There are three main reasons why the Normans won the Battle of Hastings. The first reason was that King Harold was not ready when the Normans attacked. The secondly, Duke William of Normandy prepared well before the battle. The final reason was that William was exceptionally lucky.
King Harold lost the battle because his army was not prepared. Some of his best fighters died at the Battle of Stamford Bridge and the rest of his army were tired out from the battle and the journey south to meet Duke William’s army. Then when they finally arrived in the South, Duke William attacked before they were properly ready. The English held out for a while, but then the Normans tricked them by pretending to retreat. The English had followed them, leaving their strong position on a hill. In the middle of the battle, Harold died, and his army were weak without him.
There is evidence in the Bayeux Tapestry, which was written after the battle. It shows the details of the Battle, including William’s trick and the English on top of a hill.
Duke William of Normandy won the battle because was well prepared and had a good army. They prepared carefully for the battle. The Normans had knights on horseback who were skilful fighters. William also was skilful and ambitious, and he was determined to be King of England. In the Bayeux Tapestry, it shows William’s army getting ready, embarking huge ships full of wood and supplies such as wine, weapons, and horses. There are also images of the knights in full battle armour riding out to war.
The battle was a success for Duke William of Normandy because he had a considerable amount of good luck. The wind changed, and so the Normans managed to cross the Channel while Harold was still in the north. When they arrived, they made a fortified camp. The Bayeux Tapestry has pictures of William making a speech to his soldiers. William arranged his troops carefully and used them skilfully in battle. But they were losing, so then William decides to make a trick on the English. He made his troops act like they were retreating. King Harold and his army followed them, leaving their strong position on the hill, and that was what made Harold lose. The evidence of this is written in history books everywhere, since it was the main point of the battle really – that William won. Again in the Bayeux Tapestry there is a scene depicting Harold’s army all bunched up at the top of a hill, then another with William taking his helmet off, and of the Normans’ victory.
In conclusion, William defeated Harold because of his luck, and that Harold was unprepared. The most important point in the Battle of Hastings was that William won the battle. He made a last-minute plan during the battle, a plan that resulted in the defeat of the English. And yet what if Harold hadn’t fallen for the trick? Or no Norman knight had doubted the presence of his leader? What if Harold hadn’t been killed?
But what history doesn’t really explain, is that what happened after the famous battle? Where did William go? Where was Harold buried? The answers could be anywhere. But where…?