Battle of Hastings

• Harald Hardrada from Norway invaded the north of England


  September 18th or thereabouts
• Harald Hardrada met the Saxons in battle at Gate Fulford


  September 20th
• The Vikings won the battle at Gate Fulford
• The Battle of Stamford Bridge took place where Harold Godwinson defeated Harald Hardrada and killed him and his brother Tostig


  September 25th
• William set sail from England arriving at Pevensey the day after


  September 27th
• Harold left York for a long march to London


  October 2nd
• Harold arrived in London and began to gather forces


  About October 6th
• Harold set off for Hastings

  October 12th
• The Battle of Hastings took place where Harold was killed and William emerged victorious


  October 14th
• Harold's battle plan at the Battle of Hastings was to hold the top of Cenlake Hill with a shield wall to prevent William from breaking out and getting to London
• Harold put his best troops in the front of the shield wall, including huskarls, thanes, and his brothers commanding each flank
• Harold and his bodyguard were in the center of the shield wall
• Harold's leadership style involved fighting alongside his men to inspire them, but this limited his flexibility in issuing commands during battle
• Following the loss of 5000 men at Stamford Bridge, Harold had to rely on barely trained and equipped feared soldiers
• Harold's battle plan was to hold the top of the hill and make sure the Normans couldn't break through, relying on attrition to win
• William had archers, infantry, and cavalry in his well-prepared army at the Battle of Hastings
• William's cavalry was his most devastating and powerful force at the Battle of Hastings
• William had allies in the Normans, Bretons, and Flemish at the Battle of Hastings
• William's initial move at the Battle of Hastings was to send in his archers, followed by infantry and then cavalry
• William's archers had little effect on the shield wall of the Saxons at the Battle of Hastings
• William's infantry attacked the shield wall but took heavy losses themselves
• William then sent in his cavalry as a powerful force to break through the shield wall at the Battle of Hastings
• Attack on the hill

  Exhausted soldiers ran up the hill in all their equipment, hit the shield wall, killed some Saxons but took heavier losses themselves, fell back
• William's decision to send in his most powerful soldiers

  Cavalry smashed into the shield wall but failed to break through with losses on both sides
• Breakdown in discipline

  Possibly due to Leifwin and Geith being killed, less experienced thanes and house carls had to command themselves, gaps in the shield wall were filled by less experienced soldiers
• Rumor of Duke William's death


  Caused panic on William's left, Bretons fled down the hill
• William's strategic move with cavalry

  Sent cavalry around the back of the pursuing feared soldiers and slaughtered them
• William's use of fake retreats

  Ordered fake retreats to tempt enemies out of strong defensive positions, then swept around with cavalry and slaughtered them
• Final attacks on the shield wall

  Ordered archers to loose their arrows high and low, shield wall was sufficiently thin to be softened up, Harold was hit in the eye by an arrow
• End of the battle


  With Harold dead, William sent the rest of his forces to crush the remaining Saxon army, becoming the King of England
• William won the battle of Hastings due to preparations, leadership, luck, and good fortune
• English history would be changed forever by the Battle of Hastings