Conquest of England by William of Normandy (1066). Norman Conquest British invasions before 1066
September 25, 1066, at the Stamford Bridge crossing on the River Derwent (Yorkshire, England), the last battle of the two-hundred-year history of Scandinavian Viking invasions of England took place. The troops of the Norwegian king Harald the Severe were utterly defeated by the Anglo-Saxon army of King Harold Godwinson, Harald himself was killed.
When, after the death of Edward the Confessor in January 1066, Harold Godwinson, whose rights to the crown were not indisputable, was elected to the English throne, Harald the Stern gathered an army and sailed to conquer England on three hundred ships.
The moment for the attack was chosen very well. King Harold concentrated almost all his forces in the southern part of the country, trying to prevent the landing of another pretender to the throne - William, Duke of Normandy. As a result, the Norwegians were opposed only by the militia of the northern English counties, which were defeated at the Battle of Fulford on September 20, 1066 (south of York).
Harald moved towards York, leaving a third of his forces on the ships. The Norwegians were stationed 13 km east of the city, at the crossing of the Derwent River, known as Stamford Bridge, not knowing that an army was advancing quickly from the south English king Harold.
On the morning of September 25, passing through York, the British army collided with the Norwegians at Stamford Bridge. The meeting turned out to be an unpleasant surprise for Harald. Having sent messengers with a call for help to the ships, he quickly built his warriors. The battle has begun.
At first, the Anglo-Saxons circled around the Viking formation, unable to overcome the wall of shields and spears. However, they soon managed to break a hole in this wall, where hand-to-hand combat ensued. Realizing that the situation was critical, King Harald hurried into the thick of the battle, where he was killed by an arrow in the throat.
During the further battle, the Norwegian army was almost completely destroyed. With the onset of evening, only a few Vikings managed to escape from the battlefield. In addition, at the news of Harald's death, the ships sailed away from the shore, so that some of the warriors drowned trying to reach the ships.
Olaf, the son of Harald, agreed with Harold on the evacuation of the Norwegians along the river to the sea. They sailed to Norway in only 24 ships (the British were allowed to take so many), swearing an oath never to attack England again.
The Battle of Stamford Bridge ended more than two hundred years of Scandinavian raids on England. However, heavy losses in the battle weakened the British. This was one of the reasons for the defeat and death of King Harold at the Battle of Hastings on October 14, 1066, which led to the Norman conquest of England.
24. The emergence of statehood in England. Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Norman Conquest of England 1066 Reforms of Henry I and Henry n.
The first early feudal states in England began to form as a result of the decomposition of tribal relations among the Anglo-Saxon tribes. During the IX-XI centuries. in England, feudal relations finally win: the entire free population bears various burdens in favor of the state, dependent and serfs in favor of the feudal lords, who have judicial and personal power over them.
All power in the state is concentrated in the hands of the king and the nobility, which forms the royal council - uantagemot ("meeting of the wise"). It is uantagemot that becomes the highest organ of state power. Without his consent, the king had no right to legislate or carry out any other important state activities.
A new stage in the history of English feudal statehood is associated with the conquest of the country in 1066 by the Norman duke William the Conqueror, who became the English king William I. After the Norman conquest, a centralized state with strong royal power was formed in England. him power over the feudal lords. Legislative, judicial and military power was concentrated in the hands of the king.
Under the king, the so-called Royal Curia operated - an advisory body from the nobility and close associates of the king. The highest officials were: marshal, commander of the army; the camerlein, who manages the lands and property of the king; chancellor, head of the royal chancellery; jurist, first assistant to the king, replacing him during his absence.
At the beginning of the XII century. a special body was allocated from the Royal Curia, which was in charge exclusively of financial matters - the Chamber of the Chessboard.
1. Milestones of development the English feudal state are: the period of the Anglo-Saxon early feudal monarchy (IX - XI centuries); period of centralized seigneurial monarchy (XI - XII centuries); the period of estate-representative monarchy (the second half of the 13th century - the 15th century); the period of absolute monarchy (the end of the 15th century - the middle of the 17th century).
2. The main features of the social order In the 1st century n. e. Britain was one of the outlying provinces of the Roman Empire.
