Battle of Hastings Quiz: Test Your Knowledge of 1066

Study Notes

The Battle of Hastings took place on October 14, 1066.
It was fought between the Norman-French army of William, Duke of Normandy, and the English army under King Harold Godwinson.
The battle was a decisive Norman victory.
The background to the battle was a succession struggle between several claimants to the throne after the death of King Edward the Confessor.
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 and established a beachhead for his conquest of the kingdom.
The exact numbers present at the battle are unknown, but the English army was almost entirely composed of infantry and had few archers, while the invading force had half infantry and half cavalry and archers.
The Normans adopted the tactic of pretending to flee in panic and then turning on their pursuers, leading to Harold's death and the defeat of most of his army.
William was crowned as king on Christmas Day 1066, marking the culmination of his conquest of England.