What impact did the Normandy invasion have on Britain?

The Normans (Norsemen or Northmen) were Germans who carried out predatory and commercial expeditions to various countries on the European continent from their original places such as Jutland and Scandinavia in Northern Europe from the 8th to the 11th century. people. Among them, the Normans who settled in the British Isles, Western Europe, southern Europe and other places were quickly assimilated by the local residents, while the Normans who established a principality in northwest France accepted French, Christianity, and the French political system, and in 1066 England established the Kingdom of Normandy and the Kingdom of Sicily in southern Italy. The Normans were also called "Vikings".

Red is the place conquered by the Normans

The Normans designated the Vikings and their descendants who lived in northern France (or the Kingdom of the Franks). The Normans established the Principality of Normandy, sent troops to expedition to southern Italy, Sicily, England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, and immigrated and colonized these areas.

Not long after the Anglo-Saxons finally settled down in Britain after hundreds of years of hard fighting, they faced another invasion from another nation. This time the invaders were the Normans. The Normans (meaning northerners) are a branch of the Germans, also known as the Vikings. They refer to the Norwegians, Swedes and Danes living in Scandinavia and the Medland Peninsula. . The area where the Normans lived was densely forested and arable land was sparse. They were good at shipbuilding and navigation. They were an enterprising nation with an adventurous spirit. As the population continued to grow, local products could no longer feed them, so the Normans had to expand from the 8th to 9th centuries. Their expansion reached a climax in the 9th to 11th centuries, and was still influential in the 13th and 14th centuries. During this period, the Norman expansion method also changed from robbery to colonization.

The expansion of the Normans was divided into three routes, and the middle line was mainly Danish. In 789 AD, the Danes invaded Britain for the first time. The rich harvest made the Normans remember this place, and they continued to invade Britain in the future. In 851, they spent the winter in England for the first time and established the "Danish Dominion" in northeastern England.

At the beginning of the 9th century, the King of Wessex annexed the six countries and unified the whole of England, but he was helpless against the Danes. In 879, King Alfred of England (reigned 871-899) defeated the Danes and concluded a peace treaty with them. The peace treaty stipulates that the line extending northwest from London to Chess is the boundary. The north and northeast are ruled by the Danes. The Danish rulers charge "Danish gold" from the local area, and the south still belongs to England.

At that time, the Principality of Normandy was already the most powerful prince in France. William I (reigned 1027-1087, 1066-1087) ascended the throne in 1035. Because he was only 8 years old at the time, civil strife continued in the principality. In 1047, he received help from King Henry I of France to put down the rebellion and establish his authority. In 1053, he married Matilda, the daughter of Baldwin V, Earl of Flanders, thus forming an alliance between the Principality of Normandy and the richest region in Europe. In 1063, he conquered Maine and later controlled Britannia. Tani's power has grown greatly, and his ambition has returned to the level of his ancestors. According to his claim, Edward had promised to pass the throne to him. In 1064, Harold was shipwrecked in the English Channel. He was captured by the Earl of Pontius and sent to Normandy. In order to return to England, Harold was forced to swear an oath to him to support his claim to the British throne. Duke William, who thought he had the upper hand in feudal customary law and public opinion, began to assemble an army aggressively and gained support from the Pope and the kings of France, Germany, and Denmark. In the summer of 1066, everything was ready and I just set out.

After receiving the news, Harold hurriedly gathered his army to prepare for the battle. His army was a civilian army with very simple equipment. There were also stone ax wielders in the army. At this time, his brother Taustig, with the support of King Harald Hardrada of Norway, led an army to land in Yorkshire with the purpose of competing with him for the throne. On September 25, 1066, the two armies fought fiercely at Stamford Bridge. Harold's army was victorious, and the King of Norway and Taustig were killed. While Harold was celebrating his victory, William led his army to land at Bowen West on September 28, and Harold hurriedly led his army back south.

At this time, Harold's army had just fought a battle and was already very exhausted. Edwin, the two great feudal lords in the north, and Earl of Morcar refused to support him for selfish reasons. Logically speaking, Harold could not confront William immediately. As long as he used the popular sentiment in southern England to his advantage and exhausted William's army, he would have a sure chance of victory, but Harold's impatience made him unwilling to wait.

On October 14, the two sides fought decisively at Hastings. William's army was divided into three groups. On the left were the Britons commanded by Arnan, Count of Brittany. On the right were the mercenaries commanded by Ostes of Brogen. In the center were the Normans led by William, under the banner of the Pope's "God of God". Flag", with a total strength of 12,000, and Harold's strength of 6,300. In the battle, Harold was more brave than strategist. He had defeated William's army's attacks several times in the early stages of the battle and had the upper hand. However, he was tempted by William's army to feign retreat and left the favorable terrain, and was attacked by William's cavalry. The result of the assault was William's victory and Harold's death.

On December 25, William ascended the throne in London and was called William I. This was the "Norman Conquest". After that, the Anglo-Saxons in Britain launched a long-term armed struggle against the Norman rule, but all failed. The two great feudal lords Edwin and Earl of Morcar who had ignored the overall situation were also eliminated. In 1072 William conquered all of England. He established feudal manors across the country and turned free peasants into serfs, quickly completing the feudalization process in Britain.

In addition to retaining the territories of the Anglo-Saxon knights, William I was deprived of the territories of other nobles. He arbitrarily enfeoffed the subordinates who fought with him. Because the land enfeoffment was carried out along with the war, it was quite scattered. The various vassals could not form a unified local force to oppose the king, which inadvertently strengthened the king's power. William I himself occupied one-seventh of the country's arable land and most of the forests, which formed a strong material basis for the royal power. He also placed religious power under the royal power. In 1086, he ordered a land survey across the country and compiled the "Land Tax Survey Book". Because the survey method was similar to a trial, it was also called the "Domesday Book". His move was to understand the population of the country. and land conditions, so that no tricks can be taken when citizens assume feudal obligations and tax obligations. A large number of free farmers became serfs during this survey because many free farmers were registered as serfs at the time of the survey.