The Normans were something new to all the native peoples of Britain in the second half of the 11th century, and their style of warfare was different in many respects. The elite of the Norman armies were the knights fighting from horseback. The open plains of northern France were ideal for horses, and the use of cavalry had a long tradition in France. The Franks themselves were expert cavalrymen, and the Viking settlers of Normandy would have needed little persuasion to adopt the same tactics in their defense. This was a new and disturbing phenomenon in Britain. The Anglo-Saxons had no experience facing the armored shock of a cavalry charge. Which in favorable terrain could be unstoppable. Mounted knights added a new variable to the battlefield, and after the battle of Hastings warfare in Britain changed forever.
<Tab/>There were basically three main sections to the invading forces.
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