Battle of Hastings
The Battle of Hastings took place on October 14, 1066.[1] It was a fight between the English and Normans. The result of the battle was a major Norman victory, allowing William of Normandy to take the English throne, and become king. This Norman control of the English throne lead to other wars later, such as The Hundred Years War. Hastings was the most important fight in the Norman Conquest.
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[change] Background
The ruler of the Normans, William of Normandy, claimed he was the heir to the English throne as his cousin, Edward the Confessor, had promised him the throne but changed his mind on his deathbed.
[change] The battle
William of Normandy sent up to 700 ships across the English Channel and landed at small town named Pevensey. King Harold, King of England, sent his army south towards Hastings after defeating the Norwegian king, Harald Hardrada at the Battle of Stamford Bridge.
William ordered the Norman archers to fire on the English army. This had no effect because the English army formed a shield wall and protected themselves from the arrows. William, thinking many of Harold's army had been hurt by the arrows, ordered his soldiers to march up and attack. When they reached the English, they realized that the arrows shot in the beginning had made little to no impact on Harold's army. Still, his army attacked and soon they were involved in ferocious ground fighting. William's horse was killed from under him and he fell to the ground. His army, thinking he was dead, fled, believing they had lost. William rose to his feet, grabbed a horse, removed his helmet, and rode through his lines showing his army he was still alive, shouting encouragement. This restored his army's courage.
They attacked the English again, but pretended to retreat. The English thought they had won and followed the Normans, thus breaking their own shield wall. The Normans then turned around and attacked them. This trick was used effectively twice. In the battle, King Harold was hacked to death by a group of Norman soldiers. After his death, many of the English ran away, as they were not trained soldiers, but farmers.
The battle was illustrated in a tapestry called the Bayeux Tapestry.
[change] References
- ↑ Medieval Times History
[change] Sources
"Battle of Hastings (1066)". Medieval Times History. 2011. http://www.medievaltimes.info/medieval-battles/battle-of-hastings.html. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