At the beginning of the 5th century n. e. Roman rule ended here. The conquest of Britain by the Anglo-Saxons began - the North Germanic tribes of the Angles, Saxons and Jutes, who pushed the Celtic population (Britons) to the outskirts of the island. By the end of the VI century. on the territory of Britain, seven early feudal kingdoms were formed (Wessex, Sussex, Kent, Mercia, etc.), which in the 9th century. under the leadership of Wessex united in the Anglo-Saxon state - England. The main feature of the formation of feudalism among the Anglo-Saxons is the preservation of a free rural community for a long time. In the first century after the conquest, the society was based on free communal peasants (kerls) and noble people (erls). The clan nobility at first occupied a special position, but was gradually pushed aside by the combatants, on whom the king relied, asserting his power, and to whom he distributed land grants - communal lands along with the peasants who lived on them. The peasants bore duties in favor of the landowners and became personally dependent on their masters. Those peasants who remained free performed duties in favor of the state.
With the growth of social inequality and the decomposition of the community, the earls turned into large landowners.
By the 11th century thanks to the support of both the royal authorities and the church, which encouraged the development of feudal ownership of land and justified the enslavement of peasants, communal relations were replaced by feudal ones.
3. Characteristics of the political system In the Anglo-Saxon era, the need for defense in the fight against the raids of the Normans and the need to rally all the forces of the ruling class in order to overcome the resistance of the peasants to enslavement created the prerequisites for the rise and strengthening of royal power. Despite the fact that the attitude towards the king as a military leader and the principle of elections when replacing the throne were still preserved, the monarch gradually approved: his right of supreme ownership of the land; monopoly right to mint coins, duties; to receive in-kind supplies from the entire free population; right to military service from the side of the free.
The royal court became the center of government of the country, and the royal confidants became officials of the state. The highest state body was the witanagemot - the council of the witans, which included the king, the highest clergy, and the secular nobility. The main functions of the Witani council were the election of kings and the highest court. Local government in England retained the principles of territorial self-government.
The main territorial units of the country in the X century. 32 districts became counties, the centers of which were fortified cities. The most important local matters were discussed twice a year at a county meeting. All the free people of the district were to participate in it. Cities and ports had their own collections, which eventually turned into city and merchant courts. There were also assemblies of villages. The county was headed by an ealdorman, appointed by the king with the consent of the vita-nagemot from among the representatives of the local nobility, and who led the county assembly, as well as its armed forces. By the X century. the personal representative of the king - geref (appointed by the king from the middle layer of the service nobility), who oversees the timely receipt of taxes and court fines to the treasury, acquires police and judicial powers.
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NORMAN CONQUEST OF ENGLAND 1066
the conquest of England in 1066, the invasion of England by the Norman feudal lords, led by Duke William of Normandy. The reason was William's claims to the English throne, based on kinship with the Anglo-Saxon king Edward the Confessor, who died in early 1066. In addition to the Norman barons, feudal lords from other regions of France also participated in the invasion. Having crossed the English Channel on sailing ships, William's army landed on September 28 in the south of England. The decisive battle between the troops of William and the new king of the Anglo-Saxons Harold took place on October 14 near Hastings. The outcome of the battle was decided by the Norman cavalry, who destroyed most Anglo-Saxons fighting on foot. Harold fell in battle. On December 25, William was crowned with the crown of the Anglo-Saxons (see William I the Conqueror).
As a result of the conquest, the French military system was transferred to England. The finest and most centralized feudal hierarchical ladder in Europe was created through art. All land was recognized as the property of the crown. Feudal lords could only be holders of land from the king. The distribution of fiefs to the associates of William the Conqueror became possible thanks to the confiscation of the lands of the Anglo-Saxon nobility. At the same time, the possessions of the barons turned out to be scattered in different counties, which prevented the formation of independent territories of the principalities. The establishment of a strong royal power was also facilitated by the preservation of approximately 1/7 of the land directly in the hands of the crown. As a result of the conquest, the final subordination of the remaining free peasants to the seigneurial power took place. Most of the peasant holders were reduced to the status of serfs (villans). Thus, N. h. A. contributed to the completion of the process of feudalization, which began in the Anglo-Saxon period.
