Who was more prepared to win? The Battle of : Tactics What do I need to know:  The events and outcomes of the King Harold was in York, recoving from the Battle of Stamford Bridge, Battle. when he heard about William’s invasion fleet landing in . Harold’s  The strategy and luck on both sides armies were exhausted from long marches and the battles with the  The location of the Battle. . Harold’s decision: Key Words: Harold’s difficult decision as to whether to launch a surprise attack on • Conroi William or allow his soldiers to rest was soon decided for him. Harold • desertion heard news that William and his Norman forces were attacking villages on • Demoralised the south coast and were making their way to . So Harold left • Feigned immediately and marches his tired army south to confront the invading retreat . • gonfanon • Factors that influences the outcome of the Battle? Harold’s Mistakes Williams leadership and tactics To Summarise! . Both William and Harold made • King Harold hurried to • Both William and Hardrada decided to extensive preparations for war and face William: he could invade at the same time. both assembled large armies and have waited for • The weather delayed William’s invasion navies. between 20-30,00 this gave him the benefit as Harold had . The Battle of Stamford Bridge was a extra troops from the defeated the Viking before he arrived. convincing victory for Harold but South-West, but he • William chose to delay his invasion, this Harold’s army arrived at Hastings chose to go straight to demoralised Harold’s soldiers. exhausted. Hastings. • The double invasion occurred during . The was a very • Harold fought harvest season, which led to desertions closely fought encounter. alongside the (people running away) from the fryd. . The Normans used archers and Normans in 1064, and • William gained a Papal Banner so his Norman Warfare cavalry, while the English relied on was aware of their soldiers believed they had God’s blessing The Normans used a variety of tactics in order to win battles. Knights on foot soldiers and hand-to-hand tactics but still used to figth and if they died, they went to horseback, called cavalry, were trained from the age of 3, and the horses were fighting. the old Anglo-Saxon heaven. This boosted morale. trained to kick and bite. Archers were also used frequently. The army was . William won the Battle of Hastings due techniques of the • William chose the site of the Battleground. divided into divisions, and flags called gonfanon were used to signal to a combination of superior tactics, . • William took his time invading, he ensured manoeuvres on the battlefield. The Norman army was made up of professional better leadership, the flexibility and soldiers who spent many hours practicing. • Harold chose to fight that the had made all the preparations discipline of his troops as well as a on foot rather than necessary. little luck. horseback, so it was • William’s troops were highly organised into . By winning the battle, William cleared difficult for him to divisions with a system of communication. the path to become King, but he had communication with • William was on horseback so had more much more work to do to fully secure his troops or give control of his troops and could be more the English kingdom as his own. orders in the battle. responsive. The Battle of Hastings: Events Key Words: • Conroi • desertion • Demoralised • Feigned retreat • gonfanon • Senlac Hill

How secure was William as King of ? • William won the Battle The battle started a 9.oo After the first Norman Midday: There was a William ordered his 4pm: of Hastings on the 14th am. attack failed, a section break in the fighting to cavalry to charge which By this time the October 1066. The archers walked up to of the Norman army allow both sides to led to heavy casualties Anglo-Saxon shield • However, he was not in Senlac Hill and fired a ran away from the remove their dead and on both sides. Harold’s wall was beginning control of the rest of volley of arrows. Norman line. wounded. troops managed to stay to disintegrate and England. William changed his in formation but the the Normans began • The country was full of Some of the Norman Members of the Normans deployed their angry Anglo-Saxons, charged up the tactics and moved his to attack and break ran after them but archers from the front of feigned retreat again. through the sides of many of whom were hill but were blocked by became stuck in the Both sides suffered still loyal to the King the . the battlefield to behind the wall. The marshy land at the the infantry. The change heavy losses and remaining William had just killed. The Anglo-Saxons’ main bottom of Senlac hill. in position of the archers William ordered his housecarls fell into • Two powerful Anglo- form of defence was the The Normans turned meant that, rather than knights to dismount and a defensive position Saxon , Edwin and shield wall. and slaughtered the flying over the heads of attack on foot. At the around Harold. It , had not been the horsecars, their same time his archers was at this time at Hastings, and there Housecarls overlapped Anglo-Saxons who fired their arrows and their circular shields and chased them. This arrows hit the Anglo- that King Harold were still significant Saxon army squarely and the knights and infantry was killed. Seeing English forces ready to this was a very effective tactic became known as charged at the Anglo- way of defending their caught them by surprise. his death, the fyrd oppose William. the feigned retreat it Saxons. • 25th December 1066: position. slowly drained the broke ranks and fled. William is crowned King shield wall of Anglo- of England. Saxons.