- •The ancient population of Britain.
- •Neolithic Period
- •Prehistoric monuments. Causeway Camps
- •Long Barrows
- •Passage Graves
- •Stone Circles
- •Paganism on the territory of Britain.
- •The Roman Invasion
- •The Romans on the territory of Britain. Queen Bodiciea`s revolt.
- •The Anglo-Saxon Invasion.
- •Christianity on the territory of Britain. Augustine and his mission.
- •Anglo-Saxon England.
- •Alfred the Great and his role in the history of the country.
- •Edward the Confessor, Westminster Abbey
- •William the Conqueror and his feudal state. The structure of the state after the Norman Invasion.
- •William Rufus, Henry I.
- •Stephen and Matilda, the wars for the throne.
- •Henry II and the Plantagenet dynasty. Thomas Becket and his opposition to the king.
- •Richard the Lion Heart and crusades. John Lackland and Magna Carta.
- •Henry III. Simon de Monfort`s opposition. The first parliament.
- •Edward I and his wars in Wales and Scotland. Edward II. EdwardIii. The first stage of the Hundred Years` War.
- •England's economy in the 14th and 15th centuries. Richard II and Wat Tyler's rebellion...
- •Henry IV. Henry V and the continuation of the Hundred Years` War.
- •The Wars of the Roses. (Henry VI, Edward IV, V)
- •Richard III. Henry VII- the first monarch of the Tudor dynasty.
- •22. Henry VIII and the reformation of the church.
- •23. Edward VI, Jane Grey.
- •24. Mary I. Elizabeth I. Foreign policy and economy of the country in the 16th century.
- •25. England at the beginning of the 17th century. Charles I and his conflict with Parliament.
- •26. The Civil Wars. England after the Civil Wars. The economic situation during and after the Civil Wars. Oliver Cromwell and his Protectorate.
- •27. Restoration of the monarchy. Charles II, the Merry Monarch and his reign.
- •1660-85. Early Life
- •28. James II.
- •29. The Glorious Revolution and its meaning. Mary II and William III.
- •30. Queen Anne. The Unity of England and Scotland.
- •31. The economic development of the country in the 18th century.
- •32. The economic development of the country in the 19th century.
- •33. Science and culture in the 19th century.
- •34. Edward VII. England before World War I.The results of World War I.
- •35. Britain between the World Wars. The Results of World War II. Loss of colonies.
- •Ideological impact:
- •36. Britain at the end of 20th century.
- •37. Britain today: economy, political influence, role in the world.
- •Dates to be remembered
Edward the Confessor, Westminster Abbey
Edward the Confessor, also known as Saint Edward the Confessor, reigned as king of England from 1042 to 1066 CE. Edward was reliant on the powerful Godwine (aka Godwin) family to keep his kingdom together but his achievements included a relatively peaceful reign in a turbulent century for England and the foundation of Westminster Abbey. With no children, Edward's successor was Harold Godwinson, aka Harold II (r. Jan-Oct 1066 CE) who would have to defend his right to the throne against several rivals, most dangerous of whom was Edward's distant cousin William the Conqueror (l. c. 1027-1087 CE). Seen by many later rulers as the spiritual founder of the English and now British monarchy, Edward was made a saint in the 12th century CE, and his crown (or surviving parts of it) is still used in the British coronation ceremony.
William the Conqueror and his feudal state. The structure of the state after the Norman Invasion.
William the Conqueror (1028-1087) was the only (illegitimate) son of Robert, Duke of Normandy, who died when the boy was 7.
In October 1066 William of Normandy landed on the Sussex coast with an army of about 8000 people. Harold moved his army to confront William, but the Saxon troops were exhausted as in the North they had to lead a campaign against the Danes. The armies met at Hastings on the 14th of October. The battle of Hastings is one of the greatest battles in English history. Harold was killed on the battlefield and William won.
Hastings is regarded to be the turning point in the history of the country. Definite classes of society appeared. The native English aristocracy was replaced by French aristocracy. Sometime after his coronation William forced the Saxon nobles from their estates and gave them to his Norman supporters. The peasantry remained mostly Saxon. On the whole, William`s reign, which continued for 21 years, was not peaceful. He also brought the real feudal system in its continental form with the weak center and hierarchy of vassals. The country was divided into feudal units which were called manors The majority of the peasants were linked to their landlords and restricted in their movement. The innovations involved rebellions in 1068 which were cruelly suppressed.
William had 3 sons: Robert, William Rufus, Henry I. Robert inherited Normandy, while William Rufus became the king of England. William Rufus was not popular among his subjects, and he had to fight against his two brothers, Robert of Normandy and Henry who claimed the throne for themselves. While 2 elder brothers tried to get the English throne, Henry supported each of them in turn.
In 1100 in England William was succeeded by his brother Henry I (1068-1135), who was a powerful ruler. He reorganized the courts, the duties of the king`s offices were rearranged and a new body of advisers was created. It was called the King's Court. He restored the property of many of the Saxon nobility, by which he tried to find balance between the old and the new aristocracy and restrain the latter.
William Rufus, Henry I.
William had 3 sons: Robert, William Rufus, Henry I. Robert inherited Normandy, while William Rufus became the king of England. William Rufus was not popular among his subjects, and he had to fight against his two brothers, Robert of Normandy and Henry who claimed the throne for themselves. While 2 elder brothers tried to get the English throne, Henry supported each of them in turn.
In 1091 they had an armistice; Normandy was given to William for much money and Robert set off on a crusade to the Holy Land. The crusade was not a success. William confronted the clergy and claimed his power to be higher than the Pope`s. He took the revenue of the monasteries that enraged Rome. William died rather mysteriously. He was found dead in the forest. He was killed by the courtier Walter Tirol by name, who is considered to have acted by his brother`s (Henry) order.
In 1100 in England William was succeeded by his brother Henry I (1068-1135), who was a powerful ruler. He reorganized the courts, the duties of the king`s offices were rearranged and a new body of advisers was created. It was called the King's Court. He restored the property of many of the Saxon nobility, by which he tried to find balance between the old and the new aristocracy and restrain the latter.
Henry had a son and a daughter. His son was drowned in 1120, when the king and his courtiers were returning from France. The prince was sailing on a separate ship, which was driven to cliffs and sank. Henry`s daughter Matilda was married to a Norman aristocrat, Geoffrey Anjou (nickname Plantagenet).