why the normans won the battle of hastings

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Why the Normans won the Battle of Hastings By Andrew Powell

In 1066 Edward the confessor-the king of England died heirless. This led to a big argument over who should be king. There were several claimants to the throne and in this essay I plan to tell you how William Duke of Normandy led his army to a triumphant victory at the Battle of Hastings. A victory that led to him becoming king of England.

        One reason why the Normans won was that William was extremely well prepared to invade England. For example he made brand new boats just to sail across. I know this because my study of a primary source namely the bayeux tapestry shows Williams men cutting down trees to make boats with. His troops, with both infantry and cavalry, were feared and respected. He had fought and defeated the king of France in 1054 and 1057. William’s soldiers were well trained and well equipped. They wore chain mail armour which gave them much protection. His cavalry rode specially bred horses which could carry the weight of these horse soldiers and still ride at speed. The cavalry rode on special saddles that effectively locked them in place as they rode and all but allowed them to keep their arms free to fight with. They were the elite of William's army. The good preparation and well trained soldiers immensely helped the Normans win at Hastings.

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        Another big factor that played a part in the battle was the strong character of their leader. When William was about eight, his father decided to go on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Before leaving, Robert-his father called his vassals together and ordered them to swear fealty to William. Reluctantly the men obeyed. Perhaps Robert did not expect to return from the Holy Land; if so, he was right. He died on his journey, and his illegitimate son became the new Duke of Normandy. Like most children of that time, William grew up fast. At around age fifteen he was knighted, ...

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