1.13.13

Norman Power & Control

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How Did King William I Maintain Power?

To keep power, King William I used a mixture of force alongside attempts to win over the population.

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The Marcher Earldoms

  • The Marcher Earldoms were a way to protect England against any potential attacks from Wales (which was a separate country then).
  • They also weakened the existing English earls. Creating more influential people in England who supported William rather than the old English nobility.
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Land and inheritance laws

  • Rather than seizing thegns land straight away, which may have caused another revolt, William used inheritance laws to seize control of England.
  • When a thegn died, William would take the land and distribute it to his followers, instead of giving it to the thegns' family.
  • This caused a gradual shift in power away from Anglo Saxon nobles and towards Normans and the king.
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William I's image and the cult of personality

  • William I used his own personal image as a tool to gain power. Like Hitler and Stalin used the 'cult of personality' to grow their power base in the 20th century, William made sure that his image (or likeness) appeared on royal writs, on coins in England.
  • William also visited different towns across the country and wore his crown frequently, so that people could see his person, likeness and power in real life.
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Castles

  • Castles were important for 2 reasons:
    1. Castles helped to defend England from foreign invasion. Castles were built in vital strategic locations across England. Places like the border between England and Wales and outside key towns helped defend Norman England against foreign attackers.
    2. Castles helped to maintain William of Normandy's control over the local population. Many local earls did not like William. Having a military presence in each town helped to secure the local area and the size of castles was physically intimidating, scaring people away from rebelling.
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The destruction of the North

  • The Harrying of the North effectively destroyed a large part of England, making it 'waste'. Rebels could not even live in the north, let alone organise rebellions against William from there.
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Permanent military

  • William the Conqueror funded his permanent army of mercenaries using the geld tax. This had 2 effects:
    1. He had a strong military to stop any potential rebellions.
    2. The tax was mainly paid by the English nobles, so they were financially weaker as the king became financially stronger.

Jump to other topics

1Empires East & West: 1000 AD

1.1The Rise & Fall of Ancient China’s Empire

1.2The Medieval Greatness of the Byzantine Empire

1.3The Golden Age of the Islamic Empire

1.4The Politics & Power of the Holy Roman Empire

1.5Medieval Religion

1.6The Influence of the Church in Medieval Times

1.7How Religion Tested the Power of Kings

1.8Dynastic Challenges to Medieval Monarchs

1.9Challenges to Medieval Monarchs

1.10Revolts, Rebellions & Rights

1.11Medieval England & Her Neighbours

1.12European Renaissance

1.13Norman Conquest & Control

1.14Historical Skills

2The Medieval World: 450-1450 AD

2.1Anglo-Saxon England

2.2The Contest for the English Throne

2.3Conquering the Holy Land, 10-96-1396 AD

2.4King John

2.5The Magna Carta & Parliament

2.6The Black Death

3Worldviews

4The Empire of Mali: 1076-1670 AD

5The Renaissance & Reformations: 1500-1598 AD

6The British Empire: 1583-1960 AD

7The Peasants' Revolt: 1381 AD

8Religion in the Middle Ages

9Slavery: 1619-1833 AD

10The English Civil War: 1642-1660 AD

11The Industrial Revolution: 1750-1840 AD

12US Independence: 1775-1783 AD

13The French Revolution: 1789-1815 AD

14The British Empire: 1857–1930 AD

15Suffrage: 1840-1928 AD

16World War 1: 1914-1918 AD

17The Inter-War Years: 1919-1939 AD

18World War 2: 1939-1945 AD

19The Cold War: 1947-1962 AD

20Civil Rights in the USA: 1954-1975 AD

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