The following is a description of how the English and Norman armies prepared for the Battle of Hastings, as told by the chronicler William of Malmesbury. "The English passed the night drinking and singing, without sleep, before, in the morning, proceeding against the enemy without delay. All on foot, they were armed with battle axes and covered themselves in front by the juncture of their shields. This formed an impenetrable wall which would have secured their safety had not the Normans induced them to open their ranks by a feigned retreat. On the Norman side, they passed the night before the battle confessing their sins and receiving communion. The infantry formed the Norman vanguard while their cavalry was divided and placed in the rear. The Duke declared aloud that God would favour his side." As William implied, the battle may well have gone the way of the English had part of their army not broken their ranks in order to pursue the Normans who they perceived to be fleeing the battlefield. It seems likely that the Norman retreat was a plan formed by Duke William, perhaps with a bit of desperation, in order to break the stubborn and united English army. Feigned retreat or not, the Normans who were "fleeing" the battle doubled back and massacred those who were pursuing them and it was at this phase of the Battle of Hastings that the course of English history changed forever.
4.Battle of Edington 878
In 878, Alfred The Great triumphed over the Vikings at the Battle of Edington. The Vikings were led by a man named Guthrum who was king of East Anglia. After his defeat, Guthrum converted to Christianity. During the battle, the Anglo Saxons marched forwards in a tight knit group with their shields forming a solid protective barrier which proved effective in holding off the Viking attacks. Alfred's men, after repelling wave after wave of Viking onslaughts, then began to take control of the battle as they began to cut down many of the Viking warriors. Seeing the battle was going against them, the Vikings began to retreat. Alfred pursued them and this led to a fortnight long siege which ended with the Vikings desperately seeking for mercy and handing over hostages to Alfred as part of the agreement and, to seal the deal, Guthrum converted to Christianity.
3.Battle of Tinchebray 1106
The Battle of Tinchebray, fought in 1106, was a decisive victory for king Henry I of England over his brother Robert Curthose as Henry seized control of Robert's Duchy of Normandy. Henry, Robert and their brother William were sons of William The Conqueror who passed on the crown of England to William, the third born son who became king William II. Robert, the first born son (a fourth son of The Conqueror died young in 1070) only received Normandy as his inheritance due to the deeply troubled relationship he had with his father and Henry only received money, albeit a substantial sum. However, circumstances would change and William II died in 1100 in a mysterious hunting "accident". With Robert still to return to the west after the first crusade, this presented Henry with a golden opportunity and he became king of England. However, Henry would not be satisfied with that. He wanted Normandy. Having persuaded the pope of Robert's misrule over Normandy, Henry had legitimised his cause and at Tinchebray, he took his chance. The numbers killed in the battle were relatively low but the key moment came when Robert was captured in the midst of the fighting which gave Henry the victory. Robert would remain Henry's prisoner for the rest of his long life. He died only a year before his youngest brother in 1134, aged in his early eighties. For Henry, this was a complete triumph for a man whose inheritance from his father had looked relatively unpromising.
2.Battle of Bannockburn 1314
In 1314, at the Battle of Bannockburn, England and ,in particular, king Edward II suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Robert The Bruce and his Scottish army. The following is an extract taken from the Life of Edward II describing the English retreat; "Thus, while our people fled following in our king's footsteps, lo! A certain ditch entrapped many of them and a great many of our army perished in it. The king came to the castle thinking to find refuge there, was repulsed by those inside as if he were the enemy. The drawbridge was raised and the gate closed." The retreat had proved to be as farcical as the battle itself for the English. The English army had heavily outnumbered the Scots but this had made very little difference as the English suffered catastrophic losses with the Scots comparatively unscathed. Ultimately, Edward II would lose his throne in 1327, mainly due to his excessive favouritism of people like Piers Gaveston and then, in his final years, the Despensers who only had their interests in mind when it came to their relationship with the king. However, even though it was some years prior to the deposition, the military disaster at Bannockburn did nothing for Edward's reputation and can be viewed as a contributing factor towards his final fate.
1.Battle of Crecy 1346
Edward The Black Prince was born in 1330, the eldest son of King Edward III. His nickname is either derived from a suit of armour he wore or from the reputation he gained later in life for being a ruthless warrior who was capable of being particularly brutal, most notably evidenced by his sack of the town of Limoges which had surrendered to the French. Much earlier in his career, when he was just 16, The Black Prince established himself as a brilliant warrior at the Battle of Crecy. At one point in the battle it looked like the young Prince was in danger of being overwhelmed and potentially killed or captured. Concerns grew among the English army and a message was brought to Edward III regarding the plight of his son. Even though the king was urged to send reinforcements to help The Black Prince, he told the messenger that he instead trusted the Prince to "earn his spurs" and this he did. The young Edward fought outstandingly well, far beyond the capability of many men much older then he, and Crecy proved a remarkable triumph for both him, Edward III and England.
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