The Rise of the Norman Empire Essay example -- Scandinavian history, Ki

â€Å"Hold the wall!† shouted King Harold II as the Normans began to work their way past the Anglo-Saxon shield wall. The Anglo-Saxon empire reigned over London for its fair share of time before William the Duke of Normandy decided to take it from them. William was the son of Robert I and his wife was Matilda of Flanders. William was of Viking origin and he spoke French. King Harold II was ruler of London after King Harold I died. King Harold II was the last Anglo-Saxon King of England. In the year 1066 a great battle took place that would change the way London lived forever. This battle was called The Battle of Hastings. The battle of Hastings was a very interesting battle, the outcome was not as expected. The Anglo-Saxon people had a very tough defense known as the Saxon Shield wall. This wall was nearly impenetrable because the soldiers would line up and create a wall of shields that made it impossible to break through. The Norman Soldiers also had a major field disadvantage. The area on which they fought was called Senlac Hill. Senlac Hill had a large slope and at the top were the positioned Anglo-Saxon Soldiers. The Normans were at the bottom of the hill and had enough trouble as it is getting up that hill with their heavy chain mail armor, even without the fact that King Harold’s men were at the top pushing them down. At the beginning of the battle William’s forces summed up to about 7,000 and King Harold’s forces numbered to about 6,000. Even though William had the playing field disadvantage he had a few things that King Harold did not. William had cavalry and a much fresher army. When the Battle of Hastings took place King Harold’s men had been marching for days and were very tired, at times they marched all day long to cover... ...nd changed England forever. Many changes were brought from William the Conqueror and the Battle of Hastings can be linked to things that happen in England's history as well. Works Cited "The Battle of Hastings." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. Barrow, Mandy. "Battle of Hastings." What Happened at the ? Woodlands Junior School, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. Trueman, Chris. "Battle of Hastings 1066." Battle of Hastings 1066. History Learning Site, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. "Battle of Hastings." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. James. "The Bayeux Tapestry: Facts and Information." Interesting Information for Kids, Pupils, Parents and Teachers. Primary Facts, 1 Mar. 2013. Web. 01 May 2014 "Battle of Hastings." Battle of Hastings. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 May 2014. "Welcome." Battle of Hastings. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014