Great Soviet Encyclopedia, TSB. 2012
See also interpretations, synonyms, meanings of the word and what is the NORMAND CONQUEST OF ENGLAND 1066 in Russian in dictionaries, encyclopedias and reference books:
- NORMAN CONQUEST OF ENGLAND 1066
the invasion of England by the Normans, led by the Duke of Normandy William, who, after the victory at Hastings, became the king of England (see William ... -
Open Orthodox Encyclopedia "TREE". Chronology of the Centuries: X XI XII 1061 1062 1063 1064 1065 1066 1067 1068 1069 1070 1071 ... - CONQUEST in the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Euphron:
the annexation of the defeated state or part of its territory to the state that remained victorious in the war. Z. is distinguished in a narrow sense, or conquest ... - CONQUEST in the Encyclopedic Dictionary:
, -i, cf. 1. see conquer. 2. What is won, achievement, acquisition. Great… - NORMAND
THE NORMAN CONQUEST OF ENGLAND 1066, the invasion of England by the Normans, led by the Duke of Normandy William, who, after the victory at Hastings, became ... - CONQUEST
? the annexation of the defeated state or part of its territory to the state that remained victorious in the war. Z. is distinguished in a close sense, or ... - CONQUEST in the Full accentuated paradigm according to Zaliznyak:
conquest, conquest, conquest, conquest, conquest, conquest, conquest, conquest, conquest, conquest, conquest, conquest, conquest, conquest, conquest, conquest, ... - CONQUEST in the Thesaurus of Russian business vocabulary:
- CONQUEST in the Russian Thesaurus:
1. Syn: achievement, contribution, success, victory Ant: failure, failure 2. 'struggle' Syn: subjugation, captivity (book), capture Ant: ... - CONQUEST in the dictionary of Synonyms of the Russian language:
capture, achievement, occupation, capture, colonization, victory, conquest, acquisition, ... - CONQUEST in the New explanatory and derivational dictionary of the Russian language Efremova:
cf. 1) The process of action by value. verb: conquer. 2) trans. What has been achieved is acquired at the cost of labor, effort and ... - CONQUEST
conquest, ... - CONQUEST in the Complete Spelling Dictionary of the Russian Language:
conquest... - CONQUEST in the Spelling Dictionary:
conquest, ... - CONQUEST in the Dictionary of the Russian Language Ozhegov:
<= завоевать завоевание то, что завоевано, достижение, приобретение Великие … - CONQUEST in the Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language Ushakov:
conquest, cf. (book). 1. Action on verb. conquer - conquer. conquest of the Caucasus. Air conquest. 2. What is conquered, conquered territory. … - CONQUEST in the Explanatory Dictionary of Efremova:
conquest cf. 1) The process of action by value. verb: conquer. 2) trans. What has been achieved is acquired at the cost of labor, effort and ... - CONQUEST in the New Dictionary of the Russian Language Efremova:
cf. 1. the process of action according to Ch. win 2. trans. What has been achieved is acquired at the cost of labor, effort and ... - CONQUEST in the Big Modern Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language:
cf. 1. the process of action according to Ch. win I 2. The result of such an action; that which is subdued by armed force is subdued by force; conquered... - UNITED KINGDOM (STATE) in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, TSB.
- FRANCE*
- HASTINGS in the Big Encyclopedic Dictionary:
(Hastings) (Hastings) a city in the UK, in the county of East Sussex, on the banks of the Pas de Calais, at the foot of the chalk cliffs. Area approx. thirty … - HAROLD II in the Big Encyclopedic Dictionary:
(Harol II) (?-1066) the last Anglo-Saxon king of England (January - October 1066). The actual ruler of the country since 1053. He died in battle with ... - WILHELM I THE CONQUEROR in the Big Encyclopedic Dictionary:
(William the Conqueror) (c. 1027-87) English king from 1066; from the Norman dynasty. From 1035 Duke of Normandy. In 1066 he landed at ... - ANGLO-SAXON CONQUEST in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, TSB:
conquest, conquest of Britain by the North Germanic tribes of the Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Frisians in the 5th-6th centuries. Pirate raids on Britain have changed... - NORMAN CONQUEST OF ENGLAND in the Modern Encyclopedic Dictionary:
- NORMAN CONQUEST OF ENGLAND in the Encyclopedic Dictionary:
1066, the invasion of England by the Normans, led by the Duke of Normandy William, who after the victory at Hastings became the king of England (Wilhelm ... - HAROLD in the Big Russian Encyclopedic Dictionary:
HAROLD II (Harold II) (?-1066), the last Anglo-Saxon. King of England (January-October 1066). Actual ruler of the country since 1053. Killed in battle ... - WILLIAM in the Big Russian Encyclopedic Dictionary:
WILLIAM I the Conqueror (c. 1027-87), Eng. king since 1066; from the Norman dynasty. From 1035 Duke of Normandy. IN … - FEUDALISM in the Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron.
