THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS - A Historian Reacts to BazBattles

See the original video here - • The Battle of Hastings...
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#History #England

[@steveclarke6257]

I marched up that hill 7 times over 2 days in October 1990 doing a reenactment of the battle as a Norman foot knight. It's much steeper than it looks in photos!

[@Samdaman747]

I had a history professor in high school who used to say something very similar to what you did near the end of the video. He would always talk about how, just because history happened the way it did, did not mean that that was the only way it could have ever gone. The world is simply the result of millions and millions of choices and moments which have led to this very day.

[@gamervortex9959]

You should react to The Battle of Midway 1942: Told from the Japanese Perspective made by Montemayor

[@ieatpizza5517]

ive see his midbay and coral sea videos

[@stonewall01]

Should do the whole series in order. Pearl Harbor, The Battle of Coral Sea, then all three videos about The Battle of Midway.

[@parkermatteson4609]

Yep I think he should do this one too!

[@franciscoduarteauthor]

These videos are something. Absolutely amazing

[@haulperrel2547]

Agreed. Gave me a whole new perspective of the battle.

[@Monarch9704]

Interesting fact for you: in the UK we are taught medieval history in primary school and younger years. So most brits think William was always called William the conqueror because they never mention the bastard name because it’s a bad word to teach kids.

[@Monarch9704]

Further to that we never even learnt about him being a bastard or an illegitimate heir. We were simply taught he was William the duke of Normandy

[@FuckTard-dd1ee]

@@Monarch9704 that'd ridiculous. Why teach history to kids that young if your not gunna teach it right. What does that help?

[@ubiergo1978]

Note: You HAVE to react/comment the "ending cards" too. They are always full of trivia/interesting information about the events "around" or "after" the battle itself!!!!

[@bigmoniesponge]

Yes.

[@drrakw2432]

Oh sweet, I've been waiting to learn more about this battle for a while. Thanks for posting!

[@ArkydeZomBiez]

This is why I love your channel, for the learning experience. 👏

[@azarth8805]

Love the history behind the Battle of Hastings. The area it was fought was correctly named 'Battle'. Love the video VTH, keep up the good work.

[@NotSoRoasted]

Kings and Generals is a channel full of videos regarding history, some of it even being a little more obscure than the usual spoken of historical events. I would love to see you react to one of their many videos! Thank you and please keep up the good work. :)

[@JamesThomas-pj2lx]

Kn'G=BLM; aka "actual history".

[@NotSoRoasted]

@@JamesThomas-pj2lx Bro what?

[@NebulusDerg]

Reaction Ideas: -Thoughty2 Videos -Sabaton History -Sbaton Music -Battle 360 -Simple HHistory -Japanese Unit 731

[@mallc8874]

And TIK

[@MJZA93]

I've been waiting for Baz Battles! Yes yes yes - so excited!

[@marvinamann4969]

Invicta Another channel with excellent history video's you should definitely react to It's mostly classical Antiquity, but the interesting thing is that Invicta also often does videos about the lives of the average person during that time Something we really aren't talking enough about when it comes to history

[@acepilote14]

You should react to their video on the battle of d'Aljubarrota, it a good example of how a symbol ,like a general or a king, has a major effect on a battlefield, It also explain the origin between England and Portugal long lasting alliance

[@skov1949]

Yes, always wanted you to react to bazbattles!

[@liambenn1214]

Gotta say, it’s nice seeing my town in the centre of a map for once, I know all these places, hailsham, pevensey, Hastings, sedlesomb, battle is nearby too and Eastbourne is just a bit to the east about 30 minutes from bexhill

[@TheDraconnian]

As much as only some decisions, seemingly small, affected the course of history. That is why history is so fascinating. I'm not a big fan of alternative history, but we just have to ask ourselves what the world would look like today if Harold's units had remained in place, if the Confederate's plans to invade the North had not been found. Would it have been different if Hitler had not weakened the Army Center and sent to the aid of the Army South. What would have happened if the Ottomans had taken Vienna. That the assassination of Franz Ferdinand failed. These are just some of the many examples.

