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Foreign Correspondent: Dirty tricks in 1066

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Foreign Correspondent: Dirty tricks in 1066

SUBJECTS:  History

YEARS:  7–8


How was William of Normandy able to defeat the Saxon army of Harold Godwinson in 1066 and become the king of England?

The Norman's victory at Hastings marked the beginning of their complete conquest of England over the following few years. Discover the tactics of both sides in the Battle of Hastings.

This clip is the second of two.


Things to think about

  1. 1.Harold Godwinson's Saxons were prepared to repel a Norman invasion in Southern England when news came in September 1066 that the Norwegian King Harald Hadrada, who also claimed the English throne, had landed in the north with a Viking army. Harold marched his Saxon army north and defeated the Vikings. Immediately after, he was forced to march south to engage the Normans, whose ships had arrived in his absence.
  2. 2.We suspect the Saxons were exhausted from their long march north to Stamford Bridge, where they defeated the Viking army, before returning to Hastings. What other advantages and disadvantages did both the Saxon and Norman armies have in the battle? What was the main Saxon tactic? What trick did the Normans use to counter the Saxons? How is Harold believed to have been killed?
  3. 3.Most evidence suggests that the Saxon army would have defeated the Norman invaders at the Battle of Hastings had they not also had to fight the Norwegians at the Battle of Stamford Bridge. Find appropriate sources to research and write a report on the Battle of Stamford Bridge and the Saxon army's march south.
  4. 4.William was crowned king of England on Christmas Day 1066 and came to be known as William the Conqueror. To consolidate his power, he parcelled out land and Saxon peasants to his Norman knights, who became the new aristocracy of England. But his rule was strongly opposed by many Saxons. Find out where Saxon resistance occurred in England and what methods William used to deal with it.



Date of broadcast: 7 Nov 2000


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