In October 1066, one of the bloodiest battles of the Middle Ages took place near the English city of Hastings. It was another link in the confrontation between the Normans and Anglo-Saxons. This battle, whose outcome had a huge impact on the further course of European history, turned out to be disastrous for the British and their king Harold II. In the memory of descendants it was preserved as the Battle of Hastings.
Events leading up to the battle
But before we start talking about the battle itself, let's say a few words about the events that preceded it and served as the reason for it. The fact is that the leader of the Normans, Duke William, received an oath from the former English king Edward the Confessor that he would make him heir to the English crown. The reason for this was that even before ascending the throne, Edward, having reason to fear for his life, spent 28 years in Normandy under the patronage of the duke of this country.
However, when the danger passed and Edward, returning to England, successfully spent the years allotted to him by fate on the throne, he forgot his oath and, dying, did not leave any orders in favor of the Norman Duke William, who was awaiting the promised crown. After his death, Edward's relative, the new Harold II, ascended the English throne. Like any deceived person, William was indignant, and the consequence of his anger was the landing of a seven-thousand-strong Norman army on September 28, 1066 on the coast of England and the Battle of Hastings, which became tragic for the English crown.
Norman invasion
The appearance of the Normans off the coast looked unusually impressive. According to contemporaries, they crossed the English Channel with a thousand ships. Even if this number is somewhat exaggerated, such a flotilla would still fill the entire visible space, right up to the horizon.
It must be said that Duke William chose a very favorable moment for the invasion. The year of the Battle of Hastings was very difficult for the British. Shortly before this, they conducted military operations against other invaders - the Norwegians. The English army defeated them, but was exhausted and needed rest, because its opponents were fearless and famous warriors - the Vikings. The Battle of Hastings was therefore doubly difficult for them. King Harold received a report of William's invasion while in York, where he was engaged in replenishing the reserve and other matters related to the army.
The two strongest armies in Europe
Immediately gathering all the forces at his disposal, the monarch hurried to meet the enemy and already on October 13 came close to the camp set up by the Normans 11 kilometers from the city of Hastings. There was only a day left before the start of the battle - the last day of the life of King Harold II and many of those who stood under his banner.
On a damp autumn morning, on a field already harvested by peasants and therefore bare and unsightly, the two largest armies of medieval Europe met. Their numbers were approximately equal, but qualitatively they were strikingly different from each other. Duke William's army consisted mainly of professional warriors, well-armed, trained and with extensive military experience behind them.
Weaknesses of King Harold's Army
Unlike their opponents, the Anglo-Saxons brought to the battlefield an army, the main part of which was composed of peasant militia, and only a small part of it was made up of representatives of the serving nobility and elite troops - the personal royal squad. Only they had battle axes and spears with them, while the militia’s weapons consisted of the most random items - peasant pitchforks, axes, or simply clubs with stones tied to them.
And two more important shortcomings of the Anglo-Saxon army - it did not have cavalry and archers. It is difficult to say why this happened, but in those days, traveling on horseback, the British dismounted before the battle and went on the attack only on foot. Also incomprehensible is their lack of bows, this powerful and effective weapon of the Middle Ages. To top it all off, it should be noted that the rapid forced march across the entire country could not help but exhaust the troops, already tired of previous battles.
The day the Battle of Hastings took place
So, everything is ready for the decisive battle. At 9 o'clock in the morning of 1066 the famous Battle of Hastings began. Briefly describing the position of both armies before its start, it should only be noted that the British lined up, pushing forward well-armed, but few elite units, and behind their closed shields were weakly armed, although full of fighting spirit, peasant militias.
The Normans lined up in three combat columns, which allowed them to maneuver in accordance with the situation. Their left flank consisted of Bretons, the right - of French mercenaries, and in the center the main forces were concentrated - heavy, armored Norman knights led by the duke himself. In front of these main forces were archers and crossbowmen, striking the enemy even before making contact with him.
Start of the battle
The Battle of Hastings is surrounded by many legends, and now it is difficult to distinguish real events from fiction. Thus, some literary sources say that it began with a duel, traditional for those times. A mighty Norman knight named Ivo challenged an equally glorious warrior from the ranks of King Harold to a duel. Having defeated him in a fair fight, he, in accordance with the customs of that era, cut off the Englishman’s head and took it as a trophy. This is how the Battle of Hastings began unsuccessfully for the Anglo-Saxons. Not just one of the warriors was killed, the one who personified the entire army of King Harold was killed.