- GREAT BRITAIN* in the Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron:
Contents: A. Geographical outline: Position and boundaries; Surface device; Irrigation; Climate and natural works; Space and population; Emigration; Rural … - ENGLAND AND WALES: HISTORY - D. THE NORMAN CONQUEST in Collier's Dictionary:
Back to the article ENGLAND AND WALES: HISTORY Edward the Confessor died in January 1066 without an heir. The throne was taken by Harold, but the duke ... - NORMAN CONQUEST OF ENGLAND in the Dictionary of the Russian Language Lopatin:
Norman conquest of `England ... - NORMAN CONQUEST OF ENGLAND in the Spelling Dictionary:
Norse conquest of `England ... - NORMAN CONQUEST OF ENGLAND
1066, Norman invasion of England led by Duke William of Normandy, who after the victory at Hastings became King of England ... - HASTINGS in the Modern Explanatory Dictionary, TSB:
(Hastings) , a city in the UK, in the county of East Sussex, on the banks of the Pas de Calais, at the foot of the chalk cliffs. Area approx. … - WILHELM I in the Modern Explanatory Dictionary, TSB:
(Wilhelm) Hohenzollern (1797-1888), Prussian king from 1861 and German emperor from 1871. The government was actually in the hands of O. ... - REFORMATION in the Orthodox Encyclopedia Tree:
Open Orthodox Encyclopedia "TREE". This article contains incomplete markup. The Reformation, one of the largest events in world history, whose name is ... - HILARION PECHERSKY in the Orthodox Encyclopedia Tree:
Open Orthodox Encyclopedia "TREE". Hilarion of the Caves (+ 1066), schemnik, reverend. Commemorated on October 21, in the Cathedral of the Reverends ... - GAUL in the Orthodox Encyclopedia Tree:
Open Orthodox Encyclopedia "TREE". Attention, this article is not finished yet and contains only part of the necessary information. Gaul (Gaule or Gaules, ... - EDWARD III THE CONFESSOR
King of England from the Saxon dynasty, who ruled in 1042-1066. Son of Ethelred II and Emma Zh.: from 1042 Eggita, daughter of ... - HARALD II in the Directory of Characters and Cult Objects of Greek Mythology:
King of England, who ruled in 1066 J.: Eggita Died 14 Oct. 1066 Harald, Earl of Wessex, was the most powerful noble... - STEPHAN BLUASKY in the Directory of Characters and Cult Objects of Greek Mythology:
King of England 1135-1154 Woman: from 1125 Matilda, daughter of Count Eustache of Boulogne (died 1151). Genus. 1096 Died ... - HASTINGS in the Directory of Characters and Cult Objects of Greek Mythology:
Hastings is a city-county in Great Britain, on the coast of the Pas de Calais. Near Hastings, on October 14, 1066, the troops of the Duke of Normandy William inflicted ... - HASTINGS in the Directory of Characters and Cult Objects of Greek Mythology:
Hastings is a city-county in Great Britain, on the coast of the Pas de Calais. Near Hastings on October 14, 1066, the troops of the Duke of Normandy William defeated the Anglo-Saxon ... - HEINRICH II in the Directory of Characters and Cult Objects of Greek Mythology:
King of England from the Plaitagenet family, who ruled from 1174 - 1189. J .: from 1152 Eleanor, daughter of the Duke of Aquitaine William ...
Tapestry. End of the 11th century.
In 1066, a significant event took place: England was conquered by the Normans ...
We are talking about broken Scandinavian guys who, starting somewhere in the 8th century, carried out robbery attacks on France, England, Scotland, and so on. The guys they were hot and quite greedy. But something constantly pulled them to their homeland, therefore, having had their fill of atrocities, they returned home with solid booty.
However, since the 9th century, the Normans have been taken seriously and begin to gain a foothold in the conquered territories. As a result, in the second half of the 800s, the Danish and Norwegian Vikings, led by the brave Hrolf the Pedestrian (or Rollon), settled in camps on the coast of northern France, which is now reasonably called Normandy. From there they made raids inland.
Hrolf Pedestrian. One of the statues of the monument to the six dukes of Normandy in the square in Falaise, France.
The king of France, Charles III, nicknamed the Rustic, was unable to cope with these warlike monsters, because he had many problems without it. Therefore, in 911, he entered into negotiations with Hrolf. To appease the warrior, he offered him the hand of his daughter Gisela (the princesses of that time had such a share - to lie down under those with whom daddy wants to establish relations) and part of the coastal territories. But on condition that he (as well as his guys) will accept Christianity.
Charles III the Rustic
Viking divorced his pagan wife and was baptized under the name of Robert. After which he entered into a legal marriage with Gisela and became Duke of Normandy. The northerners quickly became French, adopted the language and culture of their new homeland, and were quite content with their fate. And about 150 years later (that is, in 1066), a descendant of Hrolf Wilhelm conquered England.
