Norman Conquest: Battle of Hastings Flashcards
1
Q
27th September 1066
A
- William set sail and landed at Pevensey the next day
- Harold Godwinson travelled 200 miles in 4 days
- didn’t wait for 30 000 reinforcements on 11th October
2
Q
- Shield defence
A
- Norman archers walked up to Senlac Hill and fired arrows
- Norman infantry charges but were blocked by housecarls
- the shield wall was a very effective way of defending their position
3
Q
- Weakening of the shield, feigned retreat
A
- after the first attack failed some of the fyrd started running after them
- they became stuck in marshy land
- feigned retreat started to drain the shield wall of f Anglo Saxon soldiers
4
Q
- Changing position
A
- William moved his archers form the front to behind the infantry
- this meant that their arrows now hit the Anglo Saxon army squarely and caught them by surprise rather than flying over their heads
5
Q
- 2nd feigned retreat
A
- William ordered the cavalry to charge and them ordered a feigned retreat
- the knights then dismounted and attacked on foot
6
Q
- Deaths of Harold
A
- at 4pm the Anglo Saxon wall was disintegrating so the normans could attack through the sides of the wall
- the Housecarls fell into defending Harold, he was then killed
- after his death the fyrd broke ranks and fled
7
Q
Duke Williams’s Army
A
- around 7000
- had several days to prepare
- had the Papal Banner from the Pope in Rome
- numerous amount of weapons
8
Q
King Harold’s Army
A
- around 7000
- his army were exhausted
- didn’t use horses in battle
- fyrd used pitchforks and armour taken from fallen soldiers
9
Q
William had tactics and luck
A
- Panned the invasion
- ensured he had enough supplies to keep his horses and army healthy
- had Papal Banner so soldiers believed they had God’s blessing to fight
- he was on horseback so had more control of his troops
- highly organised into divisions with a system of communication
- chose to delay his invasion to demoralise Harold’s soldiers