Encouraged by such success, the Normans were the first to begin the battle. Chroniclers of those years testify that their archers and crossbowmen showered the ranks of the Anglo-Saxons with a cloud of arrows and crossbow bolts, but, hiding behind the closed shields of the elite units in front, they were practically invulnerable. And then the Normans showed true shooting skill. They sent their arrows almost vertically upward, and they, having described the appropriate trajectory in the air, hit their opponents from above, causing them significant damage.
Norman Heavy Cavalry Charge
The next striking episode of the battle was the attack of the heavy Norman cavalry. The armored knights rushed forward, destroying everything in their path. But we must pay tribute to the courage of the British: they did not flinch before this avalanche of steel. As you said, their first ranks were well-armed warriors from the Duke’s personal squad.
They had at their disposal the so-called Danish axes. These are specially made battle axes with a handle up to one and a half meters long. According to contemporaries, a blow from such a weapon cut both a knight clad in armor and his horse. As a result, the Norman cavalry retreated, suffering significant losses.
False retreat tactics
But at this time, events occurred on the left flank that were completely unexpected for the British. The Normans very skillfully used the tactics of a false retreat, demonstrating extraordinary training and coordination of actions. Having convincingly simulated panic and retreat in their ranks, the Normans provoked the Anglo-Saxons into an unprepared counterattack, which upset their positions and turned out to be disastrous.
Having lured a significant part of the soldiers out of the general battle ranks, the Normans suddenly turned around, surrounded them in a tight ring and destroyed every single one. Unfortunately, King Harold's soldiers did not draw any conclusions from this failure, which allowed their opponents to repeat such a trick over and over again.
Death of King Harold
The losses suffered by the British certainly weakened their combat effectiveness, but nevertheless they continued to offer serious resistance to the enemy, and it is unknown what the outcome of the Battle of Hastings would have been if not for an accident, which largely caused the tragic outcome of the battle for England.
The historical chronicle of those years tells that the fearless King Harold II was seriously wounded by an accidental arrow. It pierced his right eye, but, according to the same chroniclers, the courageous warrior did not leave the formation - he pulled out the arrow with his hands and, bleeding, rushed into battle again. But, weakened by his wound, he was soon hacked to pieces by the Norman knights. Almost simultaneously with him, both of his brothers, who commanded the troops, died.
Defeat and death of the Anglo-Saxon army
So the king is killed at the Battle of Hastings along with his brothers. The Anglo-Saxon army, left without command, lost the most important thing - its fighting spirit. As a result, in a matter of minutes, it turned from a formidable army into a crowd, demoralized and fleeing. The Normans caught up with people distraught with horror and mercilessly killed them.
This is how the Battle of Hastings ended ingloriously for the English crown. The king was killed and his hacked body was taken to London for burial. His brothers also died, and with them several thousand warriors who died for their king remained on the battlefield. The British are careful about their history, and on the site where this battle took place many centuries ago, a monastery was founded, and the altar of its main temple is located exactly where Harold II died.
The defeat that gave impetus to the development of the power
Having won a victory at Hastings, Duke William sent his army to London and captured it without much difficulty. The Anglo-Saxon aristocracy was forced to recognize his rights to the throne, and already in December 1066 the coronation took place. According to modern researchers, these events radically changed the entire course of European history. With the accession of Duke William to the throne, the ancient and outdated Anglo-Saxon state passed into history, giving way to a centralized feudal monarchy based on strong royal power.
This served as a powerful impetus that allowed England to become one of the most developed European powers in a short time. Despite the fact that the king was killed at the Battle of Hastings and his army was defeated, this defeat turned out to be an undoubted benefit for the state. One of the paradoxes that history is so generous with occurred. Ask yourself the question: “Who won the battle?” The answer suggests itself - the Normans. Tell me, who ultimately benefited historically from this? The British. So there is no need to rush into answering the question of who won the Battle of Hastings.
Reflection of this event in modern culture
This historical event, which took place nine and a half centuries ago, constantly arouses interest among scientists, people of art, and simply those who like to delve into the dust of past centuries. In literature, G. Heine and A.K. Tolstoy dedicated their works to him. The Italian power metal band Majesti released an album dedicated to this battle in 2002. It included 12 compositions. And British filmmakers made two films based on the famous battle.
A computer game based on the plot of this event has gained popularity among young people. But its real name is often mispronounced, using the expression “Battle of Hastings.” However, these are only the costs of the youth subculture. In general, such a wide interest in the history and events of bygone centuries is, of course, a very encouraging fact.
