History of Wars Summary 20 - William's Conquest of England 6 The Northern Rebellion and the Devastation of the North

Even after William's coronation, resistance to Norman rule continued throughout England. The nobles and residents of the northern regions, in particular, did not readily accept the new king, and the situation became more complicated with the intervention of Danish forces. Starting in 1068, William sent troops to the north to suppress the rebellion, but the resistance did not end easily. In 1069, a large-scale rebellion broke out around York, and a Danish fleet also arrived on the English coast. William directly attacked the rebellious areas and seized York and surrounding strategic points. In the north, in particular, a brutal suppression took place, eliminating the rebels' food supplies and strongholds, which later became known as the 'Devastation of the North.' While specific figures for the scale of damage and exact casualties at the time are difficult to ascertain due to limited records, this campaign significantly weakened organized resistance in the north, and William's royal authority extended to northern England. The conquest had now moved beyond a simple change of throne to a restructuring of society as a whole.