William the conqueror

Subject : William the conqueror’s Norman Conquest

What did the Norman conquest bring to England?

The Norman Conquest was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army

made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of

Normandy, later styled William the Conqueror. William was placed at the head of the Duchy

of Normandy at the age of eight following the death of his father. Having a hard childhood

because of his early accession to power, it wasn’t until ten years after him being on the

throne, in his twenties, that with the help of the King of France, François I, he led a campaign

against these Norman rebels during the battle of Val-ès-Dunes, a victory in 1047 that

enabled him to assert and consolidate his power over the duchy of Normandy. By 1066,

William was a very powerful Duke who had established his authority in his region and sought

for the extension of his power and kingdom to Great Britain...

So, what did the Norman Conquest bring to England? We will begin with the (I) le titre de ta

grande partie and will proceed with the consequences of the Norman conquest in

Britain.

I. The importance of the defeat of Harold Godwisson

At the same time, in the middle of the 11th century, England was ruled by King Edward the

Confessor. In 1051, he said he wanted William to be his successor to the throne, who then

visited him in England to secure his succession. Although it appears from the records that

Edward the Confessor made the same promise to other neighboring high feudal lords to

ensure their neutrality. In 1053, Godwin of Wessex, the second most powerful person in

England, died, and was succeeded by his son Harold Godwinson as Earl of Essex, who

gained influence. Harold Godwinson went to Normandy in 1064, but was taken prisoner and

released under pressure from Duke William. They then fought together in battle against the

Duke of Brittany, and following this event, Harold is said to have sworn an oath to William

that he would succeed to the throne. An event illustrated in the Bayeux Tapestry.

The King of England finally died on 5 January 1066 and Harold was crowned as his

successor the following day. William considered this a crime of perjury and prepared to wage

war against England. The Duke of Normandy surrounded himself with Normans, Bretons,

Flemings, Boulonnais and Manceaux, built up an army of about 7,000 men and 600 ships

and set out to conquer England on 28 September 1066. But a few days earlier, war had

already broken out in Anglo-Saxon territory, due to the Viking invasion in the North. A war

won by England that will put an end to the Viking era. The Norman armada landed in the

county of Sussex, Harold's personal domain, as a provocation. William took as his base the

town of Hastings where the troops were waiting for the return of the Anglo-Saxon army that

had gone north to confront Harald Hardraada.

The Battle of Hastings began on 14 October. The English managed to dominate the battle

and William was thought to be dead, which is why he took off his helmet in order to be

recognised, a scene that is depicted in the Bayeux tapestry. The battle continued and King

Harold was shot in the eye, before being murdered. But despite the defeat, the English did

not capitulate and the Norman conquest continued until 25 December 1066, when William I

was crowned after invading London.

II. The consequences of the Norman conquest in Britain

Many people don’t know how important the Norman conquest was to England. Its

consequences of the Norman conquest were many and varied. Further, some effects were

much longer-lasting than others.

It is also

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