September 28, 1066
In Westminster Abbey December 25, 1066
The Battle of Hastings took place
News & Events
William's coronation as King of England took place
William was crowned king of England in Westminster Abbey on December 25, 1066. As a result of the Norman Conquest, the ancient Anglo-Saxon state was destroyed, which was replaced by a centralized feudal monarchy with strong royal power, based on the European knightly culture and the vassal-fief system. A new impetus was given to the development of the country, which allowed England to quickly become one of the strongest powers in Europe.
The Norman invasion of England begins
William's army boarded ships at the mouth of the Somme and, having crossed the English Channel with a thousand ships, landed on September 28, 1066 on the English coast near the city of Pevensey. She then moved to the Hastings area, east of the moors-surrounded Pevensey. In Hastings, William's carpenters assembled a wooden castle, previously cut down in Normandy, and the soldiers set up camp.
The Battle of Hastings took place on 14 October 1066 between the Anglo-Saxon army of King Harold Godwinson and the forces of the Norman Duke William. This was far from the largest of all the famous battles. But the events that happened in England in 1066 had such a huge impact on the subsequent fate of Europe that the name of the small town ended up in school textbooks, and the date of the bloody battle itself began to be considered one of the key dates in world history.
The reason for a serious dynastic conflict was the death of the childless English king Edward the Confessor. Three claimants claimed their rights to the throne of England. Harold Godwinson, being the most influential nobleman in Britain, considered himself fully worthy of the crown. Firstly, he was the brother of the wife of Edward the Confessor, and secondly, he was supported by representatives of the English nobility and clergy. In addition, Harold assured that the deceased king left a will in which he transferred the throne to his brother-in-law.
In turn, Duke William of Normandy was the cousin of Edward the Confessor. And, accordingly, he did not doubt his rights to power in England. Another contender for the throne was King Harald III of Norway. He was also a relative of Edward the Confessor, albeit distant. And most importantly, the younger brother of Harold II named Tostig, the former earl of Northumbria, expelled from his native land and harboring a grudge, promised his support.
In mid-September, a large Norwegian fleet arrived off the coast of England. But Harold II was ready for the invasion. He managed to gather an army of loyal people and met with the soldiers of Harald III near York. At the Battle of Stamford Bridge, the Norwegians suffered a crushing defeat. Both Harald III and Tostig were killed. Only a few of the invaders managed to escape. This battle, among other things, ended two centuries of Viking invasions of England. Just a few days after the Battle of Stamford Bridge, the army of the Norman Duke landed on the southern coast of Britain.
William's army boarded ships at the mouth of the Somme and, crossing the English Channel with a thousand ships, landed September 28, 1066 on the English coast near the town of Pevensey. She then moved to the Hastings area, east of the moors-surrounded Pevensey. In Hastings, William's carpenters assembled a wooden castle, previously cut down in Normandy, and the soldiers set up camp.
Having received news of this, Harold II immediately set off with his troops to the south. His men were exhausted by the rapid three-week march, while William's warriors rested quietly and gained strength. Both armies met at the town of Hastings, located off the southern coast of the island.
Harold Godwinson was the son of England's most powerful magnate and rose to prominence through his talents as a military leader. He had a wealth of military experience and high authority among soldiers. But overconfidence was perhaps his weak point. Harold's opponent, the Duke of Normandy, was not only a brave knight. It is much more important that he knew how to make smart decisions right during the battle, which came in handy at Hastings.
Unlike the Anglo-Saxons, the Normans attached great importance to cavalry. Warriors from noble families were trained in horse riding, wielding bladed weapons, and fighting skills on horseback from childhood. Ordinary British infantrymen could hardly withstand the blow of the Norman horsemen, armed with long, heavy spears.
The Anglo-Saxon army consisted mainly of infantrymen. And even those who had horses preferred to fight on foot. Anglo-Saxon warriors were distinguished by their courage, but did not have the skills to quickly change formations and maneuverable combat. For decades they fought in dense foot formation with the same foot troops of Vikings.
King Harold II managed to take an advantageous position on one of the hills. The infantry formed a dense wall of shields and prepared to repel the Norman attack. The king himself saw the surrounding area well and was confident of victory. William II ordered his crossbowmen and archers to open fire on the Anglo-Saxons. However, this shelling did not cause serious damage to the enemy.
William II sent his infantry, consisting of Normans, Flemings and Bretons, to attack. However, a hail of English arrows fell on these warriors. The attack was a failure. Moreover, the retreat of the Bretons was more like a flight than an organized retreat.