[@richardpowell1772]

I wonder about all that, as well. The only one I don’t is the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand and his wife. I think WWI was inevitable, this was just the spark that lit the powder keg. The combination of entangling alliances, dictatorships, competition for colonies and empire, countries with strong nationalism based on ethnicity and religion being absorbed into other countries against their will, etc. Many historians theorize that a major conflict was in the near future regardless.

[@Timey254]

channel recommendation: SandRhoman History, focusing on a variety of topics, but in particular around the topic of sieges (and their involved logistics), 16th and 17th century warfare and simply explaining "systems" rather than specific events. I recommend "Why Firearms Took the Place of Bow and Arrow - The Rise of the Handgunner in Europe", "Why Everybody Disagrees on the Efficacy of the English Longbow - A Video Essay" and in general his series about the Burgundian Wars, which essentially triggered the era of Pike & Shot.

[@fireyjon]

Really good, I know Oversimplified does a really food video on this too. I think the main thing to William's strategy was to force the king to come to him make him tired and less able to fight. I mean you got to see a seven day hard march calling troops the whole way it's not favorable.

[@mattiadallasta1698]

I really admire your work, being a passionate “amateurial historian” myself. For the portion of public more interested in medieval military history I would suggest a video on some italian “gesta d’arme” (literally “faits of weapons” which is the medieval italian was of saying “war”, also we used the word “pugna”); i suggest mainly two battles: the “Battiaglia di Montaperti” (described also by Dante Alighieri, who took part in it) and “Battaglia di Legnano” (which basically allowed Italy to become an indipendent territory, not yet a country, from the Holy Roman Empire)

[@harrisonwhite72]

I think the Papal Banner, received by Lanfranc, was a recruit-magnet in Europe. The psychological advantage was under rated. The Phalax was also too dependent on the discipline on the English Fyrd to hold

[@maxwellewxam8868]

Please do more bazbattles.🙏🏻

[@matthijsmobach6845]

His series about alexander the great is really worth a watch

[@nieldooley2906]

This was a really educational video to watch. I left school nearly 50 years ago and in the and when we were taught about the battle of Hastings in was always taught as though the Normans were the baddies, if you will, for it was taught that Edward was tricked by William into promising him the Crown of England.

[@nonames6612]

30 years war by Kings and Generals

[@dbach1025]

Have you seen the series The Last Kingdom? Lot of liberties taken, but pretty good picture of Alfred and how he came to power and the struggle with the other English kingdoms and consolidation of the power. Very interesting and fun series. Where else can you hear "I am Utred, son of Utred"?

[@mandyb8675]

Epic History Tv’s 5 Great Viking deaths would be a great standalone video.

[@teofilul1835]

Check out the Hastings one from oversimplified it's great

[@MrMaltheChannel]

A víkingr was someone who went on expeditions, usually abroad, usually by sea, and usually in a group with other víkingar (the plural). Víkingr did not imply any particular ethnicity and it was a fairly neutral term, which could be used of one’s own group or another group. The activity of víking is not specified further, either. It could certainly include raiding, but was not restricted to that.

[@AKAZA-kq8jd]

It's ashame what happened to Harald Hardrada guy was awesome in Mediterranean.

[@memesky1340]

135k subs good job

[@SRosenberg203]

Nice! I love BazBattles!

[@ericposey4124]

I've been told that Williams reign was predicated on him making several solid (both relationship and strength wise) alliances as a youth. By luck or cunning, he made enough friends with enough influence to succeed.

[@AlternatorAI]

Yes Please react to a Battle of Midway video, but also the Battle of Agincourt

[@user-xx5el6ju6d]

I'm watching older videos of your channel now, and man you're reminding me of jordan schlansky (in the best way possible)

[@blitzen435]

I could be mistaken here but I'm pretty sure theres some debate regarding where and when Harolds brothers Gyrth and Leofwine died, I believe the Bayeux Tapestry actually shows them leading that initial charge against the retreating normans then getting encircled and over run however their bodies were found next to Harolds after the battle. I personally am of the belief they died later on with Harold due to the very slim chance their bodies could've been retrieved in the heat of battle and returned to Harold but I have seen people argue that they died in the charge.

