正在編輯用戶:Hinnia/沙盒/Hastings Notes

== Essay Introduction ==
The Battle of Hastings in 1066 marked a '''crucial turning point in English history'''. The victory of William, Duke of Normandy, over Harold Godwinson of England had '''far-reaching consequences'''. This essay aims to assess the extent to which (William's skills/Harold's mistakes) contributed to his triumph in the Hastings campaign. While (William's skills/Harold's mistakes) such as... played a significant role, it is important to acknowledge that (Harold's mistakes/William's skills) and other factors also influenced the outcome of the battle.

== William's Skills ==

=== Military Experience ===

* Always won '''praise for his valour'''
* Had almost '''2 decades of combat experience''' in Normandy
** At his peak in terms of his state as a warrior
** Experienced 1st battle at '''Val es Dunes''', Henry I of France vs Norman rebels 
* Good tactics: '''besieging'''
* Good '''knowledge of army divisions'''
* Knew how to build, take and defend '''castles'''
* '''Alencon''' besieged and caused Castles to surrender
* Known for his '''careful preparation'''

=== Securing Backup of the Nobles and Magnates ===

* Many believed it was '''too hazardous and beyond the resources''' of Normandy
* Persuaded them through force of '''personality''' and promise of '''great rewards'''
* Concept of a '''Holy Crusade'''
* Send the '''Norman Case to Alexander II''' by Lanfranc
* Probable that he '''stressed Harold's perjury''' and moral '''corruption of the English Church'''
* Convinced the Pope
* Alexander gave them the '''Papal banner'''
* Attracted support from Norman magnates and knights from outside Normandy

=== Leadership ===

* Proclaimed that he '''"grabbed England with both hands"'''
** '''Raised the spirits''' of his men
* Managed '''logistics''' effectively to sustain his troops, notably his cavalry force
* Moved to Hastings
** '''Large harbour, defensible location''' in the event of a retreat
* William's Plan
** Temp a '''tired Harold into early battle''' to prevent facing the Winter blockaded in the Hastings peninsula
** Ravaged land
** Trap worked
*** '''He chose the time and place of battle''' instead of Harold
* During the Battle
** William warned his men that
*** Retreat was impossible
*** Defeat meant death
*** God was on their side
*** The Pope blessed their crusade
* William had the determination to rally his troops and ordered '''one last assault''' to break the enemy line

== Harold's Mistakes ==

=== Preparation ===

* Harold fell into '''William's trap'''
** William ravaged land to gain Harold's attention and '''make him come to Hastings asap'''
*** So that Harold would have a '''tired and unprepared''' troop
** Possibly the result of a '''personal desire to avenge''' the damage done to his ancestral land
** Harold travelled '''350km down Ermine Street''' after the Battle of Stamford bridge
*** Left his troops exhausted
** The decision to force an early confrontation can be seen as '''reckless''' in the extreme

* Left his '''Archers and Edwin and Morcar''' at Stamford Bridge
* Stopped to pray at '''Walton Abbey''' and wasted time
* Allowed himself to become a '''victim of Norman propaganda'''
** '''Drinking and partying after defeating Tostig'''
** Accoridng to the '''Bayeux Tapestry'''
*** During the '''1064 Campaign to Normandy'''
*** Harold travelled to Normandy
*** '''Swore an oath''' that he would support William’s claim to the English crown
**** If Edward the Confessor die without an heir
*** When Harold enthroned himself
**** William used this to justify his invasion
*** Harold '''allowed himself to become a victim of Norman propaganda'''
*** Did not defend himself against Norman allegations with Alexander II
**** Damaged the morale of Harold's army and helped William recruit men

=== Battle ===

* Had to '''move south under conditions favourable to William''' due to the raiding of the surrounding area
** Waiting would have allowed Harold to assemble an overwhelming army
*** His army was '''already roughly the same size''' as William's army
**** However they were '''underprepared, under strength and tired'''
**** '''Untrained peasants''' were also behind huscarls in the shield war
**** Not the same as William's trained force
* '''Lacked inspiration''' during the battle
** Stuck tactically with the '''shield wall'''
** Just hoping to wait it out
** eventually it broke and Harold lost the war

=== However ===

* It can be argued that Harold '''did not have a choice'''
** If he did not react fast enough William might have kept on ravaging land and the country would still fall to him
** It can also be argued that it was to keep William trapped at Hastings and starve him of supplies or to try the element of surprise

== Other Factors ==

=== Unequal Armies ===

* Although roughly equal in size
* The two armies were unequal in terms of
** '''Type of soldier'''
** '''Time for preparation'''
** '''Professionalism'''
** '''Energy'''
* William had an army with '''heavy cavalry and archers'''
* Fighting on foot '''made it hard for Harold to stop the shield wall''' from breaking up if he needed to 

=== Timing ===

* Lucky to have landed at the time he did while Harold was up north fighting '''Tostig'''
* Edwin and Morcar were unable to fight as they were still in the North
* Harold's fyrd had to demobilise to '''collect harvests''' in early september 1066
** Harold lost a part of his army

=== Retreat of the Breton Division ===

* Caused the '''breakdown of Harold's shield wall'''
* Caused Anglo Saxon forces to be encircled.

=== Halley's comet ===

* Seen as an important '''omen''' of Harold's fate
* Damaged the morale of Harold's army