Battle of Hastings History
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Questions and Answers

Who was crowned king shortly after Edward's death?

  • Harold (correct)
  • William
  • Tostig
  • Harald Hardrada
  • How many Englishmen are estimated to have died at the Battle of Hastings?

  • 1000
  • 1500
  • 2000
  • 4000 (correct)
  • What happened on Christmas Day 1066?

  • Harold was defeated
  • William was crowned king (correct)
  • The Battle of Fulford took place
  • Tostig and Hardrada were defeated
  • Study Notes

    • In January 1066, King Edward the Confessor died and set off a succession struggle between several claimants to his throne.
    • Harold was crowned king shortly after Edwards death, but faced invasions by William, his own brother Tostig, and the Norwegian King Harald Hardrada.
    • Hardrada and Tostig defeated a hastily gathered army of Englishmen at the Battle of Fulford on 20 September 1066, and were in turn defeated by Harold at the Battle of Stamford Bridge five days later.
    • The deaths of Tostig and Hardrada at Stamford Bridge left William as Harolds only serious opponent.
    • While Harold and his forces were recovering, William landed his invasion forces in the south of England at Pevensey on 28 September 1066 and established a beachhead for his conquest of the kingdom.
    • Harold was forced to march south swiftly, gathering forces as he went.
    • The exact numbers present at the battle are unknown as even modern estimates vary considerably.
    • Harold appears to have tried to surprise William, but scouts found his army and reported its arrival to William, who marched from Hastings to the battlefield to confront Harold.
    • The battle lasted from about 9 am to dusk.
    • Early efforts of the invaders to break the English battle lines had little effect.
    • Therefore, the Normans adopted the tactic of pretending to flee in panic and then turning on their pursuers.
    • Harolds death, probably near the end of the battle, led to the retreat and defeat of most of his army.
    • After further marching and some skirmishes, William was crowned as king on Christmas Day 1066.
    • There continued to be rebellions and resistance to Williams rule, but Hastings effectively marked the culmination of Williams conquest of England.
    • Casualty figures are hard to come by, but some historians estimate that 2,000 invaders died along with about twice that number of Englishmen.
    • William founded a monastery at the site of the battle, the high altar of the abbey church supposedly placed at the spot where Harold died.

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    Test your knowledge about the events leading up to and surrounding the Battle of Hastings in 1066, a pivotal moment in English history that saw William the Conqueror's victory over King Harold II.

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