The
History Guy
New
& Recent Conflicts
Portal
for pages on military history Lists
of wars throughout history and from around
the world Biographical
files on individuals who impact American
politics, culture, business, education and
other arenas of life in the United
States. Pages
on the governmental systems of selected
nations. United
States national government and
politics. What's
New The
latest changes to the History Guy
site. Information
on the History Guy, the origin of the
website, along with commentaries
and a site
map.
Norman
Invasion and Conquest of England (1066-1072) Norman
Conquest of England—(Sept. 28, 1066-1072):
William, the Duke of Normandy, invaded England in
the autumn of 1066, beginning a campaign of
conquest leading to his crowning as the King of
England and the establishment of Norman rule over
England. The
story of The Conquest, as it is known in England,
began with the death of the old king of England,
Edward the Confessor. King Edward had no sons to
inherit his throne, a four-way conflict developed
over who would become the next King of England. The
English Witanagemot, the traditional council of
nobles, chose Harold Godwinson as the new king. The
other claimants included; King Harold's
half-brother, Tostig Godwinson, Harald Hardrada,
the King of Norway, and William, Duke of Normandy,
a region in northwest France. Both
Tostig and Harald Hardrada invaded England to
unseat King Harold, but both attacks failed. The
third invasion, by William of Normandy, proved
successful. William landed his invasion force of
nearly 7,000 Normans and assorted European
mercenaries on Sept. 28, 1066 at Pevensey.
Following this landing, he built a base near
Hastings. Harold
marched toward Hastings after defeating and killing
Harald Hardrada and Tostig at Stamford Bridge, a
victory which left his army tired and weakened. On
Oct. 14, 1066, the Anglo-Saxon army of England
battled the invading Normans. The battle ended with
Haroald dead and William of Normandy as the sole
living claimant to the throne. William then marched
his forces northward toward London, defeating the
English at Southwark. Journeying toward the capital
city, William received the surrender and submission
of several important Anglo-Saxon nobles, and was
crowned as King William (the First) on December 25,
1066. This ended the first phase of the Norman
Conquest of England. William
still had to consolidate his power, and over the
next several years, he and his Norman followers
defeated several Anglo-Saxon rebellions, including
an invasion by Harold Godwinson's surviving sons.
The Anglo-Saxon rebel, Hereford the Wake, was
defeated at the Battle of Ely Isle in 1070, and a
final campaign in 1072 finally brought northern
England under William's control. The
Norman Conquest is significant for several reasons.
William was the new King of England, but he was
also still the Duke of Normandy in France, which
put him and his successors in the awkward position
of ruling one counrty, while still serving as a
vassal (underling) of another country's ruler, in
this case, the King of France. This dilemma set up
England and France for hundreds of years worth of
warfare as the ruling families of each kingdom
battled for control of both countries. (See the
History Guy page on
the
Anglo-French
Wars). Also,
The Conquest created an ongoing link between the
island of Great Britain (which includes England,
Scotland, and Wales) with the European Continent
through the connection of England and French
Normandy. This connection can be seen in the
development of English culture, language, history,
and economics. Copyright
© 1998-2009 Roger A. Lee and History Guy
Media; Last Modified: 10.04.09 "The
History Guy" is a Registered Trademark. Citation Lee,
R. "The History Guy: Norman Invasion and Conquest
of England" http://www.historyguy.com/norman_conquest_england.html Battle
of
Fulford--Article
on one of the battles of
1066 Norman
Conquest--Wikipedia
article Hereford
The
Wake--Wikipedia
article Tostig's
Rebellion
(1066) Norwegian
(Viking) Invasion of England
(1066) Successor
Conflicts: (Related conflicts occurring at
a later time) Ongoing
Anglo-Saxon Resistance Anglo-French
War (1109-1113) DATES
OF CONFLICT: BEGAN:
Sept. 28, 1066--This is the date
William landed his forces in
England. ENDED:
1072--William's final campaign which
ended formal Anglo-Saxon resistance in
northern England
A chronicle of newer
and more recent conflicts and wars from
around the globe
Please cite this source when
appropriate: