Normans the great conquerors

in #history5 years ago


Reasons for expansion

At the end of the 7th century, Scandinavians began to feel a serious shortage of cultivated land. As a result of global warming and the rapid development of agricultural techniques, the population of Scandinavia grew rapidly. Scandinavians began to feel the severe effects of overpopulation, threatening even with hunger. The warriors of the North envied the vast lands of England, Scotland, and France, where, despite their potential, there were either no strong unified kingdoms yet, or there was a crisis in existing state structures. In addition, harassed by the attacks of the Franks, citizens were forced to constantly improve their defense techniques. Willingness to take revenge on the invaders and the apparent weakness of the neighbors caused that already in the 8th century the Normans took the initiative and became the greatest power in the waters of than Europe.

First attacks

The first Viking attack in European historiography took place in Lindisfarne on the English coast in 793. The Normans had a great advantage over their enemies, thanks to the great mobility that their boats called drakkars gave them and a compact formation called a wall of shields. They used one-handed swords, axes, spears and round wooden shields with metal-coated sides. The main strength of the Vikings was infantry, and the cavalry was rarely used. During sea battles, the sides of ships were tied up and boarding began. They fought until the crew of one ship was not completely defeated. This claimed many more victims than land battles. Initially, Norman expeditions did not go beyond the North Sea and Scottish islands, but over time the invaders from the North began to expand their expansion. Around the year 800, they landed in the Faroe Islands, which they later colonized.

 

The beginnings of expansion

Over the years, the Viking gangs have grown into large fleets and their range has increased. Some groups, sailing around the Iberian Peninsula, entered the Mediterranean Sea, where they plundered the coasts of southern Gaul and Italy. Other groups, on their way to the east, penetrated routes and areas along the rivers Daugavpils and Volhov and the Dnieper to the Black Sea, where they plundered the coastal cities of the Byzantine Empire. The Volga flowed as far as the Caspian Sea. Norman culture was much more developed than the neighboring Slavs. Probably it was Viking Ruryk who gave rise to the existence of the Russian state, and according to some historians also the Polish state. The Vikings grew rich not only through looting but also through trade. From their expeditions to the Slavs, these warriors brought slaves, which they sold or used in fortification works. They began to trade favorably with the Arabs, to whom they supplied fur and hostages in exchange for silver. The Normans' expeditions also reached the New World. In 874 they arrived in Iceland, which greatly facilitated the expeditions to the west. The next century brought the Normans the discovery of Greenland (ca. 982) and America (Labrador Peninsula and Newfoundland, ca. 1000), where they also established their settlements, but the fight against the natives and internal quarrels soon caused the abandonment of villages in the New World.

Normans in Normandy

Already from around 830 present French lands were constantly invaded by Normans from Scandinavia. However, with the elapse of time the Vikings began to replace dandruff invasions with conquest and colonization of northern France. In order to stop the continuous looting, West French King Charles III Prostak concluded a treaty with the Norman leader Rollon in 911 in Saint-Clair-sur-Ept, by virtue of which the Rollon received the lands in the west of the Seine mouth, with the central point of the new creation in Rouen. In return, the Rollon became the king's sloth and had to be baptized. Since then, the Normans became part of Western European knighthood. They became famous for their excellent armaments of a very developed fleet. The legal granting of land allowed the descendants of the Vikings to carry out further conquests and expand their territory. Charles Prostar's successor, Rudolf I, gave Rollon in 924 to Bassin, Le Mans, L'Huernin and Bayeux. His son Wilhelm joined the Avranchin power, as well as the Cotentin peninsula. The Normans regularly engaged in dynastic conflicts between French kings. With a strong army, they were a very desirable ally. Richard I, the Fearless, was unequivocally in favor of the Robertines in a dispute over the royal crown. Robert, I received a Vexin award for the support of King Henry I in the fight against his mother and brother.

 

The crisis of princely power

After the death of Robert I, his juvenile son Wilhelm was unable to prevent the disintegration of the principality. More and more feudal ignored the sovereignty of the duke in their own policy. In order to retain power, Wilhelm went to King Henry I for help. He regained it thanks to his victory in the Battle of the Dune Valley in the summer of 1047. Wilhelm and the king fought against Duke Andegavenia Godfred, as a result of which Maine was annexed to Normandy. The King was concerned about the sudden rise of William's power. Henry, I broke the covenant and together with Godfred they invaded Normandy twice. Wilhelm defended his power by defeating the enemy at Mortimer and Viraville. Despite the success of the Normans, the war continued until Henry I's death. When Philip I sat on the throne, Wilhelm no longer had to fear aggression from Paris, because Philip's guardian became Baldwin V, who was Wilhelm's father-in-law. The calm prince paid tribute to Maine and Ponthieu and attempted to occupy all of Vexin. He also waged a war with Brittany, which ended only after the death of Prince Konan II.

