Why Did Harold Lose The Battle Of Hastings?

1399 Words6 Pages
The events surrounding the Battle of Hastings and the actual battle itself are well documented - but there are many misconceptions about the events! What claim did Duke William of Normandy have on the throne of England? Why did King Harold lose the Battle of Hastings? Was he a bad leader? Did he just have some bad luck? Was he betrayed? And where did the Vikings fit into the story of the Battle of Hastings? It may come as a surprise that Duke William the Bastard and the Norman contingent believed that their quest to gain the English throne was a Holy War. Pope Alexander II had given his Holy Blessing to the venture and it therefore received the same level of importance as a Holy Crusade against the Infidels! The appearance of Haley's comet in April 1066 was interpreted in different ways by each faction. William was furious with…show more content…
There had been a defeat at York. The Viking forces were even greater than those expected from the Normans. Harold had no alternative but to move his army to defend his Kingdom from the Vikings. He force-marched his Army to the North of England, this destroyed King Harold's plans to deal with Duke William's invading force from Normandy. The possibility of an attack from King Harald Hardrada had been totally eclipsed by the gathering invasion force of Duke William. The Norse attack was larger and more fierce than could ever have been expected, possibly the largest fleet to ever sail from the Scandinavian ports. The battle which followed, fought adjacent to Stamford Bridge, was desperate and long. The Battle of Stamford Bridge in Yorkshire on the 25th of September 1066 was so decisive that only 25 ships returned to Norway form the original fleet of over 300. As a result of this crushing defeat Norway ceased to be able to raise an effective military force for the next 25
Open Document