[@LawL_LawL]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think Harold actually had a complete lack of archers. Fyrdmen were expected to answer a call to arms with whatever they could afford to bring and no doubt some were poor and could bring little more than a bow or a handful of javelins. That such troops were not employed in a grouped and organized manner with meaningful tactical impact via skirmishing or massed fire is another issue, but it seems very unlikely for a high-medieval army to have no archers present.

[@michael_177]

As an englishman, thank you for covering this!

[@maxwellewxam8868]

Harold looking down from heaven like “bruh I could’ve ended this mans whole career”.

[@paganphil100]

Maxi: We got our revenge about 400 years later......Agincourt.

[@stonewall01]

The church was starting to become stricter about only legitimate children inheriting titles around the time of William. Before that it was not nearly has burdensome to crown an illegitimate child, especially if both parents were in the Nobility. In fact the most insults given to William, when he became Duke, were not because he was illegitimate but rather because his mother was at such a low station in society. By the time of Henry I, William's son, it was as good as impossible to get an illegitimate offspring crowned. Which is a shame because Henry I had a child that may have proven to be a really good king in Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester.

[@bazil83]

11:52 there's a Talking Heads lyric if I've ever heard it!!

[@Angrenost02]

William's inheritance of Normandy despite his bastard status was eased by a tradition Normans kept from their scandinavian ancestry, the wedding "more danico" (meaning "in danish manner"). According to this tradition, Normans could have multiple wives, one main spouse and several secondary ones. Children born from secondary wives were still considered as legitimate by Normans, even if the church and the rest of France's and England's society still considered them as bastards (hence William's nickname, which I highly doubt was used by his normans vassals).

[@alexismonfilliette8150]

I just want to point out that william the bastard/ guillaume le conquerant is the grand-grand-grand-grand-son of Rollo the viking (brother of ragnard lothbrok in the serie viking). I just discovered that and I find it amazing, englishman and frenchman are brothers of some sort and from viking decent.

[@tracking_you4369]

I Love your vids man continue like that, oh and by the way you should react to yarnhub it would be so great

[@RexOlafusVidulusMagnus]

I reccomend you watch History Marche, they have some really good stuff

[@mallc8874]

he has already reacted to one of there videos

[@darrellmarcks6304]

Normans are Danes. Not much different than the Saxons, the Angles or the Jutes. Main difference is instead of speaking German, they spoke French after swearing fealty and living in Normandy for 200 years at that point, so that influence of that viking culture wasn't ended when William invaded. He was just the last of that kind to do it.

[@lobotomyE.G.O.RegretFaust]

You should react to the Great Siege of tyre from Bazbattles too.

[@kendallhyatt7975]

You should watch a video about the Battle of Cannae!

[@carronade2456]

If Harold had a horse, he could have rode over to his troops and persuade them to stay together. In one documentary I watched, called Battlefield Britten, they said that the soldiers were so tightly packed together that the dead had no room to fall.

[@magnalucian8]

Interestingly Hastings itself may have continental origins, the term possibly linked to the Haestinga, a tribe that lived along the Belgium shoreline c. 900AD

[@musicfun1523]

I believe there is an oversimplified video of this battle,

[@cin294]

Could you do a video on the polish Lithuanian commonwealth

[@K9Cop2314]

My college history professor, Dr. Stephen Morillo, is widely regarded as THE expert on this battle… pretty cool learning from him

[@samrevlej9331]

Probably too late for you to see this, but the reason for William the Conqueror being accepted despite being illegitimate was because the Normans, who at this point were not that far removed from their Viking ancestors, had a special way of taking consorts they called "frilla". It was called marriage "more danico" (Danish more), without religious ceremony and sometimes in addition of their "legitimate" Christianly-married wives. While the Church and the rest of Frankish society saw them as concubines and their children as bastards, a good deal of the Norman aristocracy considered these children legitimate (at least during the 10th century after settling Normandy). William's mother, Arlette/Herleva of Falaise (a tanner's daughter), was such a "frilla" to his father Robert the Magnificent. While Rollo's son and grandson (2nd and 3rd dukes) were children of these unions without much controversy, the Norman aristocracy took advantage of both William's young age and the diminishing tolerance for the practice to justify rebelling. William spent years defeating his vassals.

