14 Okt 1066 Jahr - the battle of Hastings

Beschreibung:

1. BATTLE OF HASTINGS
1.1 What was the event
The Battle of Hastings was fought on 14 October 1066, eleven kilometres northwest of the town of Hastings. It was a decisive battle to determine who was to be King of England. On one side was the Anglo-Saxon King, Harold Godwinson, who was faced by William, Duke of Normandy. William was victorious, and it changed the course of English history.
1.2 When was the event
The lead up to the Battle of Hastings began in January 1066 with the death of King Edward the Confessor. He had no heir, and a contest for his throne began. Harold Godwinson was quickly crowned his successor, but faced a series of battles against rivals. Harold defeated his own brother, Tostig, and Harold III of Norway, at the Battle of Stamford Bridge on 25 September 1066. He then marched south on the army of William, Duke of Normandy, who had landed at Pevensey on 28 September 1066. The Battle of Hastings followed on 14 October 1066.
1.3 Who was involved
The two main Kings who fought the battle were Harold Godwinson and William the Conqueror.
Harold was a British King who was determined to take and hold the throne held by his childless brother-in-law, Edward the Confessor. He came from a powerful royal family, his father was the Earl of Wessex, and was related to royal families across Europe.
William the Conqueror was from Normandy, France, and had spent years fighting there to gain power. He saw the chaos in England as a chance to invade. William argued that the throne of England had been promised to him by Edward the Conqueror, and that Harold had pledged to be loyal to him.
1.4 Why were they involved
The battle was essentially to determine who was going to be King of England.
Harold was related to Edward the Confessor, which helped his claim to the throne. Also, Harold claimed that Edward had given him instructions to protect the kingdom. A meeting of wise men (called the Witan) crowned him King the next day. This claim was contested, however, by William the Conqueror who believed the throne had been promised to him.
1.5 Where did the event happen
The events took place across England. The earlier battles against Tostig and Harold III of Norway occurred in northern England, around York, Stamford Bridge, and the Ouse River. The invasion by William the Conqueror took place on the south east coast of England around Pevensey and the town of Hastings.
1.6 How did it begin?
The Battle of Hastings began with William the Conqueror sending out scouts to locate the army of King Harold. Harold’s army numbered around 7,000 men, mainly made up of infantry. William’s army numbered around 10,000 men, but also included archers and cavalry. This gave William an advantage, plus Harold’s army had just fought battles in the north and been forced to march south.
The battle began with Norman archers firing uphill at an English shield wall, doing little damage. Spearman and cavalry then attacked, and also failed to penetrate the shield wall. The Norman’s began to retreat, and were pursued by Harold’s army (possibly disobeying orders). William rallied his troops, and the combat lasted throughout the day until Harold was killed

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