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Battle of Val-ès-Dunes

Type Event Region Normandy Time 1047

In 1047 near Val-ès-Dunes in Normandy, the young Duke William, with support from King Henry I of France, defeated a coalition of Norman nobles led by…

Timeline

  1. 1047Normandy · NormandyIn 1047, several great Norman nobles, dissatisfied with the authority of the young Duke William, rose in revolt led by figures such as Guy of Burgundy and Ralph de Wacey. William appealed to his overlord King Henry I of France for aid, and both sides assembled their forces across Normandy, bringing conflict to the brink.
  2. 1047Val-ès-Dunes · CalvadosThe two armies met near Val-ès-Dunes, south of Caen. According to the Historia Normannorum, King Henry encouraged William with the metaphor of "pulling up the weeds before removing the roots"; William's forces and the French king's reinforcements attacked in concert, the rebel lines collapsed, and Guy and other nobles fled in defeat.
  3. 1047–1048Normandy · NormandyAfter the battle, William pursued the scattered rebel nobles, confiscated or reduced their fiefs, and redistributed lands to loyal vassals. Guy fled to Burgundy, and some participants were executed or exiled. William's effective control over the duchy was greatly strengthened, creating the conditions for his subsequent rule and the 1066 conquest of England.

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