The crossing was calm, his troops morale high. Alexandre, the brilliant strategist that he is, decided Kent would be the best landing spot for his troops. With the wind against his sails, he crossed the channel in confidence.
He deliberated heavily with his two generals, Gerbod and Odo, as well as his marshal, Count Robert. Count Robert, a brave man, believed in a confrontational strategy, they would strike out from Kent and hit Harold’s army while unexpected. Gerbod, leading the cavalry, agreed with this strategy. Odo, however, a devote soldier, believed that sneaking around the back of the enemy was the way to go. Odo and Robert fought back and forth, with Alexandre watching from the back of the room. Finally, Alexandre spoke. They would go with the head on approach. Odo, reluctantly, agreed with the liege’s plan and left the room. Robert and Odo would not speak to one another for the rest of the crossing.
By 1069 the war was going well. Alexandre won battle after battle, and ravaged southern england. He proved to be an inspiring leader and a brilliant strategist during the war. He had defeated many opponents and sieged out the capital of Middlesex.
However, by 1070, a new threat appeared. English forces landed in the dukes capital of Roux. They had taken his homeland. Alexandre knew he would have to go back. If he didn’t he could lose all of Normandy, it was frustrating. Alexandre was so close to conquering England. He withdrew to Kent, and sailed back across the channel. Angered, he landed in the ideal location for a battle, Eu. His now 7,000 army quickly defeated the comparably small army of 2,500 of Harold’s troops. In the battle, the commander was captured. Alexandre showed no mercy…
There was a good side, however. While campaigning in Norway, Harold Godwinson was killed. By the time Alexandre returned to England that September, four years after his first crossing. He regained all that he lost. In the end, the siege of Maldon was the final stroke, Alexandre had finally conquered England. However, there was a new enemy on the horizon...
The year was 1071. Five years earlier Alexandre had began preparing his troops, now he was the official King of England. However, from Harold he took something other than just the crown… Harald Hadrada, perhaps an even better military commander than Alexandre in his youth, was now an old man. He wanted one last grand conquest, a last Hurrah of the Viking age to secure his legacy. When he heard of the strife in England, he saw his chance. Harald claimed the throne for himself and delcared war on Harold Godwinson, and now Alexandre in his journey for glory.
Alexandre was easily able to push Harald out of the British Isles, cutting off their access when he and his army sieged out York. However, Harald was not a man to give up so easily, Alexandre would have to invade Norway to end this war. In 1074, Alexandre set out to do just that. His army, less than half the size it was in 1066, sailed to Norway. Within six months, he had occupied the Norwegian capital and the war was over, the threat to his crown, and head, had passed.
The King declared an era of peace, and to secure his conquests, got coronated by the pope, and even married to Arpad Ilona in 1075. However, there were some people who did not like this new, foreign ruler. Some of the only people he couldn’t convince were the nobles who supposedly swore their loyalty to him. Something was stirring outside of the Castle walls. This next war, would not be against a foreign enemy. Perhaps the new king would have to fight one more war to hold on to what he had spent ten years of his life fighting for...