The Duke of Normandy, wanting to support the infantry, approached the enemy ranks. Soon William's horse was killed, and he himself fell to the ground. Someone shouted: “The Duke has been killed!” Panic began in the ranks of the Normans. But William quickly mounted another horse, took off his helmet so that the soldiers could see his face, and rode among his warriors, inspiring them to continue the battle.
Believing that the Normans had been defeated, many of the Anglo-Saxons broke ranks and ran down the hill, eager to seize the spoils as quickly as possible. This was a fatal mistake. Out of formation, these warriors were easy prey for the cavalry. Wilhelm II quickly assessed the changed situation. He ordered the infantry to feign retreat and the cavalry to prepare to attack.
Due to the Anglo-Saxon warriors who left the ranks, significant gaps appeared in the shield wall built by Harold. During these intervals, the Duke of Normandy sent his horsemen to attack. Having bypassed the ranks of the English from the flank, a detachment of Normans found themselves behind Harold's warriors and began to surround them.
Organized Anglo-Saxon resistance ceased. The battle turned into many scattered skirmishes. Many of Harold's warriors fought bravely. But without a dense formation of shield walls, they could not offer serious resistance to the Norman knights. Soon, King Harold himself was killed in hand-to-hand combat. The death of the king broke the will of the Anglo-Saxons. Many of them fled. The battle turned into a massacre of fleeing Englishmen.
In Westminster Abbey December 25, 1066 William was crowned King of England. As a result of the Norman Conquest, the ancient Anglo-Saxon state was destroyed, which was replaced by a centralized feudal monarchy with strong royal power, based on the European knightly culture and the vassal-fief system. A new impetus was given to the development of the country, which allowed England to quickly become one of the strongest powers in Europe.
The battle and death of Harold II led not only to the accession of William the Conqueror and the conquest of the Anglo-Saxons by the Normans. In the longer term, all this became one of the causes of the Hundred Years' War. After all, subsequent English monarchs also remained Dukes of Normandy. This means they had to take a vassal oath to the king of France. Avoidance of this humiliating procedure became an important reason for the conflict.
... read more >On October 14, 1066, near the town of Hastings (East Sussex, Great Britain), a battle took place between the Anglo-Saxon army of King Harold and the troops of the Norman Duke William. After winning this battle, William (the Conqueror) became the English king.
The autumn of 1066 became a real test for the Anglo-Saxon dynasty. Earl of Wessex Harold Godwinson, who became the English king (after the death of Edward the Confessor), was not recognized by his main competitors - the Norwegian king Harald the Severe and Duke William of Normandy.
Both rivals gathered armies, boarded ships and moved to the shores of England. The Norwegians were the first to land on the English coast. Harold gathered an army and at the end of September, with an unexpected throw, intercepted the enemy forces. At the Battle of Stamford Bridge, the Norwegian army was defeated and their king was killed. This defeat marked the end of the era of Viking raids on England.
Without having time to catch their breath after a difficult victory, the British learned that William of Normandy and his army had already landed on the coast near the city of Pevensey. On October 3, Harold from York and his army hastily moved towards the new enemy and by October 13 reached Hastings, where the enemy army was already located.
Harold managed to lead the army under the cover of the forest or at night and take a very advantageous position - on a hill that is now called Battle Hill, the top of which is located at an altitude of about 85 meters above sea level. There was a swamp to the north and south of the hill.
William's camp was located in the vicinity of Hastings - north of it. Having learned from scouts about the approach of the enemy, Wilhelm at about 6 o'clock on October 14 gave the order to march. Soon the battle began.
At first, nothing foreshadowed victory for the Normans. Their archers and crossbowmen shot their entire supply of arrows without causing noticeable damage to Harold's infantrymen. The attacks of the infantry and knightly cavalry were repulsed with losses. The Normans advanced up the hillside and were unable to make a hole in the dense defense of the British, who stood on top in an advantageous position. In one of the attacks, the Duke himself almost died - a horse was killed under him.
Having already believed in victory, the Saxons broke ranks and rushed in pursuit of the retreating enemy. However, unexpectedly, William deployed his troops - the British, who had lost formation, found themselves defenseless against the heavy cavalry and were killed.
After this, the Normans surrounded the hill and attacked the remnants of Harold's army from all sides. In a brutal battle, almost all the Saxon warriors were killed, including the king himself and his two brothers.
This victory opened up England for William. Since King Harold and his two brothers were killed, there was no leader left in the country capable of organizing resistance to the conquerors. After a short resistance, London submitted, and the surviving Anglo-Saxon aristocracy recognized William's rights to the English throne.