[@sovietsoul1917]

Hey man i've been re watching The Great War on youtube. Was wondering if you have ever heard of it. Indy Neidell was a great host for the series.

[@muhammadaqiefluqmanbinmohd6017]

I know this is something different but I would love for you to react to History Buffs, especially his video on the movie Zulu, Midway and Waterloo.

[@ThanatosXVI]

Anyone else notice how William fell over and grasped the soil/sand just like how Julius Caesar did once he landed on English shores??

[@eutropius2699]

I thought of the same thing, however I believe it was Egypt not Britannia that Julius Caesar fell out of his ship and landed on shore, the story goes he said “Egypt I have hold of you now”. Very similar to this.

[@generichomosapien4666]

Yes

[@mazda9588]

Hey! I'd love to see you react to sam onellas historical misconceptions video, as I think you'd love it.

[@eye_straindigital]

Yes!!!

[@ezbucs]

After watching his Blackadder video I clicked on this one thinking it was called “the battle of HASHTAGS” 🤦🏼‍♂️

[@kristianstave3904]

On the topic of how William was able to gain the dutchy and keep it might have been that he was a brutal hardass. At least according to Oversimplified :)

[@theMoerster]

Absolutely love BazBattles but does anyone know if they've stopped posting? Nothing new in almost 6 months.

[@Colts814Life]

No idea what the battle of Hastings is but if this dudes talking about it I’m in

[@simonfreeman8233]

The sad fact is the battle of Hastings is one of if not the most famous battle in british history but the vast majority of bits couldn't tell you where hastings is

[@frail6582]

Hello from denmark! ever wanna wisit the bunkers in west jutland just lemme know! :)

[@Lupiny15]

Poor Harold, man I feel so bad for him

[@Shoehandler1142]

Hey man you should check out the video by dracifield on the battle of savo island where uss Washington sank ijn kirishima

[@djJaXx101]

I think, if Harold had won this fight, no one who commented on this video would be alive.

[@maximustiberius3036]

I feel like Napoleon studied this battle, and came up with the idea of pretending to have a weak right flank in order to draw the enemy in at austerlitz.

[@johnhammonds5143]

It's over, William! I have the high ground!

[@bobdagranny7431]

Do the oversimplified emu war next

[@timothyjachim2474]

Did Julius Caesar also do something similar in terms of falling and playing it cool?

[@TARINunit9]

I know this is completely the wrong place to ask, but I'm curious what this guy's reaction to "Turbulence [But it's an Illustrated History of World War 2]" would be

[@cba2make1up]

It's crazy to think that this one battle changed the course of history entirely History is full of such pivotal events and it's the main reason I'm so fascinated with it To think that the one lasting result of this battle is the English I'm speaking right now..

[@SamZinski]

we'd be speaking a different language if those housecarls hadn't broken formation lol

[@mikeikr9193]

Can you do Sabaton Seven Pillers of Wisdom?

[@KingArcher141]

Could you watch Over simplified’s video on the “football wars” I think it’s a very good video and topic

[@idiotengineer3925]

Need to react to kings and general's Julius Caesar videos

[@arozes8324]

i hope you will react to the battle of the Gulden Sprus also by Baz Battles some time ;)

[@thecrispycrumpets650]

please can you react to occupation of Guernsey since that's where I live now

[@d.hermanski7731]

Hey, i haven't watched the full video yet, but i have a question regarding 11:40. How did william even know, that Harold and Hardware battled far in the north? Die he already have scouts in england, even before he landed or did nearby peasants telled him about where the king is (which obviously is very unlikely). What are the sources? Im no specialist in medieval history, but im pretty sure, that it wasn't that common for everyone to know where another person is located.