William I the Conqueror. Portrait from 1580
What is significant about the accession of the Duke of Normandy in England? Decisively everyone: he created a centralized state, an army, a navy and much more. But for us, the main thing is that the Normans radically changed the course of the further development of the English language. From their arrival, England became a trilingual country for about three hundred years: French became the language of court, administration, and culture (that is, a prestigious language, like French in nineteenth-century Russia); Latin - the language of the church, learning and philosophy; well, English ... English remained the language of the people and a means of expressing personal experiences. Naturally, an incredible number of words migrated from French and Latin to English, with which those who, for example, are going to take the GRE exam, which is necessary for admission to an English-speaking university, have now been so tormented (in this exam in the Vocabulary section, the vast majority of “cool” words are French - of Latin origin).
To illustrate this, I propose to turn to cooking, because in this area the influence of the French language is obvious. As you might guess, the aristocracy during this period consisted mainly of the Normans, who, of course, were not averse to eating delicious food. The getters of food were simple local guys. And here a curiosity arises: an animal, as long as it cheerfully grazes on the lawn or frolics on the forest edge, is called an English word, but when it is already well-fried and seasoned with garlic, it turns out to be on the master's table - French. From here we have: cow (cow) - beef (boeuf beef), calf (calf) - veal (veau veal), deer (deer) - venison (venari venison) and sheep (lamb) - mutton (mouton lamb). This, by the way, was very well reflected by Sir Walter Scott in the novel Ivanhoe.
England in the middle of the 11th century. Few events in the history of England can be compared in importance with those that took place in the second half of the 11th century, and the most striking, dramatic and catastrophic episode of which was the Battle of Hastings. “In order to punish the people of the Angles,” writes one pious author of the twelfth century, “God planned a double attack against them: on the one hand, he arranged an invasion of the Danes, on the other, he initiated the intrigues of the Normans, so that the Angles, even if they got rid of the Danes, did not might have eluded the Normans."
It is worth recalling that the British Isles turned out to be a tasty morsel for many conquerors: in the middle of the 5th century, as soon as the last legions of the Romans left them, the Germanic tribes of Angles, Saxons and Jutes from the coast of the North Sea and Jutland began to move there in waves. For two or three centuries, they properly settled there, slowly, but began to understand the importance of uniting into one kingdom. But here from the northeast, most of all from Denmark, new conquerors and robbers fell - they were called "people of the north", the Normans. From the end of the 8th century until the middle of the 11th century. they haunted all of Europe, and most of all - Britain. Our pious author is just talking about the last stage of the struggle for it in the early medieval period.
Duchy of Normandy. And the knights of the duchy of Normandy took advantage of these circumstances, i.e. Normans, descendants of the same "people of the north". Sometime, at the beginning of the 10th century, they landed from their fighting robber boats at the mouth of the Seine River, in northwestern France. And they began to rob the whole of France and set fire to fire. They did not spare temples, villages, cities. They shed a lot of blood because, among other things, they were still pagans.
The king of France realized that they could not be defeated by war, entered into negotiations, ceded lands to them in the northwest. They became known as Normandy. Having mixed with the local population, the ferocious Normans quickly adopted Christianity, mastered the French language and customs, culture, and after several generations turned into real Frenchmen. They built castles in the country, introduced feudal orders, became proud of their nobility, and were reborn. But at the same time they remained the best warriors in Europe.
William. The Normans started relations with England as early as the 10th century, when they began to serve the Anglo-Saxon kings at their invitation. In the middle of the XI century. Wilhelm became Duke of Normandy. He embodied the typical features of the Norman. The duke was of a heroic build and strength, so that no one but him could pull his bow. He was considered the best fighter in his own army. And at the same time - a skilled commander, cold-blooded, prudent, courageous. The circumstances of his life - that he was the natural son of the Duke of Normandy, hardened his character. He had known Harold, the future King of England, for a long time.
Anglo-Saxon dwelling
noble person
Childless Edward the Confessor. At that time, Edward the Confessor ruled in England. He had no children, and even during his lifetime it became clear that it was not just a matter of a candidate for the royal throne. In England of his time, it was customary that in such cases the name of the successor be called by the king himself or by his Council of the Wise, which included the most noble and authoritative persons of the state.
Many believed that the king would name his wife's brother Harold, Earl of Wessex, as heir. He was a brave and experienced warrior, a strong man, quite capable of great state activity. But another possible contender for the royal crown was also identified - the aforementioned Duke of Normandy, William. He belonged to not very close, but blood relatives of King Edward through his mother, was the second cousin of the king. True, as the illegitimate son of the Duke of Normandy, William did not have, in terms of medieval society, and by virtue of tradition, the same full rights as heirs born in wedlock. But Edward, according to the Norman chronicles, promised the crown to William 15 years before his death.
