Ten Minute English and British History #08 - 1066 and the Norman Conquest

This episode covers the reign of Edward the Confessor including his problematic nobility and close links with Normandy. The main event is of course 1066 and the Norman Conquest, including the attempt by Harold Hardrada and the Norwegians who were defeated at the Battle of Stamford Bridge. The rest of the episode is devoted to William’s reign and the massive changes which occurred afterwards.

Recommended Books:

Ten Minute English and British History is a series of short, ten minute animated narrative documentaries that are designed as revision refreshers or simple introductions to a topic. Please note that these are not meant to be comprehensive and there's a lot of stuff I couldn't fit into the episodes that I would have liked to. Thank you for watching, though, it's always appreciated.

[MrBristolian]

"William didn't want to be seen as a Conqueror"

Well that went well

[RossLinderman]

I remember a history professor telling our class that he wouldn't expect us to remember any dates and years other than a certain three. One was 1066 and I've forgotten the other two.

[Threeezzz]

“The one with the most arson.”
Didn’t know I could love a phrase so much.

[GoblinFromOblivion]

William: I am French! Why do you think I have this outrageous accent?
Harold: What are you doing in England?
William: *Mind your own business!*

[sidneywoolf-hoyle]

To be fair 1066 is probably one of the most important and defining events in not just British, but *world* history. Anglo-French Relations until 1815 were one of the greatest driving forces in international European politics, and the path England ended up going down after the Norman Conquest would bring about everything from the USA to Richard the Lionheart to the existence of an Indian National Identity to the rise and fall of great Chinese dynasties. Had Harold won at Hastings, the world would not just be different but unrecognisable.

[HistoryMatters]

Today we say goodbye to the Anglo-Saxons and hello to the High Medieval Period.

From now on there will be considerably more France in the series.

[MatthewSchooley]

"I used to be king of England. Then I took an arrow in the eye."
-Harold Godwinson, maybe

[korakys]

No panegyric to mortal departure was ever so satisfying in its simplicity as the "death thud" of Ten Minutes History.

[Wanderer]

Incredible that Harlod force marched all the way up to York, beat the Viking army there then forced marched all the way back down to Hastings and almost beat the Normans.

[Bastogne]

Edward needs to stop promising the throne to others, ffs.

[joshuawood]

5:28 "you throwin too many big words at me, because I don't understand em I'ma take em as disrespect"

[frankie]

1066: ruling elite dislikes the English
2019: same

[nikolacukovic]

When you think everything will be fine but the next episode is calles '' The Anarchy ''

[Argenswiss]

the story of 1066 and William the conqueror has been tattooed in my brain since I studied it in primary school for my English history class in Buenos Aires, was already into Egypt and greek mythology but this got me properly into history in general and sparked a passion in me to actually pay attention in English classes

[KingGeorgeV]

Still waiting for “the age of reform” episode. BRING THIS SERIES BACK PLEASE!

[jordancrago]

These videos are absolutely brilliant. Charming animations, dry humour, death thumps, and English history all interwoven into one great series. My proverbial hat is off to you :-)

[youtubeadministration]

1066: very important event for England
966: very important event for Poland

Any other ideas?

[mikeg]

One of my favorite historical ironies is that one of William’s 3 armies was from Brittany. For those who don’t know, Brittany was settled by Brythonic refugees from the Anglo-Saxon Conquest 600 years earlier. Some of the barons who conquered England actually had Brythonic (i.e. like Welsh) names.

[derschneemann]

"It's over William, I have the high ground!"

[cosmicwakes]

The peasant revolts must have been the greatest concern for the nobility seeing as the castle was used primarily as a defence against the emerging peasant class and slavery as an institution was no longer a viable economic system for the nascent feudal system.