Research Paper On William I The Conqueror

William I the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy (1028-1087), invaded England and seized the position of king of England from 1066-1087 after winning the Battle of Hastings. His triumphant achievements changed the course of English history which proved his importance and influence in that time. Although there were several controversies concerning his ruling, William the Conqueror’s accomplishments proved he was a devoted and effective leader who instilled fear and respect in the people of his nation.

Primary source 1, the Bayeux Tapestry, the 70-metre embroidered cloth was allegedly sewn by Anglo-Saxon embroiders. It depicts the advancement of Middle Age weapons, warfare, architecture, garments and language at the time of the proceedings of

It was written to keep an orderly, chronological account of English history. Some accounts include short descriptions of the Battle of Hastings. According to one of these descriptions, king Harold ‘fought hard against him [William]’ despite there being ‘heavy casualties’. However, after Harold was killed by William, ‘God granted the victory to the [Normans] because of the sins of the English people’. This quote portrays that William’s courage and determination led him to win the battle and ultimately win over the country. His will to power within himself helped him pursue his objective; rule England and become king. He was willing to sacrifice his life all for more power in the name of his country. He was not satisfied with just being the Duke of Normandy force inside of him urged him to seek for more power. William thought that owning the country would result in him having a greater amount of power. This shows that he would do anything for his country meaning that the state of his country related to his state, effectively making him a beneficial leader. Therefore, William’s nationalistic ideologies and will to power lead him to become a successful

He was William the Conqueror’s personal chaplain before becoming a priest. The book was written in 1073 and is one of the most detailed recollections of the Battle of Hastings to date. The book quotes, ‘[The Duke of Normandy] rapidly constructed ‘a fleet of three thousand ships’. His army consisted of strong horses and courageous men. ‘He set sail’ when the wind blew right and when ‘he landed at Penvesey’, he constructed a castle ‘with a strong rampart [defensive wall]’. When William landed in England and immediately started building a castle, it displayed that William took advantage of his experiences in past wars and knew what to do and when to do it. This expedient approach implanted a strong sense of ease in his soldiers as though they knew that William understood how to execute a strong foundation for the start of the war. All of his past experiences from different wars and the plans he used helped him develop practical wisdom. Learning from past experiences, the strategies he used integrated to help him create or reuse plans leading up to the Battle of Hastings. The resulting judgement of these tasks became a part of his leadership identity. Therefore, William the Conqueror’s pragmatic strategies and planning helped him win the Battle of Hastings, ultimately proving his effectiveness as a