Norman Conquest and Battle of Hastings Flashcards
Who were the three main rivals for the throne?
Harold Godwinson, Harald Hardrada and William of Normandy.
When Edward the Confessor died who was immediately crowned king?
When Edward the Confessor died, Harold Godwinson, Earl of Wessex, was immediately crowned king and became Harold II.
What was The royal council called, that supported Harold Godwinson?
The Witan
Harald Hardrada was king of Norway. He invaded Yorkshire with a fleet of ships, but was defeated and killed by Harold’s army what battle?
The battle of Stamford Bridge
Where was Harald Hardrada already king of?
Norway
On 14 October 1066, Harold II fought William’s army at the Battle of ________ and lost.
Hastings
What battle was fought on 10 Oct 1066?
Battle of Hastings?
Which King was killed at the Battle of Hastings on Oct 10 1066?
Harold Godwinson
Who was crowned king of England on Christmas Day 1066?
William of Normandy
When William was crowned king of England on Christmas Day 1066, did he then rule the whole country?
No.
William was crowned king of England on Christmas Day 1066, but it took years more fighting to conquer the whole country.
What was it called when William, in 1069, slaughtered the inhabitants of the north-east and destroyed their food stores so that even the survivors starved to death.
Harrying of the North
The Norman Conquest changed the face of England forever.
Who ruled as unquestioned conqueror?
Who became merely an unpaid workforce for their new lords?
William ruled as unquestioned conqueror
and
the Saxons became merely an unpaid workforce for their new lords
How did the Norman Conquest create a European Super Power?
Adding the wealth of England to the military might of Normandy made the joint-kingdom a European super-power.
What were William of Normandy’s main reasons for having a claim to the throne when Edward died?
He was the only blood relative amongst the rivals (but the throne wasn’t hereditary in those days).
He claims that he was promised the throne in 1051 by Edward, but this cannot be proven
He had the backing of the Pope
What were the main reasons Harold Godwinson, Earl of Essex, had claims to the throne?
He claims that Edward promised the throne to him on his deathbed
He has the backing of the Royal Council, called the Witan. In law only the Witan could proclaim the new king.
He was an English nobleman (William was from Normandy in modern France)
What were the reasons that Harold Hardrada, king of Norway had a claim to the throne when Edward died?
He could point to the fact that his ancestor King Cnut had ruled England (1016-1035)
He was helped by Harold Godwinson’s brother, Tostig
After Harold Godwinson was crowned King Harold II, who made plans to invade England?
William of Normandy and Harald Hardrada
Hardrada invaded with a fleet of 300 longships. He landed in which northern county and defeated the northern Saxon army at the Battle of ??????.
He landed in Yorkshire
Hardrada defeated the Saxons in the Battle of Fulford
After early success when he landed in Yorkshire, Hardrada had to face Harold II forces.
Harold II marched north quickly, gathering an army on his way. He took Hardrada by surprise and defeated him at the Battle of (25 September).
Stamford Bridge
Hardrada was so badly defeated at and after the Battle of Stamford Bridge that he didn’t need 300 longships that he brought with him any more.
So many vikings were killed, how many ships did they need to get home?
24
When Harold II anticipated an invasion from Normandy he sent his fleet to the English Channel so why did he send the fleet back home before an invasion happened?
They ran out of supplies
Harold II assembled his elite bodyguards, known as the ?????, and gathered an army of ordinary men, called the ????
Harold II assembled his bodyguards, known as the housecarls, and gathered an army of ordinary men, called the fyrd
William was ready to invade from early August but couldn’t invade until the end of September, why?
Because there were strong winds that made the English Channel unsafe.
What size force did William assemble for the invasion on 29th September?
700 ships and a large army
Where and when did William land his invading force?
Pevensey on 29 September
Harold II’s army were at the top of Senlac Hill when the Normans attacked. How did Harold’s Saxon force defend themselves?
They formed a shield wall to protect themselves. The Norman knights could not charge uphill.
During the Battle of Hastings, why did some Norman soldiers start to flee?
Some of the Norman soldiers began to flee because they thought William had been killed. William took off his helmet to show them he was still alive.