In the famous Battle of Hastings (October 14, 1066), which decided the fate of England, Duke William of Normandy used a feint retreat against King Harold's Anglo-Saxons to lure his opponents out of good positions. Moreover, this maneuver was performed for the first time not by a single detachment, but by almost an entire army, including heavy knightly cavalry. William's trick was a success, and his reward for success was the royal crown.
One of the most dramatic confrontations in British history began with the death of King Edward the Confessor, the ruler of the Anglo-Saxon dynasty. Edward did not leave a direct heir, so literally with the last breath of the deceased ruler, a whole line of contenders lined up to take his place. To make it easier for readers to understand the intricacies of this intrigue, I will tell you about its main participants. So:
William the Bastard, Duke of Normandy, has been King of England since 1066. 19th century painting.
William(in English transcription - William), Duke of Normandy, nicknamed the Bastard. The illegitimate son of Duke Robert II, who turned out to be the only heir. The Normans were descendants of the Viking Normans who settled in what is now France in the 9th century. William was in the service of Edward the Confessor and subsequently claimed that it was him who the ruler appointed as his successor.
Harold II, the last king of the Anglo-Saxon dynasty.
Harold II Godwinson, the last Anglo-Saxon king (from January 1066). The son of one of the best commanders, Edward the Confessor, the de facto ruler of England since 1062. However, even before Edward’s death, he took an oath of allegiance to William. Nevertheless, he managed to achieve the crown with the support of the nobility.
Tostig, younger brother of Harold, earl of the province of Northumbria in Northern England. Another contender for the throne. After his coronation, Harold was driven out of the country and fled to Scandinavia to gain support from the Vikings. Supported William in his English campaign.
Harald the Harsh, king of Norway, known as the "last Viking". An ally of Tostig and William, who hoped to subjugate part of the English lands.
The invasion of England by the three allies - William, Tostig and Harald - was very well thought out from a strategic point of view, and we have every reason to attribute this plan to the Duke of Normandy. The Norwegian army under the command of Harald and Tostig was mostly on foot, but the Norman hoped to transfer his heavy cavalry to Britain. However, ships loaded with horses became an excellent target for the Anglo-Saxon fleet. Therefore, William needed the allies to distract Harold’s main forces and prevent the king from conducting a naval “interception operation.”
The landing of William and his allies on English territory, and the struggle of Harold's troops with them.
Around mid-September, Harald and Tostig landed in the north of England with a Viking army. But Harold understood that the most dangerous rival was Wilhelm, so until the last he did not give up hope of organizing a “hot reception” for him. However, the army of the northern counties sent against the Norwegians was defeated. The king had no choice but to quickly march towards the Vikings. On September 25, at Stamford Bridge, the army of Harald and Tostig was completely defeated, both leaders died in this battle. I will note two interesting points: firstly, Harold achieved victory by alternating infantry and cavalry attacks on the Norwegian “shield wall” (read: phalanx!) with temporary retreats, thereby forcing the opponents to break formation. Secondly, the Battle of Stamford Bridge put an end to the famous Viking campaigns, which I have written about more than once in previous posts.
Battle of Stamford Bridge. Painting by artist Peter Arbo.
It is difficult to say what emotions Wilhelm experienced upon learning of the outcome of the battle. On the one hand, the loss of strong allies was not particularly pleasing. On the other hand, the cunning Norman may have been counting on just such a turn of events. Now, in case of victory, William did not need to share with anyone - all of England lay at his feet. On September 28, 1066, the Norman Duke landed unhindered on the southeast English coast. Harold at this time was still in a hurry back to the south - his army had to make a forced march of 250 miles.
The forces of the parties were approximately equal in number, with a slight advantage of the Normans: about 8 thousand fighters against seven. At the same time, William had a two-fold advantage in heavy cavalry (two thousand against one), and half of his infantry were archers. Harold's troops were mainly armed with spears and axes, which made them extremely vulnerable in open field battles, but gave them a good chance in defensive battles on rough terrain. Realizing this, Harold took up an advantageous position on a hill near the town of Hastings, at the same time blocking the aggressors’ road to the capital, London. It is interesting that the king even hurried for battle some of his mounted warriors - “housecarls”. However, there is a version that after Stamford Bridge, where not only people but also horses died, this move was forced: not every horse was suitable for battle, and Harold simply had no time and nowhere to recruit new ones on a high-speed march.