[@zarabada6125]

Harold had disbanded his army back to their various towns and villages. He had then re-mobilised his army in response to the northern invasion. Every town or village where he had gathered troops from would know that he was fighting in the north. While it is possible that William had spies, he could have also learned the news from traders or fishermen who sailed in the English Channel.

[@williamashman1864]

I think if it wasn't for the unfavorable wind and if Harold took on William first. they're might have been a Norwegian king instead of a Norman King. but i'm not a what if historian

[@shivkumardubey7806]

VTH please react to kings and generals it is a really good channel

[@johnmurphy7250]

1066 when part of my family came to England

[@pauldevlin6836]

One of my ancestors came over during this

[@mrbeardmTV]

Please react to Vlad the Impaler! I want to hear your side on his story. (I'm Romanian so I am really curious lol)

[@ShayTheValiant]

Please react to "How Medieval Kings Would See Today" by Fire of Learning.

[@saigade1236]

Do the oversimplified version

[@wcc4269]

William... the Bastard? lmfao

[@Hardrada_1066]

I should have been here. Skål!

[@venomshadowzzz2556]

To me Harold II was hacked to pieces by a Norman hit squad led by William himself

[@LightxHeaven]

I recommend HistoryMarche’s two-part series on the Battle of Agincourt. It would be right up your alley! :)

[@williamchristopher1560]

I was in the SCA FOR 25YRS. iVE BEEN IN BATTLES WHERE THERE WAS A THOUSAND ON A SIDE, UNFORTUNATLY, NOT MY SIDE. aNYWWAY, tHE KING WOULD GIVE HIS KNIGHTS HIS ORDERS, WHICH WOULD BE FILTERED DOWN TO US lords. And, time after time, ive seen , well, n ot seen, as one sees only a VERY limited view out of his helm and round his shield, but as we found out later, that the knights, sooner or later, would break ranks just as the saxons did, and be engulfed and vnquished. After that, with us around 900 and they around 1300, it was easy to flank one side and roll us up. Sooner or later we would be broken up into groups, without knowing what was happening, and, killed off piecemeal. They would leave enough in front of us to make us stand and be ready, while their knights and assorted squires ect, would be taking apart our line, by flanking just like at Hastings.

[@poiny91]

I have ancestry from both sides of this battle... My mother is almost 90% Scandinavian, mainly Norway... My father side is from the Channel Islands, specifically Jersey, owned by the Normans... I always make jokes to my mom that dad's ancestors beat her ancestors...which pisses her off 🤣

[@darknite8483]

The archers actually did very little and were not as common in armies during this time period due to most underestimating them.

[@lightwalker222]

And in this battle shooting uphill at entrenched infantry with a shield wall. Anyone who saw the results of that, probably continued to think that archers were useless.

[@darknite8483]

@@lightwalker222 That was why archers were seen as kind of worthless. Shield walls were a common tactic and can very effectively stop arrows if done correctly.

[@johnclement189]

Scribe : What is your last wish my king? King Edward : *lmao im going to let these two kill each other before I die*

[@hockeymaster1752]

Can you react to Three Kingdoms by oversimplified

[@antonijedjordjevic5545]

React to Eastern Front animated by Eastory

[@zarabada6125]

11:21 I have heard almost exactly the same story in relation to Julius Caesar. In the North Africa campaign against Cato, Caesar is said to have fallen onto the shore. He grabbed hold of some pebbles and announced something like, "Africa, I have hold of you now." (Source: Historia Civilis, "Zela, Ruspina & Thapsus") I wonder if both events happened or if someone has conflated the two invasions. It could have been a coincidence. However, it is possible that William had read about Caesar and just replicated the same situation when he fell.

[@SamuelAlves-yb9uj]

Can you react to kings and generals the battle of diu, its a pretty interesting vídeo Acrually the entire Channel is super interesting