Who did William the conquorer fight against?

Answer 1

When?! William of Normandy was fighting for his position as Duke of Normandy from an early age as he was just eight when his father died.

His most famous victory was at The Battle of Hastings which took place in October of 1066 at a place now known as Battle in the south of England, not far from Hastings. He fought against the English, or more specifically, King Harold who became king on the death of Edward the Confessor who died without an heir. William claimed that Edward had promised him the throne, they were cousins, sharing a grandmother, and he came to England to claim his throne. He won and became king, but in doing so he left himself and his succesors a tricky issue - they were kings on England but held their lands in France, Normandy, of the French king and therefore owed him fealty leaving each compromised.

Had England under the Anglo saxon kings not been so well organised he probably would not have achieved such a complete victory over England. In the words of Sir Frank Stenton, England was 'an old and settled country' and therefore a prize worth having. It was wealthy with rich natural reserves such as minerals, extensive arable land and a huge wealth in wool.