1
1 mark
What date did the Battle of Gate Fulford take place?
14th October 1066.
25th September 1066.
20th September 1066.
18th October 1066.
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The Battles of 1066 (Edexcel GCSE History): Exam Questions
Exam code: 1HI0
20 mins20 questions
2
1 mark
Who were the leaders of the English forces at the Battle of Gate Fulford?
Edwin and Morcar.
Harold Godwinson and Tostig Godwinson.
Harald Hardrada and Tostig Godwinson.
William and Bishop Odo.
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3
1 mark
When did the Battle of Stamford Bridge occur?
20th September 1066.
25th September 1066.
14th October 1066.
12th September 1066.
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4
1 mark
What key mistake did Harold make before the Battle of Hastings?
He waited for reinforcements.
He decided to fortify London.
He launched an immediate attack without resting his army.
He used a feigned retreat.
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5
1 mark
Which military tactic did the English Army use at the Battle of Hastings?
The shield wall.
The cavalry charge.
'Couched' the lance.
The feigned retreat.
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6
1 mark
What tactic did William’s forces use to break the shield wall?
The feigned retreat.
A pike formation.
An ambush.
‘Couched’ the lance.
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7
1 mark
Why was the shield wall less effective for Harold Godwinson’s army at Hastings?
The English lacked enough soldiers to make the shield wall work.
The English troops were ill-disciplined and chased after Normans.
It was not completed by the time that the battle started. The gaps in the wall made it easier for William to attack.
Harold’s troops had too many archers. This meant that there were not enough soldiers with shields to form an effective wall.
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8
1 mark
How did luck impact William’s victory at the Battle of Hastings?
The Bayeux Tapestry shows Harold being killed by an arrow to the neck. Without Harold's leadership, the Anglo-Saxon forces collapsed.
Edgar the Aethling launched his attack in September, the same time that Harold disbanded the southern fyrd. This drew Harold away from the south coast, allowing William to invade.
William took a massive risk to attempt to cross the English Channel in winter. William's army could have died in the storm.
William benefitted from Harold Godwinson’s heavy casualty numbers at the Battle of Stamford Bridge. William’s army heavily outnumbered Harold’s.
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9
1 mark
How did William’s leadership help him to win the Battle of Hastings?
Harold expected William to invade in the summer of 1066. William waited until Harold disbanded the northern fyrd before he invaded.
The Normans built flat-bottomed boats designed for their catapults. No other leader had attempted to transport catapults across the sea.
William's army landed in Morecambe Bay. This was the ideal location for an invasion force to use.
William effectively managed his army. During the long wait to cross the English Channel, William insisted that the army could not steal food from civilians around them.
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10
1 mark
How did William’s tactics help him to win the Battle of Hastings?
The archers stood closer to Harold's army after the collapse of the shield wall. This gave the archer a better angle to fire up the hill.
When the shield wall weakened, the housecarls became very effective in destroying the whole shield wall.
The Normans 'vouched' the lance. This was a technique for holding the lance in a way that allowed for maximum force.
The ‘pained retreat’ was very effective. Pretending to flee caused sections of Harold's general fyrd to lose their discipline, breaking the shield wall.
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1
1 mark
What was the outcome of the Battle of Gate Fulford?
A decisive victory for Harold.
A draw between the armies.
A defeat for the English forces.
Tostig was killed.
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2
1 mark
What was the main reason for Harold Godwinson’s victory at Stamford Bridge?
Many of the Vikings were stuck in marshland.
Harold Godwinson had the element of surprise.
The Vikings rebelled against Harald Hardrada.
Harold Godwinson used his cavalry more effectively.
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3
1 mark
What was a significant consequence of Harold Godwinson’s victory at Stamford Bridge?
It eliminated Tostig, a major threat to his throne.
It strengthened William’s claim.
It caused Harold to retreat to London.
It made it less likely for Harold to win the Battle of Hastings.
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4
1 mark
How did the Battle of Stamford Bridge affect the Battle of Hastings?
It gave Harold more time to prepare.
It exhausted Harold’s forces.
It allowed William to gain allies.
It resulted in William's forces being reduced.
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5
1 mark
What was a consequence of the Battle of Hastings?
William, Duke of Normandy was killed.
Morcar was killed.
Edgar the Aethling was killed.
Harold Godwinson was killed.
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1
1 mark
Why did Harold disband the southern fyrd before William’s invasion?
He thought William would attack from the North.
He believed that it was too late in the year for William to make the crossing of the English Channel.
He received intelligence about Hardrada’s army arriving in the West. He needed to use the southern fyrd to combat this.
The fyrd was needed to defend York.
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2
1 mark
Why did Hardrada win at the Battle of Gate Fulford?
Hardrada had a stronger battle strategy. He used the shield wall to great effect.
Edwin and Morcar had better-trained soldiers such as housecarls but Hardrada had more soldiers.
Hardrada predicted that Edwin would charge at Tostig's forces Hardrada had purposefully placed his weaker soldiers with Tostig.
Edwin and Morcar assembled their troops by marshland. This meant that their forces struggled to retreat and were killed easily by Hardrada’s army.
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3
1 mark
Why was the Battle of Stamford Bridge significant?
It ended the Viking threat to England.
It marked the start of Hardrada's invasion.
It secured the loyalty of the northern earls.
It resulted in the death of Harold Godwinson.
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4
1 mark
Why was Harold’s decision to fight at Hastings rather than waiting in London a mistake?
He had fewer soldiers. Defending London would have been easier than fighting in open battle, given the lack of soldiers.
His forces were not well-trained. Defending London did not require as sophisticated military tactics, meaning that victory would have been easier.
He underestimated William’s tactics. Fighting in London would have prevented William from claiming Senlac Hill, having the upper ground in the battle.
He lost the advantage of defending a fortified position, given how tired his army was after the Battle of Stamford Bridge.
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5
1 mark
What impact did the Battle of Hastings have on William’s claim to the English throne?
It weakened his claim. No Anglo-Saxon would support William’s claim after the Battle of Hastings.
It removed the strongest claimant to the English throne. This made it easier for William to take up his claim as the King of England.
It consolidated his power in England. After Hastings, there would be no opposition to William becoming the King of England.
It weakened his claim as it increased the Norman opposition. William was supposed to lead Normandy, not England.
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