Military force was fundamental in William overcoming opposition to his rule. Exeter siege.

1. Question - To what extent was military force the most important factor in overcoming opposition to the rule of William I? • Military force was fundamental in William overcoming opposition to his rule. • Exeter siege. • The Norman forces and the promise of payment intimidated the Vikings to leave in 1069 and the threat of force alone caused them to leave in 1071, rather than stand with Hereward. • Defeated Hereward the Wake in battle, Eadric the Wild and the Scottish during the 1079 invasion. • Related to military rule was William’s own ruthlessness and this personality trait allowed him to take the necessary actions to squash opposition. • Harrying of the north. • Skinned a man alive in front of the gates of Exeter to intimidate the rebels. • Had Waltheof beheaded in 1076. • Had Roger imprisoned and Ralph banished in 1075. • A lack of coordination from the rebels contributed significantly to their inability to cause William to lose the throne during his reign. • Danish, Hereward, Eadric, Edgar, Waltheof, Roger and Ralph. All rebelled but generally local rebellions easily defeated by William. • Hereward was joined only by Morcar, Danes abandoned him. • The major rebellion of 1069 was not properly coordinated and Edwin and Morcar didn’t join in. William was still able to deal with the rebels piecemeal. • Military force was crucial to William but so too was the building of castles which allowed the Normans to project their power. • Eadric the Wild successfully raided but failed to take the castles at Hereford and Shrewsbury. • The castle at Warwick effectively ended the resistance of Edwin and Morcar during the first major rebellions that William faced in 1067 as it cut them from the north.