Harold's oath to William. Harold and Wilhelm themselves have further confused the circumstances for historians. The fact is that Harold, for unknown reasons, went to Normandy, his ship was wrecked, and he was captured by one of the noble feudal lords. Wilhelm immediately rescued him from captivity. Moreover, he invited me to stay in Normandy and show chivalrous prowess in the next campaign against neighboring Brittany. They lived soul to soul, slept in the same tent, did not part for days on end.
One of his contemporary chroniclers tells that once William turned to Harold with the following speech: “Once I and King Edward of England lived under the same roof and he promised to make me his successor. I want you to help me in this, Harold, and then I will do for you whatever you ask."
Harold was taken by surprise. Wilhelm persuaded him to give up one of the castles in England, marry his sister, William, and leave a hostage. Harold was forced to agree.
After this conversation, they returned to William's castle, in the city of Bayeux. There Wilhelm ordered to collect all the holy relics that were in churches and monasteries, and hid them under a table covered with a brocade tablecloth. And on the table he put the Gospel, on which all the oaths were then given. Then he ordered to gather all his barons, as the vassals were then called, for a meeting. In front of everyone, he again turned to Harold and asked him to confirm with an oath a promise to help in obtaining the crown of England. He repeated his words, holding out his hands to the Gospel. After that, Wilhelm threw back the tablecloth and showed that Harold swore at the same time on the holy relics, that is, he gave the most terrible oath that could not be broken in any way. Harold's face changed as he saw this, and he trembled with terror.
Edward names Harold as the new king. When he returned to England and told everything to King Edward, he sadly bowed his head. His life was quickly coming to an end. In January 1066, he fell ill, his tongue refused to obey, everyone was afraid that he would not be able to name a successor. But he managed to point at Harold and say his name.
According to tradition, the general meeting, for its part, was to point to the new king. Almost everyone was for the same Harold, but two northern regions - Mercia and Northumberland - refused to recognize him. The country was divided into parts. And that was the beginning of great troubles.
William in Normandy declared that Harold's treason grieved him.
William addresses the Pope. He had thought long and hard about his actions. And he immediately turned to the pope, began to ask him which of them - he or Harold - has the right to become king, if King Edward bequeathed the crown to him, and Harold swore an oath to help. The pope issued a bull in which he declared Harold an illegitimate king, and blessed William to fight. Together with the bull, he was sent from Rome a consecrated banner and an expensive ring, under the diamond stone of which a precious relic was placed - the hair of the Apostle Peter himself, the founder of the Roman church.
Wilhelm gathers an army. After that, Wilhelm sends out invitations to his vassals. In Normandy, every major feudal lord was obliged, in the event of a call, to provide the king with a certain number of knights - most often from 20 to 30 - to serve for 40 days a year. But ... only within Normandy. It was not so easy to convince them to give people for a dangerous overseas campaign. Wilhelm had to promise a decent reward, land, booty. Moreover, he begged nobles, and merchants, and the clergy to equip ships or give money for the expedition.
He recorded all donations in a special list. This document has been preserved. Among the names there are, for example, Comte d'Evreux, who built more than 80 ships with his own money, or Roger de Montgomery, who equipped 60. These were stable launch boats with one sail. Almost 3 thousand horses and at least 7 thousand soldiers were placed on them.
At the same time, Wilhelm turned to the ordinary nobility and nobility of France. And he began to gather an army. The Duke's vassals from Maine and Anjou, volunteers from Brittany, Poitou, Aquitaine and Burgundy, Flanders, Champagne and even from Italy joined the Norman knighthood. Many wanted to have lands in England, as well as castles, cities, monetary salaries.
In the spring and summer, ships were built and equipped in all the harbors of Normandy. Norman peasants and artisans worked tirelessly. Blacksmiths and gunsmiths made spears, swords, chain mail, axes.
Finally on a hike! The estuary of the Diva River was declared a prefabricated place, from where it was most convenient to cross the English Channel. Researchers believe that there were from 400 to 700 ships and 7 thousand people, of which half were knights, half were foot soldiers. For almost a month, a nasty wind made it impossible to sail. But on September 27, 1066, the sun appeared, and all the ships moved into the sea. "A whole forest of masts" moved behind Wilhelm's ship.
The longest campaign since Roman times began, which lasted 7 months and became the most significant military operation since the same Roman times. Three lions were painted on the sails of Wilhelm's ship, i.e. coat of arms of Normandy.
