Battle+of+Hastings

=**The Battle of Hastings**=

= =

 Battle: Hastings. **War**: **The Norman Conquest of England.**

**Date**: 14th October 1066.

**Place**: On the Sussex coast of England.

**Combatants**: The Norman, Breton, Burgundian, Flemish and French army of Duke William of Normandy against the Saxon army of King Harold of England.

**Generals**: Duke William of Normandy against King Harold Godwinsson of England.

**Size of the armies**: The armies probably numbered around 5,000 to 7,000 on each side, although some traditional accounts give the numbers as much higher.

**Uniforms, arms and equipment**: The Battle of Hastings saw the clash of two military systems. The Saxon army, centred on the King’s personal bodyguard of “housecarles”, comprised the universal levy, the “Fyrd”, led by the local leaders of each shire with their households.

The Fyrd, containing large numbers of ineffective peasants along with the warriors of each shire, fought in wedged shapes battalions, the point of the wedge formed by the best equipped soldiers, the remaining men, armed with spears and whatever weapons they had, forming the rear ranks.

The favored weapon of the professional warriors was the battle axe.

The Saxon army fought on foot, nobles and men-at-arms dismounting for battle.

The Normans and the other Frankish contingents in William’s army fought in the manner developing across mainland Europe, a mix of archers, dismounted soldiers and above all mounted knights.

The soldiers on either side who could afford it wore leather jackets with steel chain or ring mail sewn into the leather and a conical helmet with a nose guard, carrying a spear, sword and the characteristic kite shaped shield. Archers in the Norman army were armed with a short bow.

The significant features of the battle were the manoeuvrability of the Norman mounted knights, the terrible power of the Saxon battle axe and the impact of the Norman arrow barrage



=The Battle of Hastings =  October 14, 1066 <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-left;"> Battle, East Sussex <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-left;"> Saxons under Harold, King of England vs. Norman French under Duke William of Normandy <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-left;"> When Edward the Confessor died he left no direct heir, and the throne of England passed to Harold. However, William of Normandy claimed that Edward had promised the crown to him, and indeed that Harold himself had sworn a sacred oath to relinquish his claim in William's favour. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-left;">William prepared an invasion fleet and, armed with a papal bull declaring his right to the throne, he crossed the English Channel to land near Pevensey. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-left;">Harold, in the meantime, had another threat to concern him; his brother Tostig allied with Harald Hardrada of Norway and landed in the north of England. They took York, but Harold defeated them soundly at the Battle of Stamford Bridge. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-left;">No sooner had the battle dust settled than Harold received news of William's invasion in the south. He marched his tired men from York to Sussex, arriving there on October 13 to face the Normans.



<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-left;">**The Battle**

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-left;">Harold took up a defensive position on a high ridge known as Senlac. The battle began with devastating volleys of stone missiles hurled into the Norman infantry by the Saxon "//fyrd//", or irregular troops levied from the shires. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-left;">William himself led the centre of the Norman army, and it is said that he carried into battle some of the holy relics upon which Harold had sworn to cede the crown to him. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-left;">The Norman infantry made no dent in the Saxon lines, and the cavalry fared no better as the Saxon House Carls used a shield wall to bloke and prevent the Norman infantry from breaking the Saxon line, the shield wall was a solid defensive line. At one point in the Battle some one cried out that William had died and as a result a lot of the Norman soldiers panicked and were confused however William was not dead and revealed himself to be alive and the battle continued. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-left;">The Battle raged on throughout the day, William rode around the battle field with his head exposed to show his men he was still alive. The Saxon Housecarls were a fearsome band of warriors and reports of the day say that horses and soldiers had been hacked to pieces by the terrible weapons of the Housecarls. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-left;">The battle raged on and it seemed like that the Normans would loose... <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-left;">But when some of the Norman horsemen turned and fled, a large group of Saxons left their position to chase them. It was a fatal mistake, as William rallied his men and routed the unprotected attackers. The Saxon lines quickly closed, but they had not learned their lesson, and they repeated the same folly of chasing an apparently fleeing enemy twice more as the day wore on. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-left;">By late afternoon the Saxon lines were wavering under continued Norman attacks. It is then that the most famous arrow in English history was released by an anonymous Norman archer. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-left;">The arrow took King Harold in the eye, and a final Norman onslaught killed him where he stood. The rest of the leaderless Saxons ceded Senlac ridge yard by grudging yard, but eventually they had no choice but to turn and flee the field. The day belonged to Duke William, soon to be dubbed, "//the Conqueror//". The body of King Harold was eventually buried in Waltham Abbey.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-left;">**The Results**



<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-left;">Although there were sporadic outbreaks of Saxon resistance to Norman rule after the Battle of Hastings - notably in East Anglia under Hereward the Wake, and in the north of England - from this point on England was effectively ruled by the Normans.

Questions

1. Why did William Invade England?

2. Who was defeated at the battle of Stamford Bridge?

3. Where did the Battle of Hastings take place?

4. How many troops where there on the field?

5. What was the preferred weapon of the professional Saxon troops the House carls?

6. Who were the Fryad.

7. How were the Saxon/English soldiers able to defend themselves from the Norman infantry and Cavalry/Knights

8. Why did the Normans retreat at first?

9. How did the Normans win the battle?

10. How did King Harold die? and where was he burried?

Extension activity

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