards Stanford bridge.
Why did the Earls Morcar and Edwin loose the battle at Stanford bridge?
Hardrada and Tostig had a joint force of over 7000 vikings and vastly outnumbered the English Northern army led by Edwin and Morcar who had about 3500 men. Both Earls were injured in battle and fled; without their leaders, the English army was disorganised and scattered and were no match for the Vikings.
Why was Godwinson concerned about the invasion in the north?
Godwinson moved north as Tostig and Hardrada had already taken York and he feared Viking takeover of all over the north.
When did Godwinson reach York and what was his battle strategy?
He covered 200 miles in 4 days and reached York by 24th September. He waited overnight for his troops to rest and then moved to Stamford bridge. The following day he surprised Hardrada and Tostig as they had not expected him so quickly.
Why were the Vikings unprepared?
The Vikings were camped across the other side of the river Derwent and had not defended the bridge properly. The Viking soldiers had left their armour and weapons in their ships 25km away. The English army consisted of 15,000 men while the Vikings only had an army of 11,000 which added to Godwinson’s advantage. Both Tostig and Hardrada were killed and only 24 of the original 300 ships were need3d to transport the men back to Norway.
