History is littered with great philosophical thinkers, scientists, and theologians. These men contributed to advancing the world, as yearners for knowledge and truth. However, history tends to remember them in second place, giving the true seats of glory to famed men of war and blood brokers. Like Hannibal, Alexander the Great, Napoleon Bonaparte, Julius Caesar, and Genghis Khan, William of Normandy—otherwise known as William the Conqueror—is no exception.
Before delving into William’s tale, a little backstory is relevant. The seven English kingdoms were consolidated into four: Northumbria, Mercia, East Anglia, and Wessex. The Danish Vikings raided in the seventh century, wreaking havoc on Europe. However, salvation came through the hands of Alfred the Great (r. AD 871-899), the king of Wessex. Unlike his colleague monarchs in other kingdoms, he built a navy to combat the Vikings. It worked. Almost overnight, Wessex went from being the underdog in England to dominating the entire nation. Alfred made a treaty with the Vikings, giving them Danelaw. It was an area where they could operate independently from the English, in exchange for peace. By AD 878, the Vikings agreed.
By AD 911, Charles the Simple formed Normandy and gave it to the Vikings. He proclaimed it as under his dominion, but the Norsemen functionally rejected that. They operated independently of Charles, but there was peace through AD 950-980.
William (r. AD 1035-1087) was the illegitimate son of the Norman Duke Robert the 1st and his scandalous mistress Hervela. After Robert’s death, many nobles resisted his right to his father’s duchy because he was an illegitimate son. However, this did not dissuade William or his allies. Many of his guardians were murdered for protecting him until he was old enough to assume dominance over the duchy. The treacherous Guy of Burgundy launched an attack, attempting to kidnap the youthful William. However, under the protection of King Henry, he escaped and survived. By AD 1047, the two launched a counterattack on Guy of Burgundy and defeated him at the Battle of Val-es-Dunes. Shortly after that, William assumed the position of duke, with Normandy under his dominion.
At the time, Edward the Confessor was the King of England. There was a dispute over who would assume Edward’s throne as he was childless. The two largest contenders were Duke William of Normandy and Earl Harold Goodwin. Edward promised the throne to William but announced Harold as the king on his deathbed. Whatever the reason was for him changing his mind, it resulted in chaos. The two men immediately broke out into war, and without hesitation, William invaded England. The two men met at the Battle of Hastings, where William won decisively. The forces were equal in number, but not evenly matched. Unlike William, Harold did not possess a calvary. That disadvantage proved cataclysmic, and Harold died in the battle. While all of England did not concede to William’s rule, he slowly conquered the entire nation, putting them into subjection and giving him the name William the Conqueror.
As king, William allied himself closely with the church, advocating for reforms. In fact, Pope Alexander supported him in his endeavor to conquer England. That said, William later exercised supreme authority over the church, something outside his jurisdiction. He also seized all the land in the nation as if it were his and gave it to his Norman nobles. The native Anglo-Saxons were robbed of their property, but William “generously” allowed them to buy it back if they could prove that they supported his Norman Invasion. This would be the equivalent of someone stealing a garden hose and offering to sell it back if the homeowner could prove they supported the theft. It is absurd, and that was the point. William used brutality to exercise power over England. In one generation—after one war—the Anglo-Saxon nobles went from extreme wealth in England to poverty. Also, the tax burdens under his administration were immense. To tax the civilization more effectively, he constructed the Domesday Book, with records on everyone’s property, who was a serf, who was a lord, etc. This comprehensive list allowed his lords to have access to the receipts of everyone’s property, allowing them to tax effectively in his realm.
William the Conqueror did few things literately or economically to advance his nation. Through mastering warfare, he consolidated power in Normandy, shut up all rebellions, conquered Maine, and finally launched the Normand Invasion into England. Prior kings like Charlemagne and Alfred the Great advanced renaissances to flourish their societal education. William did no such thing, but his name is remembered for one reason: he was a conqueror.
Asher Sisneros 