The king positioned his army on a hill, stretching the front for about 800 meters. In the front ranks stood a “wall of shields” of the strongest warriors - housecarls, with a total number of about a thousand people, which was supposed to provide reliable protection against attacks by the Normans. Under the cover of the first line, the remaining infantrymen and a few archers settled down. The Anglo-Saxon cavalry may have covered the flanks or was in reserve: Harold considered it pointless to throw it against William, given the latter’s obvious superiority in cavalry. But the Anglo-Saxons did not have to fear encirclement - their rear was reliably covered by a dense forest. In addition, Harold took care to strengthen the position. According to some sources, the British dug sharpened stakes in front of the foot formation to hit the Norman horses; according to others, they built a small palisade to protect against arrows.
The Anglo-Saxon “shield wall” on the Bayeux Tapestry, an embroidered piece from the late 11th century that depicts all the major scenes of the battle.
William began the battle with “artillery preparation,” which, however, did not produce serious results: the archers had to shoot from the bottom up, and Harold’s soldiers were well protected from such shelling by shields and, possibly, a palisade. Then the Norman infantry went on the attack, which also included the Bretons who had joined William’s expedition - they occupied the left wing. But when faced with Harold’s housecarls, the Bretons could not withstand the fierce battle and began to retreat randomly. The rumor about Wilhelm's death added to the panic. At the same time, part of the Anglo-Saxons came down from the hill, pursuing the Bretons, but William, taking advantage of this, was able to turn the tide of the battle. Raising his visor so that everyone could see his face, the Duke, at the head of a cavalry detachment, hurried to the retreating troops, cut off Harold’s warriors, who carelessly left their position, and exterminated them.
According to military historian Roman Svetlov, the genuine retreat of the Bretons and its unexpected consequences for the Anglo-Saxons led William to an original tactical idea. If Harold’s units can be successfully beaten by luring and cutting off from the main forces, then why not “retreat” again, this time on purpose? However, there was one “but”: Harold himself was a master of feigned retreat, and William was likely to have been told the details of the recent Battle of Stamford Bridge. This means that we must manage to “retreat” so that the king does not suspect that he is being deceived.
And the Duke found a way out! For the first time in the history of wars, the enemy was lured into a trap by virtually the entire army, including the heavy knightly cavalry, which is good at ramming attacks, but, it would seem, completely unsuited to complex maneuvers. The Norman turned stereotypical ideas to his advantage: the sight of the knights running (of course, after a short attack on the “shield wall”) was supposed to lull the enemy’s vigilance. True, Harold, judging by his actions, still doubted the truth of William’s retreat. He did not try to hold back the warriors who rushed in pursuit of the Normans, but he did not give the order to his housecar warriors to attack.
Battle of Hastings. Scheme of the main stages of the battle. The first stage was the shelling of Harold’s positions, the second was an attack by the Norman infantry, the third was a lured retreat and a cavalry strike.
Alas, the experience of hundreds of wars and battles proves that the indecisiveness of a commander is the worst thing that can happen to an army on the battlefield. Even making a wrong decision is better than letting the situation take its course. Medieval chroniclers mention that William’s heavy knights got mixed up and lost formation during the “retreat.” If at that moment Harold’s small cavalry had struck them in the rear, and then selected infantry had arrived to help, the feigned flight could well have become real. But history, as we know, does not know the expression “if”. The king's momentary confusion cost his army dearly: a significant part of the British, without waiting for an order, rushed after the Normans. When Harold's warriors descended the hill and moved away from the royal squad, William's cavalry, on command, turned sharply and fell on the English infantrymen. William's archers opened deadly fire on the enemy, and there was now nowhere to hide from him. In a matter of minutes, the troops, who had held the Normans on the hill for almost a whole day, were routed in the open field.
The decisive attack of the Norman knightly cavalry at the Battle of Hastings on October 14, 1066. Modern illustration.
In fact, this predetermined the outcome of the battle, although the Anglo-Saxons still had a chance to hold out in defensive positions until darkness and retreat in an orderly manner. The battle had been going on for about eight hours, and both troops were exhausted to the limit. But if you’re unlucky, then in everything: by the evening, Harold was struck by a stray arrow that hit him in the eye. The king died on the spot, his surviving warriors began to scatter. Only the housecarls did not move a single step: surrounding the body of the fallen ruler, they fought to the last and died with him.
The death of King Harold and his retinue in the famous Bayeux Tapestry.
Both sides suffered heavy losses in the battle - up to half of all fighters, but William's army still retained its combat capability, but the enemy lost his best units along with the king. The Anglo-Saxons could no longer actively resist the invasion. In the same 1066, the Duke was crowned in London and subsequently went down in history as William I the Conqueror.
