Editing Battle of Hastings (section)

===Reasons for the outcome===

Harold's defeat was probably due to several circumstances. One was the need to defend against two almost simultaneous invasions. Harold's dismissal of his forces in southern England on 8 September also contributed to the defeat. Many historians fault Harold for hurrying south and not gathering more forces before confronting William at Hastings, although it is not clear that the English forces were insufficient to deal with William's forces.<ref name=Lawson217/> However, the length of the battle, which lasted an entire day, shows that the English forces were not tired by their long march.<ref name=Huscroft130>Huscroft ''Norman Conquest'' p. 130</ref> Tied in with the speed of Harold's advance to Hastings is the possibility Harold may not have trusted Edwin and Morcar once Tostig had been defeated, and declined to bring them and their forces south.<ref name=Lawson217/> Modern historians have pointed out that one reason for Harold's rush to battle was to contain William's depredations and keep him from breaking free of his [[beachhead]].<ref name=Marren152>Marren ''1066'' p. 152</ref>

Most of the blame for the defeat probably lies in the events of the battle.<ref name=Lawson217>Lawson ''Battle of Hastings'' pp. 217–218</ref> William was the more experienced military leader,<ref name=Lawson219/> and in addition, the lack of cavalry on the English side allowed Harold fewer tactical options.<ref name=Huscroft130/> Some writers have criticised Harold for not exploiting the opportunity offered by the rumoured death of William early in the battle.<ref name=Walker180>Walker ''Harold'' pp. 180–181</ref> The English appear to have erred in not staying strictly on the defensive, for when they pursued the retreating Normans they exposed their flanks to attack. Whether this was due to the inexperience of the English commanders or the indiscipline of the English soldiers is unclear.<ref name=Lawson219>Lawson ''Battle of Hastings'' pp. 219–220</ref>{{efn|Modern [[wargaming]] has demonstrated the correctness of not pursuing the fleeing Normans,<ref name=Marren152/> with the historian [[Christopher Gravett]] stating that if in a wargame he allowed Harold to pursue the Normans, his opponent "promptly, and rightly, punished such rashness with a brisk counter-attack with proved to be the turning point of the battle&nbsp;– just as in 1066".<ref name=QMarren152>Quoted in Marren ''1066'' p. 152</ref>}} In the end, Harold's death appears to have been decisive, as it signalled the break-up of the English forces in disarray.<ref name=Huscroft130/> Historian [[David Nicolle]] states that William's army "demonstrated&nbsp;– not without difficulty&nbsp;– the superiority of Norman-French mixed cavalry and infantry tactics over the Germanic-Scandinavian infantry traditions of the Anglo-Saxons."<ref name=Normans20>Nicolle ''Normans'' p. 20</ref>