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The Norman Conquest 1066 - Coggle Diagram
The Norman Conquest 1066
There was no obvious successor to the throne. Therefore a number of people tried to claim it. (needed a blood claim and an army)
The claimants
William, Duke of Normandy
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1064- Harold is shipwrecked in Normandy. He is taken to William and swears an oath to support William's claim to the throne. (Did he have a choice?)
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January 1066. The Anglo-Saxon King, Edward the Confessor dies without an heir.
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He did not like fighting/war, so a noble named Harold Godwinson led the English army.
The Witan Council (formed of the English nobles) unsurprisingly chose Harold G as their next king. He was crowned the day after Edward's death.
Harold Godwinson
Due to the distance, he assumes William will arrive first
Therefore, he stays in the South with the majority of his army
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He sends the earls Edwin and Morcar to York, to defend the North, just in case HH arrives first.
6 months pass with no invasion. Much of Harold's army made up of farmers are keen to go home to harvest their crops.
William, Duke of Normandy
He needed time to convince his nobles to join him. He was able to do so by promising them large lands in England.
He gained the support/permission of the Pope to invade. His soldiers would have felt they could not be defeated with "God on their side"
He did not rush into the invasion. Prepared thoroughly. Lots of organisation required. E.g. soldiers, weapons, food, wages e.t.c
By August 1066 he had assembled a force of 4,000–7,000 knights and foot soldiers, but unfavourable winds stopped him sailing for eight weeks.
- Harold Hardrada's arrival
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Upon hearing this news, HG makes the decision to take his whole army north to fight Hardrada.
The Earls Edwin and Morcar met HH at the Battle of Fulford on 20th September. HH won the battle with a larger and more experienced army
Due to the wind, HH arrives in Northern England in early September (before William)
William instructed his archers to start firing, but they had little effect
Next, William sends his infantry (foot soldiers), they were unable to break the English shieldwall
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Finally, he is forced to send in his cavalry. However, even his best soldiers cannot break the shieldwall.
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Fake retreats (tactic or rumour William was dead??). This caused some ill disciplined English soldiers to charge down the hill and break the shieldwall
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- The Battle of Stamford Bridge
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The Vikings were caught by surprise as the English marched so quickly. Many Vikings did not even have their armour with them
HG marched his whole army North to meet HH in battle. This was a very long distance and done at a very quick pace.
The Vikings tried to form a shieldwall, but it was broken by the English soldiers.
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It was an important victory for HG, but many of his men had been killed or wounded.
He ignores the advice of his brothers (Leofwine and Gyrth) to rebuild his army and not fight William straight away
His army reaches London on 6th October, after marching 180 miles in 4 days
Upon hearing this news, Harold makes the decision to march and meet William immediately
In this time, William's army pillage the South of England
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