Norman Conquest (1065-87) Example answers

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According to historian John Gillingham, writing in 1996, William was fortunate to have taken the throne of England, and was in fact just a 'lucky *******'. How far do you agree with this point of view? (20 marks)

The Battle of Hastings between William Duke of Normandy and Harold Godwinson was a battle for the throne of England. The Battle of Hastings happened on 14 October 1066 and ended in a decisive victory for the Normans, wherein Harold was killed. William was crowned on Christmas day 1066. The Battle of Hastings occurred because William invaded England to get the crown he had been promised by Harold. William's luck was important in his victory, despite the fact that he was prepared, had a strong claim to the throne, had a better army than Harold's, and had good tactics. However, it was predominantly William's luck allowing him to take the throne of England.

William was fortunate since the weather was in his favour. Strong, northernly winds propelled Hardrada's invasion, leading to the invasion of Hardrada on 20 September 1066 that caused some of Godwinson's men to fall in the Battle of Fulford. This is important since this reduced Harold's strength and so William could win the battle easier. Harold gathering an army to fight Hardrada left the south coast (where William would invade) unguarded, so William could enter England unnoticed and dominate Harold. The Battle of Stamford Bridge on 25 September 1066 caused Harold to lose even more men, and Harold's army was tired due to having to fight two battles oe week within another., significantly decreasing Harold's fighting strength. Therefore, the Battles of Fulford and Stamford Bridge were important in William's victory since they decreased Harold's fighting strength. When William crossed the English Channel, Harold was in the north, which is important since the great distance would exhaust Harold's army, weakening Harold. Also, strong northernly winds stopped William crossing the English Channel earlier, which is important since it allowed him to prepare while Harold's army was being weakened by two battles. Additionally, William was lucky for being born a Norman. Normandy was a strong French fief: stable, firm government, efficient taxation, and strong trading links. They mastered the art of horseback and used chainmail, shields, and swords, which was needed to defeat Harold. The Normans also used handy tactics like feigned retreat, a tactic used to defeat Harold. Thus, William was lucky to have been born a Norman. The interpretation that William was lucky may have been formed because William might not have been as skilled as said, since Harold was weakened and so William couldn't show his true strength. But it is unreliable an interpretation since it was formed in 1996.

Despite William's luck, William had a strong claim to the throne. His great aunt was queen of England and Edward chose him in 1051. This met most of the criteria needed to be king: have a direct bloodline and be chosen by the previous king. Harold did not have a…

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