ASSESS THE REASONS FOR WILLIAM'S VICTORY IN THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS 1066 was a year of colossal change for Anglo-Saxon England. The death of heirless Edward the confessor meant a succession crisis- and three power-hungry men lusting for the English throne. After three maniacal battles, William of Normandy brutally murdered Harold Godwinson and ascended the throne, with all the odds against him, thus making luck and underpinning his victory. Though luck was the driving factor, William's meticulous planning gained him advantages against Harold- nine months of devising did show its fruit. First and foremost after nine months of careful preparation and taking every minute detail into account, William ends up struggling immensely with the winds. It has been said that he was waiting at the coast of Normandy for several tedious months. William took a chance and finally set sail. Luck made an appearance and after his men deserting (luckily he was reunited with them) and at the pivotal moments, the winds shifted and finally pushed him to Pevensey. This event was solely based on luck as there's no doubt that September/October weather made it impossible to sail. William's planning made the waiting period useful by gaining the pope's validation. Religion was extremely important in the late medieval period- especially to William. Having the pope's validation meant having God on your side- which was used as motivation for his men to fight. Furthermore, William was exceedingly lucky that Harold and his army were battle weary and exhausted after only just fighting Hardrada and Tostig. The battle of Stamford Bridge took a toll on Harold and his men and they had no chance to even catch their breath because as soon as Harold got word of William's unexpected arrival he raced his army to confront William in Hastings. William arriving was a huge shock to Harold and it can be argued that even though he had wind trouble, that actually provided to be helpful because William landed at a point where Harold was his weakest. This illustrates that Harold was defeated due to his bad luck which in turn was William's good fortune. Another important reason that showcases luck is Harold's mistakes. As soon as William landed in Pevensey, he began to set up a strong base and terrorise local villages in Harold's earldom (Wessex). This most likely angered Harold and made him reckless- ignoring Gyrth's clever tactical plan to lead the army against William and Harold coming afterwards as backup. However, Harold rejected this possibly due to irrepressible anger and headed straight to William. This was quite a stupid move because Harold wasn't forced to fight and this could've saved his kingdom. William's sophisticated style of battle against the old Scandinavian style of the English was an important factor in his victory. William had access to horses- specially bred for battle and this was extremely practical and helped to defeat his enemies. William also planned the battle in a certain format- Archers, infantry and finally cavalry. His attentive nature added