a claimant is a person who declares their belief that something belongs to them or that they have a right to it

a succession crisis occurs when there is no clear heir to a position

a mercenary is a soldier who fights for any country or group that pays them

legitimacy means that something can be proved to be right by law or according to customs

in Anglo-Saxon England, an aethling was a prince of royal blood

Claimants to the throne in 1066

History

In this unit, pupils learnt about about about how the succession crisis of 1066 would lead to Norman rule. In ‘Anglo-Saxon and Norman England: how did Anglo-Saxons resist Norman rule?’, pupils will learn how Anglo Saxon communities responded to Norman rule.

In ‘Anglo-Saxon and Norman England: who had power in Anglo-Saxon England?’, pupils learnt about government and social structures in Anglo-Saxon England. In this unit, pupils will learn about about how the succession crisis of 1066 would lead to Norman rule.

Anglo-Saxon and Norman England: why did the Normans conquer England in 1066?

the fyrd was an army which consisted of part-time soldiers called up by thegns and earls when ordered by the king

a fleet is a group of ships, or all of the ships in a country's navy

casualties are the people injured or killed in a war or in a specific battle

a hostage is someone who is taken as a prisoner by an enemy in order to force the other people involved to do what the enemy wants

The battles of Gate Fulford and Stamford Bridge

the Anglo-Saxon fyrd was an army made up of mostly untrained conscripts from England’s peasant population

the housecarl was an elite unit of the Anglo-Saxon army: a well-trained and well-equipped soldier

the knight was the elite unit of the Norman army: a soldier who fought on horseback, riding a specially-trained war horse

a shield wall is a military tactic where soldiers stood in a long line overlapping their shields to form a wall of shields

a feigned retreat is when soldiers pretend to retreat in order to lure the enemy into a more vulnerable position

The Battle of Hastings

a turning point is the time at which a situation starts to change in an important way

the term logistically is used to describe the effective organisation of a complicated activity or event

being strategic is doing things which help to achieve a wider plan, for example, in war or politics

a tactic is a planned way of doing something, or a specific action intended to achieve a wider strategy/plan

Anglo-Saxon and Norman England: why did the Normans conquer England in 1066?

Choose a lesson (4)

These lessons will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.