Preview

How Did William Win Hastings

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1257 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
How Did William Win Hastings
Why did William win the battle of Hastings?

Hastings is possible one of the most important battle in English history and as a result has generated much discussion as to why William was able to win. The answer is not simple as not all the facts were true but also because you must take on a whole different range of factors to find out just why and how William won the battle. There are many reasons for William’s victory but major reasons were William’s skill as a military leader and his ability to be well prepared for the battle. William persuaded many powerful French nobles to join him by promising them land in England, this helped by letting William gain men for his army and the nobles would give him good financial aid.
When William landed
…show more content…
This gave him time to prepare for the battle. Along with William being able to prepare more, it caught Harold unaware and unprepared. Harold was unlucky because he had to fight Harold Hardrada and then try and defeat William of Normandy. William was again very lucky because unprepared this caught Harold at a disadvantage, because after fighting in the battle of Stamford Bridge he is unable to rest and gain energy.
It made Harold leave part of his army in the north, therefore making his army smaller. Harold also had to force march his army down which made them weary; he then refused to rest at London and instead carried on down to Hastings to again fight. Harold’s army would be exhausted after marching and fighting and being an untrained army would put them at such an extreme disadvantage that they had already practically lost the battle.
The reasons for Norman victory were many and varied; however many elements were that William’s skill and training as a leader made him deadly and the precision of his battle plans made him an excellent commander. Luck also made it possible for William’s victory and the fact that Harold’s mistakes were forced on him by luck made it possible. Although Harold was a talented opponent, luck was not on Harold’s side therefore making it unlikely he would

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    William 's later chroniclers claim (after the fact) that Edward the Confessor offered William the crown and sent Harold to pledge it to him in the Winter of 1064/5. In fact, reading between the lines we can see that Harold was shipwrecked in Normandy whilst trying to visit France, and took advantage of the situation by trying to secure the release of his brother & nephew who were held as hostages in…

    • 9305 Words
    • 38 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    When the two armies finally met at the Battle of Stamford Bridge, Harold proves to be victorious. This was thought to be a huge victory and a defining moment for England until Harold discovers some interesting news. As Harold and his men were just enjoying a huge victory in battle, they learn of Duke William and his army coming in on the southern coast of England. This was important because right after a critical battle in the northern part of England, Harold must now navigate his troops back down to the southern coast in a desperate attempt to defend…

    • 896 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Harold Godwinson was the richest man in England and had been Earl of Wessex for many years. He had been the advisor for Edward the Confessor as well as Edward’s brother-in-law because his sister married Edward in 1045. Harold was one of the most powerful nobles in England, which proves he was an experienced warrior; the Godwin family had also established alliances with all of the major noblemen in England. He understood how England should’ve been governed therefore proving himself to be a good leader. Additionally, Harold was the Witan’s choice to become king.…

    • 189 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Harold and his army had just finished fighting at Stamford Bridge, his soldiers were tired and wounded but Harold made his army march to Hastings which meant his army had no chance to recover. Even though Harold belived that his army could put all their effort into it. Also one of Harold's mistakes was whilst holding the shield wall together William's army ran toward Harold's. The right side of William's army turned around and ran away. After the shield wall broke, Harold's army ran straight ahead after them. The Normans split up into two columns then closed on Harold's army. This could be known as an envelopment.…

    • 443 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    It was an honor to fight for Duke William's right to be crowned King in the battle of Hastings on the 14th of October 1066. The battle of Hastings was one of the most memorable and successful battles that I have ever participated in as a Norman soldier. The Duke of Normandy, William, prepared for the battle against the King of England, Harold, months in advance. It all started after the death of King Edward, the Confessor died the 5th of January 1066 without an official heir to the throne (BBC, 2011). The day after King Edwards death, Harold claimed the throne to be King Harold II of England, illegally. Once Duke William heard of this news, he set out to gather his army and seek the approval of the Pope to become England's next rightful King.…

    • 1446 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    William did not know it yet, but by allowing this to happen he had already lost the battle before it began. All William had to do was put more guards…

    • 524 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Another reason Richard lost the Battle of Bosworth was because of the Stanley’s changing sides. The Stanley’s controlled around 6000 of Richards troops, around half of his overall army. Although the Stanley’s began the battle on the side of Richard, they changed during the battle. This meant that Richard has far fewer troops than he may have anticipated, and had the Stanley’s not changed sides, it is possible that Richard would have won. Many of Richards other nobles were also unreliable, such as Northumberland. He did not help Richard when he needed it, refusing to bring in Richards reserves, and eventually surrendering, giving Henry an advantage over Richard, helping him to win.…