Harold prepares for war. Harold in England knew that William would not leave him alone. The spies informed him of the danger. Moreover, at the end of April, a comet with a long tail appeared, which seemed to superstitious warriors a bad omen. He was preparing for war. But his army was worse organized than the knights of the continent. In addition, it consisted of many foot militias from peasants who yearned for home and household and were not as prepared as the knights. And Harold did not have very many combatants, although each of them was a first-class and seasoned warrior.
Harold defeats the Norwegians. Against Harold there was another circumstance: his own brother agreed with the king of Norway to help in the war with his brother.
Harold found himself between two fires. Wilhelm threatened from the south, his brother and the Norwegians threatened from the north. Harold decided to conduct a lightning operation against the Norwegians and return to the south. He managed to defeat the Norwegians. Brother fell on the battlefield. The remnants of the defeated Norwegian army sailed back.
William lands in the south of England. Harold was celebrating his victory with friends when a messenger appeared on October 1 with terrible news: William had landed in the south of England. No one prevented his landing three days earlier - September 28th. Warriors unloaded from ships and boats. First, the arrows. Then the riders. They were wearing armor and helmets. The Normans even brought with them the log cabins of three wooden castles.
Wilhelm jumped to the ground one of the last and slipped and fell. The superstitious warriors whispered. But Wilhelm, with his usual resourcefulness, joyfully cried out: "What are you afraid of? With both hands I now hold the land of England!"
Without shedding a single drop of blood from his soldiers, William went along the old Roman road to the town of Hastings, where his soldiers began to quickly set up tents, tents and fortify their camp. They also put locks in which they put supplies.
To intimidate the population, Wilhelm ordered the soldiers to collect supplies, rob, ruin houses, and burn villages. Soon word came to him of Harold and his victory in the north. Wilhelm sent a monk to him to remind him of the oath. But Harold did not listen to the monk. Then the monk, on the orders of Wilhelm, said: "The Duke declares you a perjurer and a liar. Know that everyone who supports you is excommunicated, as there is a bull from the pope."
Harold prepares to fight Wilhelm. Harold hoped to finish off the Normans as quickly as he did the Norwegians. He led his army to the hill, located 7 kilometers from Wilhelm's camp. Harold's army could have had about the same number of soldiers as Wilhelm's, or maybe less - from 4 to 7 thousand people.
The main difference between the armies was that the English consisted exclusively of foot soldiers, and the Norman - part of the foot, and part of the cavalry. As a consequence, Harold could not choose level ground for battle. And so he chose a wide hill that covered his densely lined up detachments. The place also had the advantage that there were rather steep slopes behind, and in the middle - a narrow hollow that led into the forest. In the event of a defeat, Harold's warriors could descend from the slopes and flee into the forest, and it would not be so easy for the Norman horsemen to pursue them.
Harold puts up a "shield wall". Harold chose his position skillfully. He fortified it with a moat. On the central part of the hill was himself and the best warriors. He managed to form the famous Saxon "shield wall" - a military formation in which the combatants occupied a circular defense, standing shoulder to shoulder and tightly closing their shields. In the center of this wall stood about 2,000 selected warriors and bodyguards of Harold and there were two standard banners. One depicted a Dragon, the other depicted a Warrior.
The battle plan was clearly drawn: Harold blocked the road to William and his army had to stand motionless, like a rock against which the waves are breaking.
October 14. On the day of St. Callixtus, October 14, a battle broke out. At 9 am, the Normans moved to the first attack. Wilhelm's court poet rode forward and began to belligerently sing the lines of the "Song of Roland", throwing up and catching a heavy sword in the air. And the Normans in time picked up: "God, help us, God, help us." Approaching Harold's warriors, he knocked down two of them and immediately fell under the blows of others. Thus the fight began. The Normans advanced on the hill in a wide front, having all three types of warriors: horsemen, spearmen and shooters. On the first line were archers and crossbowmen, in the next - heavily armed infantry and behind it - mounted knights. Wilhelm was in the center and next to him - the papal banner as a sign that the campaign is pleasing to God.
The Norman riflemen fired a hail of arrows, and under their cover, heavily armed foot soldiers climbed the hills, trying to break through the line of Harold's warriors. The advantage of the archers was their numbers and the range of their arrows. But the Anglo-Saxons were on the top of the hill and fired from above, and those from below. Mounted warriors, mixed with foot soldiers, began to storm the hill. A terrible fight boiled over the hills. But the advantage of the position of Harold's soldiers was so great, and the strength of the cavalry was so weakened by the slopes, that Harold's soldiers held firm, fought back with axes, spears, arrows. Nobody flinched, nobody retreated.
