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1066 - French horsepower broke England

Peter Nicolai Arbo England 5th January 1066 , The English king Edward the confessor and then earl Harold Godwinson was proclaimed king at Westminster Abbey the day after the 6th. Edward the confessor  had promised both Harold and William "Bastard" of Normandy the seat of the throne before he died. Both men were distant relatives to the childless Edward the confessor. When William heard of it he quickly raised an army. Harald Hardrada also claimed the English throne and he was faster than William the bastard and on 8th September,1066  240-300 Viking ships landed on the beaches of Scarborough and began an attempt to gain the English throne. 20th September,1066  Battle of Fulford : Harald Hardrada defeated the English earls Edwin and Walther. 2 days later Harald Hardrada attacked and conquered York. 24th September,1066 Harold Godwinson arrived after marching from London. 25th September,1066 Battle of Stamford bridge Battle of Stamford bridge Harald...

866 Vikings captured York

Angus McBride:9th century viking warriors
England
A York Penny
In the autumn the viking army under the leadership of Ivar the boneless, who wanted to revenge the murder of his father Ragnar Lothbrok moved from East Anglia into Northumbria, Where king Aella just had driven the former king Osbryth away from the throne. The internal power struggle had drained Northumbria for resources and had made any serious resistance impossible. The viking army won the coastal area between the Tyne river and Firth of Forth and in November York was captured and in the south Ethelred became the king of Wessex.
France
The Battle of Brissarthe was fought on the 2 July 866, between the Franks and a combined Breton and Viking army near Brissarthe, Neustria. It was marked by the two deaths of Robert the Strong, the Neustrian count, and Ranulf I, the duke of Aquitaine.

In 866, Salomon, Duke of Brittany, allied with Hastein (Hasting), a Danish chieftain, formed an expedition into Anjou, Maine, and Touraine. In the course of the campaign, Le Mans was sacked. Robert, commander of the local area, assembled a large army to expel them. He was joined by Ranulf of the region of Poitou and Gauzfrid and Hervé of Maine.
Wealthy viking helmet
The Frankish army succeeded in intercepting the Danes before they reached their dragon ships on the Loire River.

The Danes attempted to take refuge in a local church, but the Franks besieged them. During the night, the Danes attempted to break out. During the ensuing battle, Robert the strong was killed, Ranulf was mortally wounded by arrows, and Hervé injured. and the Franks had to retreat. Vikings escaped. 
Sons of Robert the strong Odo and Robert later led the defence of Paris.
Ireland
King Aed Findiliath destroyed viking camps in Northern Ireland.
Irish was on the offensive against pirate bases on the north coast of Ireland between Donegal and Antrim, A Viking Camp at Youghal(Cork) and camps between Cenel neogain and Araide(uncertain location) Port Manann(uncertain location)
Amlaib had raided the picts,and the warprisoners were sold at Dublin slavemarket.
Norway
Harald Fairhair (850–933) won a decisive battle in his quest to become king of  whole Norway. He decided to send an expedition to Orkney Islands.
Orkney Islands
According to the sagas, the establishment of an earldom over the islands is attributed to Ragnvald, Earl of Møre. The earldom Ragnvald received as compensation for the death of his son Ivar, who diedl in Harald Fairhair’s battles against the local vikings.
Ketil Flatnose,died Torsten the Red his son became the new ruler of the Hebrides.

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