750-1453

Question 1

when and what was the first viking invasion

Answer 1

793 AD on a monastery in lindasfarne. the monks were killed and vikings returned home with gold

Question 2

what happened 850 onwards

Answer 2

after 60 years of raiding, the vikings began to conquer the anglo Saxon kingdom

Question 3

what was the motivation for viking invasions

Answer 3

• economic because they could become rich by taking valuable goods.
• vikings were aware of anglo Saxon wealth due to trade with anglo saxons
• fertile farmland compared to the hilly and sandy landscape in Denmark and Norway
• primogeniture - second sons moved to England to gain land since they wouldn’t inherit any

Question 4

what happened in 878

Answer 4

• the vikings had conquered everywhere except Wessex
• battle of edington, king Alfred beat gunthrum and made him become christian
• England was split into danelaw and Wessex

Question 5

what was a result of vikings and anglo saxons living side by side

Answer 5

brought laws, customs, place names, skilled workers as well as trade and marriage between both sides

Question 6

what was the significance of Alfred the great

Answer 6

• encouraged literacy among nobles so translated bede’s ecclesiastical - the story of england - English is still the language today
• bede’s ecclesiastical also promoted English history
• made vikings and anglo saxons live beside each other in peace plus trade and marriage between both - PEACE IN ENGLAND (no raids) also vikings became part of English culture
• Alfred’s descendants recaptured danelaw - settled by 959
• burghs, Alfreds reforms and defences stayed in place

Question 7

how did aethelred ii become king

Answer 7

Edgar the peaceful died and his eldest son Edward became king but was murdered in 978 by aethelred’s supporters.

Question 8

what was aethelred’s reign like

Answer 8

• the reign was difficult because he was so young so his advisors manipulated him because they were corrupt and wanted to gain money and land

Question 9

battle of Maldon

Answer 9

991 - a viking army led by Sven Forkbeard and Olaf tryggvason with over 90 ships
- aethelred had to pay Danegeld to make the vikings leave but some remained as mercenaries and others terrorised the English

Question 10

Danegeld

Answer 10

• payed as a reponse to the battle of Maldon
• around 90,000 was paid
• the English hated aethelred for the taxes needed to pay it

Question 11

st brices day massacre

Answer 11

1002 - aethelred murdered all vikings in England outside of the danelaw
- also killed Forkbeard’s sister gunhilda

Question 12

response to st brice’s day massacre

Answer 12

• caused a wave of viking invasions
• sven Forkbeard invaded england for revenge and gain the wealth of england
• killed tryggvason in 1000 at the battle of scold
• killed thorkell the tall for siding with aethelred in 1012
• conquered england in 1013

Question 13

why did aethelred marry Emma of normandy

Answer 13

• this consolidated the alliance between with and the duke of normandy to defend each other against enemies
• vikings would no longer be able to use normandy as a base for invasions against england

Question 14

how did Cnut become king of england

Answer 14

• Forkbeard died in 1014 and his son Cnut became king but nobles wanted aethlered back and he became king again, Cnut was forced back to Denmark
• cnut’s followers rebelled and aethelred died in 1016
• aethelred’s son Edmund ironside became king but in October 1016, cnut beat Edmund in the battle of assandun and became king
• they intitially split england so Edward would only rule Wessex but then when he died cnut ruled the whole of england

Question 15

the North Sea empire - cnut

Answer 15

cnut gained the North Sea empire (Norway, Denmark and parts of Sweden) when his brother died

Question 16

how did england change under cnut’s rule

Answer 16

• viewed Britain as his richest and main domain
• killed many powerful anglo-saxons who may of rebelled against him
• brought back many fair and popular laws of Edgar the peaceful
• built a good relationship with the church
• gave loyal danish nobles British land
• peaceful reign and free from viking raids
• he worked hard to win over the people in his kingdom

Question 17

why did cnut marry Emma of normandy

Answer 17

• to bring stability to england
• improve a relationship with normans in France
• they had a son called harthacnut

Question 18

the end of the North Sea empire

Answer 18

in 1035, cnut passed and his lands were split between his sons, none of them were strong rulers and unable to re-unite the empire

Question 19

significance of Emma of normandy

Answer 19

• eased relations between the church and vikings by constructing church property destroyed by cnut’s raids
• demonstrated accomplished management of land and financial holdings - both her own and englands
• forging political way ahead when england was in a perilous state
• bridged the gap between england and normandy
• was extremely respected in the court and ruled england when cnut oversaw his North Sea empire lands

Question 20

who was king Edward

Answer 20

became king in 1042
- had a positive relationship with France
- good friends with William of normandy
- married Edith godwinson, sister to Harold godwinson
- had no children
- died in 1066

Question 21

contenders to the throne - 1066

Answer 21

• William duke of normandy: claimed Edward promised him the throne and that godwinson supported William’s claim
• harold hardrada - ruler of Norway, claimed he should be king since vikings controlled england for many years
• harold godwinson - most powerful man in England, was actually English so had support from witan

Question 22

what was the witan

Answer 22

-council for most important and powerful nobles
- elected godwinson as king

Question 23

battle of stamford bridge

Answer 23

• after godwinson claimed the throne, godwinson beat hardrada after he invaded
• this was in yorkshire

Question 24

battle of Hastings

Answer 24

• 1066 - William invaded at the south coast and godwinson struggled to beat William since he had already fought at stamford bridge.
• William won on 14th Oct 1066 and faced resistance but was crowned on christmas 1066

Question 25

how did William strengthen his control

Answer 25

• rewarded loyal normans by giving them important roles in the church
• the Norman barons ruled over their sections of england when William returned to france
• each of the Norman sectors had their own soldiers to keep peace
• harrying of the north 1070
• built large castles across the country

Question 26

harrying of the north

Answer 26

• 1070 - a response to anglo saxons rebelling in the north
• William burnt and destroyed crops as well as all sources of life
• a famine followed and 100,000 died

Question 27

norman England

Answer 27

-normans were the ruling class
-normans brought the French language to nobles as well as French culture
- peasants still spoke English
- English land was heavily taxed and money went to normans
- anglo-saxons were 2nd class citizens
- built hundred of churches

Question 28

Angevin

Answer 28

land ruled over by the Plantagenets in the 12th and 13th centuries covering half of France, all of England and parts of Ireland and Wales

Question 29

how did Henry II become king

Answer 29

• William I kingdom was divided between 2 eldest sons : William - England and Robert - normandy
  -when William ii died, Henry i (3rd brother) got england
• Henry I then defeated Robert in 1107 and became duke of normandy too
• when Henry died he wanted his kingdom to pass to his daughter Matilda but his nephew Stephen took the throne instead
• the anarchy was the battles as they fought for power for the next 19 years
• they made a deal for Matilda’s son Henry ii to get the throne when Stephen died
• Henry became king 1154