Some of the Normans were driven down the hill, while others, not being able to break through, retreated down themselves. The battle seemed lost. But Wilhelm and his companions were preparing for the next attack. Wilhelm personally led the soldiers. The attack was even more fierce. Wilhelm himself fought in the front ranks; two horses were killed under it. When the first horse fell, he jumped on another and shouted: "Look at me! I am alive and by the grace of God I will be the winner." It is believed that with his hand he struck one of Harold's brothers. Then his second brother fell. But the Anglo-Saxon warriors stood firm.
Then Wilhelm came up with a cunning plan: to lure the enemies out of the fortification and collapse from all sides. The third attack has begun. According to the chroniclers, again the whole mass of his army hit the fence, and after a short battle, the left wing, as Wilhelm had planned, retreated strongly back. Harold's warriors could not stand it. Carried away by success, they rushed after the enemy. Instantly, part of William's army surrounded them below, while the other rushed up and broke through the fence left unprotected.
On the hill where Harold was, a terrible battle began again. Without a break, the warriors fought for almost a whole day. And they were already starting to get tired. And Wilhelm came up with a new trick: he ordered his soldiers to shoot arrows up, a hail of arrows fell on Harold's soldiers from the sky, chipped helmets, wounded their heads, necks, hands.
Someone's arrow hit right in the face of Harold himself, and he fell to the foot of the banner. A terrible massacre unfolded around the fallen king. Four Normans, in the rapture of battle, mocked the dead body. After the battle, the mutilated body was buried in an unknown place. Wilhelm apparently did everything to ensure that there were no memories of Harold left.
End of the battle. According to one of the most famous researchers of medieval battles, the German historian Hans Delbrück, the strength of the Anglo-Saxons consisted in defense, but battles cannot be won by defense alone. Harold's warriors were supposed to go on the offensive, but they did not have enough strength for this.
The battle was lost. But the fight went on; Harold's warriors fought one by one. No one ran, no one asked for mercy, and every one was cut down by the swords of William's knights. They pursued their opponents even in the dark. Only deep night put an end to the massacre. The place itself still bears the laconic name "place of battle".
William is crowned on Christmas Day. Wilhelm did not soon lay down his arms, more than once he met with heroic resistance. But he achieved the main thing: four months later, on December 25, 1066, on Christmas Day, a coronation was held. William became the rightful king of England. Thus began a new, Norman period in its history.
English history does not have many such dramatic pages as Harold's nine-month reign. But there are even fewer such battles as the battle of Hastings, which, indeed, became a turning point in the history of the country. Some call these events "the last invasion". Wilhelm rewarded his followers as promised. Every four out of five villages went to the Normans and their allies. All who settled in England were considered vassals of the king and had to serve him faithfully. About 250 of the largest and noblest associates of the king swore allegiance to him and were ready to lead their troops, as they did during the conquest of England.
Wilhelm accelerated England's steps towards feudalism, which allowed her to catch up with France, and then overtake her. Wilhelm made the state strong, subjugated the barons, made a census of lands and farms, streamlined taxes. England was rapidly entering a new era. The reign of William was called the time of "Norman slavery". But time ground everything, the Normans mixed with the Anglo-Saxons, two centuries later a parliament was born, English freedom, many English traditions associated with the recognition and protection of individual rights.
Bayeux carpet. William's half-brother, Bishop of the city of Bayeux, a participant in the campaign, rewarded as generously as others, decided to perpetuate William's victory: by his order, masters and craftswomen, most likely from Kent, embroidered a carpet with scenes of the preparation of the campaign, the crossing of warriors, battles on hills, which allows you to very vividly present ships, weapons, details of battles, is a unique artistic source. A wonderful embroidery 70 meters long, made with colored woolen threads, has been preserved, now it is in a special room, which has become a museum of one carpet - a tapestry from Bayeux.
The series of embroidered scenes begins with the image of the conversation of the sad old Edward with Harold on the eve of his departure for Normandy, and ends with the image of his motionless body lying near the banner. The last "pictures" are torn off near the carpet. It is possible that Wilhelm was represented at them, kneeling on the same hill and thanking God for the victory. You can't say anything, he stumbled on a low bank in order to forever establish himself in a high place of royal power.
After the battle, William founded the monastery of Battle (literally - "battle"), the main altar of which was erected on the very spot where Harold died. And four years later, by the decision of the council of bishops, the requirement of mandatory repentance of the cities was imposed on the soldiers.