Conquest of England

Wilhelm claimed the right to the throne of England, citing the promise of succession, which was given to him by King Edward the Confessor. Possible Anglo-Saxons, however, did not want Wilhelm's reign, choosing Harold Godwinson as the throne. There is a hypothesis that Harold had already arrived in Wilhelm before the coronation, promising him support in his efforts for the throne. The angry Wilhelm even wrote a message to Pope Alexander II in which he accused Godwinson of perjury. With the support of the influential Cardinal Hildebrand, he succeeded. Harald was cursed and Wilhelm received confirmation from Emperor Henry IV and an assurance of the neutrality of King Philip I of France. Thanks to the support of his vassals, he was able to prepare the expedition. The Prince began the large-scale construction of a fleet to transport his army across the English Channel. It is estimated that the fleet consisted of some 696 ships, which were to carry some 7,000 people. At night from 27 to 28 September 1066, William's army set off to conquer England. Meanwhile, it turned out that another contender for the throne, the Norwegian king Harald III the Raw landed in the north of the country. The English king set off against the invaders, which he defeated at Stamford Bridge on 25 September. Harold destroyed the Norwegian army, but when the army rested after the victory, the camp spread the news of Wilhelm's landing in Pevensey. The battle between Harold's and William's troops took place on 14 October 1066. Despite the fact that at first the scale of victory was tilted to the English side, Wilhelm won and King Harold himself died in the battle. England stood in front of the Normans through an opening. The English magnates on the news of the successes of the Normans gradually switched to their side, until finally on December 25th Wilhelm was crowned king of England.

The Normans in Italy

Unlike the conquest of England, the expeditions of the Normans to Italy or Sicily were the result of private undertakings of the Norman knights. As a result of the expeditions, most of them gained fief, conquered principalities, and the son of one of them became the king. In 1059, the son of the Norman knight Robert Guiscard made a covenant with Pope Nicholas II and proclaimed himself a vassal, for which he received the title of the prince with the investment of Apulia, Calabria, and Sicily. In the following years, he won Reggio and Brindisi and Bari, the capital of Byzantine Italy. The wars waged by Robert led to the complete suppression of Byzantium from Italy. The Normans controlled via Egnatia, the route to Constantinople. At the same time, his brother Roger conquered Sicily, which fell into the hands of the Normans after conquering Palermo. Roger proclaimed himself a vassal of Robert. In 1085 he captured Syracuse, and in 1090 he captured Malta. A year later he ended the conquest of the whole of Sicily, where the Normans managed to survive. The son of Roger I - Roger II, thanks to his policy, even obtained the support of the anti-pope Analect II and in 1130 he was crowned the first king of Sicily.

Crusade

After the death of William the Conqueror, his power was divided between the sons of Robert II, called Short-term, who became Prince of Normandy, and William II, who received England. After his son-in-law in Clermont, Robert II got married and started preparing for the Crusade, but the crusades were facing serious financial problems. Robert's treasure was empty, and the prince often did not even have enough money for clothes. However, the lack of funds was prevented thanks to a loan granted to him under Normandy's pledge by his brother Wilhelm. After reaching Constantinople, Robert walked the entire route of the First Crusade, which ended with the Battle of Askalon and the conquest of Jerusalem. Another Norman ruler, Boemund I, son of Robert Guiscard, also ruled over Antioch, which became the most powerful of the Latin states in the Holy Land.

The consequences of the Normandy conquests

Once Normandy was taken over by the descendants of the Vikings, there was no longer any doubt that the Normans would become an integral part of Western European knighthood. Thanks to their expeditions they not only plundered other countries but also developed trade and encouraged other nations to travel by sea. Their reign in England survived until the 12th century, as in Italy and Sicily. Many descendants of the Vikings still live in Great Britain, Italy, and France. Norman sailors broadened their knowledge of the world and they are credited with bringing Arabic technical and scientific achievements to Europe. The Normans also influenced the success of the first knights' crusade, where they became famous as brave soldiers. They colonized the islands of the North Sea and Iceland, and also contributed to the creation of, among other things, Russian culture.

Bibliography :

  1. Brown A. R., Historia Normanów, Gdańsk 1996.
  2. Foote D. G., Wilson D. M., Wikingowie, Warszawa 1975.
  3. Leciejewicz L., Normanowie, Wrocław 1979.
  4. Photography:https://pixabay.com/pl/wikingowie-statek-%C5%BCaglowiec-%C5%82%C3%B3d%C5%BA-293960/


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