Interesting fact. The Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 between the troops of William's descendant, Edward II, and the Scottish king Robert the Bruce showed how the Battle of Hastings could have developed if the situation had been successful for the Anglo-Saxons and due discipline of the troops. Having taken up defensive positions, Bruce, unlike Harold, actively used a small detachment of cavalry (to intercept the archers), and with the reserve organized an attack on the enemy’s flank from behind the nearby hills, thanks to which the Scots won.
Battle of Bannockburn (1314). Engraving.
WHO: The Norman army of William the Conqueror (1028-1087) invaded England and entered into battle with the Anglo-Saxon squads under the command of King Harold II Godvinson (c. 1022 - 1066).
HOW: the battle took place mainly in the attempts of the Norman cavalry to break through the dense formation of Anglo-Saxon infantrymen covered with shields.
WHERE: On Senlac Hill, 11 km north of Hastings.
WHY: William the Conqueror came to bolster his claim to the throne of England by force of arms.
OUTCOME: During a fairly lengthy battle, during repeated attacks by the Norman cavalry against the closed ranks of the Anglo-Saxons on Senlac Hill, two feigned retreats by the attackers resulted in the Anglo-Saxon infantry becoming disorganized and ultimately defeated.
FORCES OF THE OPPOSITIONAL PARTY
NORMANS (estimated) Cavalry: 1000-2000 Infantry: 5000-6000 Total: 6000-8000
ANGLO-SAXON (estimated) Huscarls: 1000 Infantry: 5000-6000 Total: 6000-7000
POWER LIST
King Harold Godwinson learned of the Norman landings only a few days later, probably around 1 October. He had to set off on the way back, and again hastily. Again acting without delay, he marched through London and proceeded further to where Senlac Hill was located another 80-90 km to the south. There, about 600-700 meters from the top, on the southern slope, Harold found a place that he considered gave him an advantageous position to repel the Normans. The king correctly assessed that William intended to seek battle and that the Duke of Normandy would not try to outflank the Anglo-Saxons, no matter what position they took.
Harold formed his troops according to old and proven tactics so that the warriors formed a screen of shields. His infantrymen and dismounted cavalry stood in dense ranks, while the shields seemed to overlap one another, making the line resemble a field fortification from the front. If you do not allow the enemy to upset or break such a formation, he will never break through it. The Anglo-Saxons were skilled warriors, many of them fighting alongside Harold in his victorious campaigns against the Welsh in 1063, and all of them took part in the Battle of Stamford Bridge. In the center of the formation were the royal housecarls, Harold's most trusted and skilled soldiers, dressed in long mail shirts and trained in the use of any weapon, but most formidable in battle with two-handed axes. The flanks of the “wall” of shields were made up of fireds, also militiamen who were quite familiar with weapons and wielded a spear and sword. They also did not suffer from a shortage of weapons and armor. There was also a place in the English army for archers, the number of which, apparently, was small.
Although the forces of William the Conqueror did not consist entirely of cavalry, the latter was, of course, the main branch of the army in the army of the Norman Duke at Hastings. These horsemen were also seasoned warriors, many of whom had served the Duke in his many military enterprises in previous years. Mostly they all came from Normandy, but there were also a number of horsemen attracted from Bulogne, Flanders and Brittany. And those, too, had plenty of experience. I think it would not be an exaggeration to say that the best cavalry army in Europe since the time of Charlemagne was built on the field in front of the Senlac hill.
At the Battle of Hastings, William chose a rather simple, but at the same time risky tactic: he threw his cavalry up the hillside onto the Anglo-Saxon “wall” of shields. If the first attack failed, the riders had to retreat and regroup, and then try again - again and again. The calculation was based on the fact that one of the throws would break the enemy’s formation and put him to flight. William assumed that, under the onslaught of repeated attacks, the English barrier would eventually weaken and victory would go to the Normans. Norman infantry archers also took part in the Battle of Hastings, but their role, as in the enemy army, was apparently limited.
BEGINNING OF THE BATTLE
William the Conqueror began the battle early in the morning, dividing the cavalry into three detachments, and, according to most historians, building them along one front, that is, in a line. The Norman cavalry, with William himself at the head, occupied the center, the mounted Bretons acted on the left, and on the right wing were the combined squads, called simply “Franks” by the majority of Norman chroniclers, but, as one might assume, represented primarily by the Flemish and Boulogne cavalry. In front of the line of mounted warriors were Norman archers and infantry.
