To answer the question “Why did William win the Battle of Hastings” will require me to look specifically at these three main areas of importance; William’s strengths and tactics, Harold’s Weaknesses and of how luck played a part in helping William and the Normans.

If we were to look at William’s strengths, and the tactics he used, then we should first consider his reason and motivation for wanting to lead his knights on a dangerous journey across the English Channel. William claimed that Edward the Confessor had promised him the throne, and Harold had sworn to back him. Evidence from Ordericus Vitalis Ecclesiastical, History of England and Normandy, 1135, suggests the importance that William placed on the holy relics which Harold had sworn on, as he hung them from his neck after he heard mass.

William was an experienced commander who was ambitious and determined to be king of England. He had knights on horseback who were skillful fighters, and he also had intelligence on the movements of Harold’s approach. The Normans were well prepared and had a good selection of military weapons as shown by the Bayeux Tapestry 11th century, which includes knights on horseback with javelins, swords, shields and axes. However, the most significant advantage that the Normans had over the English was archers and heavily armed cavalry as stated by Sir John Edward Lloyd, Early History of the British Nations, 1939. This would have been a critically important aspect of William being able to win the battle considering they had to fight uphill against the English. Furthermore, William of Poitiers, chronicler to William, and who would be a good source of primary evidence, tells us that as the Normans retreated, and the English gave chase believing that William was dead and assumed they were winning. On the contrary, what this actually did was weakened Harolds position and allowed William, who was still alive, to lead his knights behind the English and surround them. The Normans were...