The Battle of Hastings

What battle took place before Hastings?

The Battle of Stamford Bridge

Who were the two sides in the Battle of Hastings?

Harold Godwinson and William, Duke of Normandy

Where did William land?

Pevensey

When did William land?

25th September

What did William do to provoke Harold into an early battle?

Plundered and burned villages

Where did the Battle of Hastings take place?

(Believed to be) Battle, a few miles outside of Hastings

Why was the battle staged where it was?

Harold was attempting to block William's path to London

How was Harold's army positioned?

Harold had the strategic high ground, positioned on top of the hill; there were trees behind him so that he could not be surrounded and it was not possible for the enemy to easily get behind them

What did Harold's army create to strengthen their defence?

They created a shield wall

How was William's army positioned?

Archers were in the front row, with foot soldiers behind them, and then cavalry at the back.

What did the Saxons do to aggravate the Normans?

Banged their shields with their weapons

What was William's first attack?

He ordered for the archers to fire on the Saxon lines. However, as they were down hill and possibly looking towards the sun, their arrows either hit the shield wall or flew high over the Saxon lines

What happened after the archers attacked?

William sent in his foot soldiers towards the Saxon lines to break them, but they were unable to

Was Harold's army short of men or under armed?

No, but his troops were tired after the Battle of Stamford Bridge

Why was William's cavalry largely inefficient at the beginning of the battle?

They had difficulty getting up the hill, and the horses were frightened by the Saxon's threatening appearance

What was Harold's Estimated Forces?

6000-7000 fyrd and housecarls.

What was Harold's main focus (apart from winning the battle)?

Holding his ground until nightfall, when more trained reinforcements were due to arrive

What was the pivotal event in the battle?

The Normans retreated from the Saxon lines and the untrained Saxon soldiers in the front line gave chase to those who fled, breaking the shield wall. The chasing Saxons were soon surrounded by the Normans and slaughtered.

Why was the pivotal event important?

Afterwards, many retreats were staged by William, which meant the shield wall was continually being broken, and Harold lost many men.

At the end of the day, after the shield wall had almost been broken, what did William order his archers to do?

Fire a barrage of arrows up into the air, for them to rain down upon the Saxons. This dealt heavy damage to the Saxon lines, causing a large amount of casualties.

What happened after the arrow barrage?

William ordered all his troops forward, and they easily cut down Harold's army, many of whom were retreating at this point

How did Harold Godwinson die?

He was shot in the eye with an arrow (or so it is said)

When was William Crowned King of England?

Dec. 25th 1066