It was the infantry in the Norman army that began the battle by attacking the English infantry, which, however, was not any significant episode for the ensuing battle. Probably, Wilhelm decided not to give too much free rein to the foot troops. Perhaps he reduced their participation at the initial stage to the maximum, since the noble knights could not remain passive participants in what was happening for long. Soon the cavalry had the opportunity to “speak out.” “Those who stood behind became the first,” as eyewitness Guillaume from Poitiers said, referring to castling in the Norman formations.
Modern sources claim that the Norman cavalry was numerically inferior to the enemy - the Anglo-Saxon infantry. It seemed to the attackers that they were displaying miracles of heroism that have no - or almost no - equal in military history, behaving "bravely beyond belief", according to William of Malmesbury. However, the rapid onslaught crashed against the “wall” of shields. Like the next one - and then others. None of the authors - contemporaries or non-contemporaries - is able to name the exact number of Norman cavalry attacks at the Battle of Hastings. No matter how many there were, not a single one broke the formation of the incredibly disciplined English infantrymen, whom nothing could force to leave a strong defensive position. Guillaume from Poitiers describes what he saw in this way: “It was a strange battle, some in it moved and had full control of the initiative, while others simply defended themselves as if they were rooted to the ground.”
What's especially strange about that battle is its length. Most medieval battles were resolved in a short time - an hour or even less. But not the battle around Hastings. The Norman cavalry charged, rolled back and advanced again. However, it was not possible to break through the strong barrier of the English infantry. There were, presumably, few losses in killed and wounded on both sides, because the cavalry usually stopped before entering into real combat contact with the enemy infantry. Although fierce clashes, of course, happened. And at some point, amid the general chaos, a rumor spread through the Norman ranks that Wilhelm himself had died. In an era when heraldry was only in its infancy, such mistakes are forgivable, since all the Norman horsemen looked similar to each other, as confirmed by the embroidery from Bayeux made by contemporaries. In the story, her Wilhelm even reacts to the news by taking off his helmet and showing his face. His cavalry then immediately regrouped for the next attack.
FAKE REJECTION
The squad's awareness of the fact that William was present on the battlefield side by side with them seemed to instill new strength in the Norman cavalry and fill it with new determination, which was at least enough to resort to a difficult, but widely used technique by cavalrymen - a feigned retreat . Described in Vegetius' treatise On Warfare, a handbook for military men in the Middle Ages, imitation flight required skill and discipline, since the "retreaters" had to create a sense of genuine panic and confusion and instill in the enemy the confidence that they were fleeing the battlefield , and then, at the command of the leader, turn around and harmoniously counterattack. Such tactics should not have been used too early in the battle and were not recommended to be repeated, although at Hastings the Normans, according to an eyewitness, made a feigned retreat twice (the first flight of the left flank was, apparently, far from feigned, and it was during this that the confusion and rumors spread about the death of the leader. - Note per.). If the feigned escape trick worked, which usually resulted in the "confused" enemy being too carelessly pursued by his baited opponent, the battle was usually over quickly. On the other hand, if the ruse failed, then - as military history testifies - the feigned fugitives, demoralized by their own failure, could turn into real ones.
At Hastings, the second feigned retreat achieved its goal. Many Anglo-Saxon warriors remained in the ranks, but many others could not resist the temptation and rushed after the “put to flight” Normans, only to realize too late, seeing how the cavalry turned around and came in to attack, that they had made a fatal mistake. Few of the Englishmen who rushed in pursuit of the Normans managed to escape from the horsemen who attacked them with renewed vigor - almost all of them died on the battlefield. Among them were even both of Harold's brothers, Girt and Leofwin, who served as his assistants on that fateful day. The situation in the battle changed so quickly and abruptly that Harold Godwinson had no choice but to try to regroup the remaining warriors who had not succumbed to the Normans’ tactical ploy. He tried to line them up again and create a screen of shields. However, the surviving soldiers were, apparently, already very exhausted from the long confrontation with the Normans, disorganized and - which can be assumed - lost a significant part of their fighting spirit after seeing the inglorious death of their comrades. However, they remained near the king until - as evidenced by the embroidery from Bayeux and Guillaume from Poitiers - he was struck down by an arrow that hit him in the eye.
The last Anglo-Saxon (or Anglo-Scandinavian) army was defeated and ceased to exist, and this defeat became fatal for the existing military and government structure of England. William still had to face some opposition from the old kingdom, especially in the north, where Earls Edwin and Morker remained, who were defeated by the Norwegians at Fulford Gate and who therefore did not go with Harold Godwinson to Hastings. However, the Normans dealt with them quite easily. Guillaume le Batard, illegitimate Duke of Normandy and Count of Mena, became William (William) the Conqueror, King of England.
