In October 1066, near the English city of Hastings, one of the most bloody battles of the Middle Ages took place. It was the next link in the confrontation between the Normans and the Anglo-Saxons. This battle, which exerted a huge influence on the further course of European history, turned out to be disastrous for the British and their king Harold II. In the memory of posterity, it was preserved as the battle of Hastings.
Events Prior 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 an occasion for it. The fact is that the leader of the Normans, Duke Wilhelm, received an oath promise from the former English king Edward the Confessor that he would make him the heir to the English crown. The reason for this was the fact that even before entering the throne, Edward, having reason to fear for his life, spent 28 years in Normandy under the auspices 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, a relative of Edward, the new king of England Harold II, ascended the English throne. Like any deceived man, William was indignant, and the consequence of his anger was the landing of the seven thousandth 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 of Misty Albion looked unusually impressive. According to contemporaries, they crossed the English Channel on a thousand ships. Even if this number is somewhat exaggerated, still a similar flotilla should have filled all the visible space, right up to the horizon.
It must be said that the 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 that, they were conducting military operations against other invaders - the Norwegians. The British army defeated them, but was exhausted and needed rest, because its opponents were fearless and illustrious warriors - the Vikings. The battle of Hastings was thus doubly difficult for them. King Harold received a report about the invasion of William, while in York, where he was just engaged in replenishing the reserve and other matters related to the army.
The two strongest armies in Europe
Immediately collecting all the forces at his disposal, the monarch hastened to meet the enemy and already on October 13 came close to the camp, which was defeated by the Normans 11 kilometers from the city of Hastings. Only a day remained before the battle began - the last day of the life of King Harold II and many of those who stood under his banners.
On a wet autumn morning, the two largest armies of medieval Europe came together on a field already cleared by peasants and therefore bare and unsightly. Their number was approximately equal, but qualitatively they were strikingly different from each other. The army of Duke Wilhelm consisted mainly of professional warriors, well-armed, trained and who had behind them a wealth of military experience.
King Harold Weaknesses
Unlike their opponents, the Anglo-Saxons led the army onto the battlefield, the main composition of which was manned from the peasant militia, and only a small part of it was made up of representatives of the nobility and elite troops - the personal royal squad. They alone had two-handed swords, battle axes and spears, while the militia’s weapons consisted of the most random items - peasant pitchforks, axes or just 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, riding on horses, the British dismounted before the battle and went on the attack only on foot. It is also incomprehensible that they lack bows, this powerful and effective weapon of the Middle Ages. To top it all, it should be noted that a swift march through the whole country could not but exhaust the troops already weary of previous battles.
The day the Battle of Hastings took place
So, everything is ready for a decisive battle. At 9 a.m. on October 14, 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, albeit full of fighting spirit, peasant militias.
The Normans, on the other hand, formed three battle columns, which allowed them to carry out maneuvers in accordance with the situation. Their left flank consisted of Bretons, the right flank of French mercenaries, and the main forces were concentrated in the center - heavy, armored Norman knights led by the duke himself. Ahead of these main forces were archers and crossbowmen, who hit the enemy even before coming into contact with him.
The beginning of the battle
The battle of Hastings is fanned by many legends, and now it is difficult to distinguish real events from fiction. So, in some literary sources it is narrated that it began with a duel traditional for those times. A mighty Norman knight named Ivo summoned a no less glorious warrior from the ranks of King Harold to a duel. Having defeated him in a fair fight, he, in accordance with the mores of that era, cut off the Englishman's head and took it as a trophy. So unsuccessfully for the Anglo-Saxons the battle of Hastings began. It was not just one of the soldiers who was killed, the one who personified the entire army of King Harold was killed.
Encouraged by such success, the Normans were the first to start the battle. The chroniclers of those years testify that their archers and arbalester showered the ranks of the Anglo-Saxons with cloudy 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 mastery of shooting. They sent their arrows almost vertically upward, and those, having described the corresponding trajectory in the air, hit enemies from above, causing considerable damage to them.
Norman heavy cavalry attack
The next striking episode of the battle was the attack of the heavy Norman cavalry. Knight-clad armor rushed forward, sweeping away everything in its path. But we must pay tribute to the courage of the British: they did not flinch before this avalanche of steel. As yours said, their front ranks were well-armed warriors from the duke's personal squad.
At their disposal were 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 strike with such an instrument cut through both the knight, chained in armor, and his horse. As a result, the Norman cavalry retreated, with significant losses.
False Retreat Tactics
But at this time on the left flank there were events completely unexpected for the British. The Normans very skillfully applied the tactics of false retreat, showing extraordinary training and coherence. Convincingly imitating panic and retreat in their ranks, the Normans provoked the Anglo-Saxons to an unprepared counterattack, which upset their positions and turned out to be fatal.
Having lured a significant part of the soldiers from the general battle ranks, the Normans unexpectedly turned around, swept them in a tight ring and destroyed them all. Unfortunately, the soldiers of King Harold did not draw any conclusions from this failure, which allowed the opponents to repeat this trick repeatedly.
The death of King Harold
The losses suffered by the British, of course, weakened their fighting ability, but nevertheless they continued to show serious resistance to the enemy, and it is not known what outcome the battle at Hastings would have been if it had not been for an accident, which in many respects became the cause of the tragic outcome of the battle for England.
The historical chronicle of those years tells that the fearless king Harold II was seriously injured by an accidental arrow. She plunged into his right eye, but, according to the same chroniclers, the courageous warrior did not leave the system - he pulled out an arrow with his hands and, bleeding, rushed into battle again. But, weakened by wounds, he was soon chopped down by the Norman knights. Almost simultaneously with him, both his brothers who commanded the troops died.
The defeat and death of the Anglo-Saxon army
So, the king was killed at the Battle of Hastings along with his brothers. The Anglo-Saxon army, which remained without command, lost the most important thing - fighting spirit. As a result, in a matter of minutes, from a formidable army, it turned into a crowd demoralized and fleeing. The Normans caught up with people mad with horror and mercilessly killed them.
So ingloriously for the English crown, the battle of Hastings ended. The king was killed, and his hacked body was taken to London for burial. His brothers also died, and with them several thousand soldiers who fell for their king remained on the battlefield. The British take care of their history, and in the place where this battle happened 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 gained victory at Hastings, the Duke William sent his army to London and captured it without much difficulty. The Anglo-Saxon aristocracy was forced to recognize his right to the throne, and already in December 1066 the coronation took place. According to modern scholars, these events have fundamentally changed the entire course of European history. With the accession to the throne of Duke William, the ancient and obsolete Anglo-Saxon state went down in 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 undoubted benefit for the state. One of the paradoxes to which history is so generous has occurred. Ask yourself the question: “Who won the battle?” The answer suggests itself - the Normans. But tell me, who ultimately received a historical benefit from this? The British. So the answer to the question of who won the battle of Hastings should not be rushed.
Reflection of this event in modern culture
This historical event, which occurred nine and a half centuries ago, is constantly of interest to scientists, people of art, and simply to those who like to delve into the dust of centuries past. In the literature, G. Heine and A. K. Tolstoy dedicated their works to him. The Italian power metal group Majesty released an album dedicated to this battle in 2002. It included 12 tracks. And British filmmakers made two films, the plots of which are based on the famous battle.
A computer game created on the plot of this event has gained popularity among young people. That's just his real name is often pronounced incorrectly, using the expression "battle of hastings." However, this is only the cost of youth subculture. In general, such a wide interest in the history and events of bygone centuries is, of course, a very encouraging fact.