    • 474 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    William Duke of Normandy was born around 1028. He was the victor at the battle of Hastings and was known to be William the Bastard and William the conqueror by his enemies. William became the king of England in 1066, December 25. When he was about 9 years of age, he inherited power on his father’s death and faced many challenges. He ruled England until his death, which was in 1087.…

    • 401 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Battle of bosworth

    • 700 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Moreover Tudor had a very strong tactical setup going into the war, the vanguard, under the control of the Earl of oxford, was strengthened by the mercenaries of Philibert de Chandee, Sir Gilbert Talbot commanded the right wing and john savage on the left wing. However, the most important part of their strategy was the Stanley’s. The Stanley’s had been pushing towards the side of Richard due to the capture of Lord Strange, However during the time leading up to the battle negotiations and meetings between Tudor and the Stanley’s were building and Richard started to question whether he could trust them. Tudor began to gain more and more support as he travelled through wales and the key sign of allegiance to Tudor was when the Stanley family advised the bailiffs of Shrewsbury to open the town gates to let them in. So, the Stanley’s did not actively fight at the beginning of the battle but their betrayal soon became apparent when they attacked Richard near the conclusion of the battle. Other higher powers that Richard thought he would have the support of also backed out, for example Northumberland decided to not take part in the battle at all.…

    • 700 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    At the battle of Bosworth field, Richard seems to have had a larger number of fighting men than Tudor and also held the higher ground, however many contemporaries stated that the battle was largely a stalemate, suggesting that Tudor’s preparations for battle had been successful, at least for the fact that he was able to hold his own against an opponent with greater numbers and a more preferable geographical position. It was not until Richard’s fateful “suicide charge”; a charge with the aim of directly attacking the oppositions leader, rather than being explicitly suicidal. Thanks to the Swiss-trained French mercenaries in Henry’s garrison and their tactics never before seen on English soil and Thomas, Lord Stanley’s last minute decision to support Henry, Richard was killed and Tudor took his crown. Thus Henry’s success in replacing Richard of York as king of England, would not be as we know it had Richard not made the dramatic charge that resulted in his death, but whether the success would ever have occurred is still yet to be explored.…

    • 803 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Bayeux Tapestry

    • 852 Words
    • 4 Pages

    I was just writing you to let you know that we will be able to come home soon because the Battle of Hastings is over and the enemy is retreating. The battle was called the Battle of Hasting because it was fought in Hastings, England. As a Norman soldier the Battle of Hastings was one of the most successful and memorable battles that I ever participated in. Duke William has always had a reputation of being a success on the battle field, but this victory has branded him as a victorious military leader. Harold the king of England at the time of the battle had murdered his brother and his kingship was disputed. As we all know the throne should have been Williams Duke of Normandy but that Harold cheated his way into it. Duke William had prepared for a battle with Harold months in advanced. The whole dispute started after the death of King Edward. King Edward died on January 5, 1066 and he didn’t have an official heir to his throne. The day after King Edwards death, Harold self-proclaimed himself the king of England illegally and took the throne as Harold the second. Once Duke William heard this new it outraged him and he began gathering his army and went to seek the approval of the pope to become England’s new king.…

    • 852 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Many correctly regard the Battle of Agincourt as a courageous English victory, a battle where men who were tired, hungry and standing in their own diarrhoea somehow found the will to fight against an enemy almost five times larger, and won. The other common thought is also the battle was won by the use of the longbow. This is not true. The victory went to the English because of French mistakes and the men who were holding the longbows.…

    • 796 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Bayeux Tapestry itself is known for its depictions of battle preparations and the fighting in which William of Normandy gained England. For Gerald of Wales, the military operations within Ireland are not his primary focus, but much can be inferred from his notes of the inefficient military behaviors of the Irish. Both sources reflect on the actual technological weaponry used during the time, both by the Normans and the groups that they are attempting to subjugate. These in turn create a perception of an overwhelming occupation force, in which the indigenous population could never expect to…

    • 1786 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Amazingly, after becoming Duke of Normandy at very young age of eight, William grew to become know as William the Conqueror because of his learned ability to battle and take whatever he set his mind to. Being one of the most influential men in history, William left a legacy that would forever affect the English…

    • 738 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    1066: The Year of the Conquest, written by David Howarth, tells of one of the most important dates in the history of England. In 1066, William the Conqueror and William of Orange fought the historical Battle of Hastings. The outcome of this battle lead to many changes to the English people. The Norman people became assimilated into the English way of life. Howarth proceeds to tell the tale of the Battle of Hastings through the eyes on a common Englishman.…

    • 923 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays