Are You a Battle of Hastings Expert?

Study Notes

The Battle of Hastings was fought in 1066 between the Norman-French army of William and the English army under Harold Godwinson.
It took place near the present-day town of Battle, East Sussex and was a decisive Norman victory.
The background to the battle was the death of King Edward the Confessor, which set up a succession struggle.
Harold faced invasions by William, his own brother Tostig, and the Norwegian King Harald Hardrada.
Tostig and Hardrada were defeated by Harold at the Battle of Stamford Bridge, leaving William as his only serious opponent.
William landed his invasion forces in the south of England at Pevensey and established a beachhead for his conquest of the kingdom.
The exact numbers present at the battle are unknown, but the English army was composed almost entirely of infantry and had few archers, whereas only about half of the invading force was infantry, the rest split equally between cavalry and archers.
The battle lasted from about 9 am to dusk, and the Normans adopted the tactic of pretending to flee in panic and then turning on their pursuers.
Harolds death led to the retreat and defeat of most of his army.
William was crowned as king on Christmas Day 1066, effectively marking the culmination of his conquest of England.