This isn't so much a WI but a question (though there's a small WI in it.)
My question is, was William of Normandy lucky? I ask this as it seems to me like the only reason he won the Battle of Hastings was because of the Battle of Stamford Bridge, or at least that was a large reason for him winning. If it hadn't been for the Vikings invading, weakening the Anglo-Saxons by 2000 men and also making the army exhausted, and the army then having to march for two weeks back to southern England to Hastings would William have won? I mean let's say that the Norman's invade first, though they had good tactics the Anglo-Saxons would've been stronger and more active. Could they have beaten the Norman's? Could it have in fact been almost a reverse leading to a Viking conquest of Northern/all of England? Or could the Anglo-Saxons have beaten them to?
Discuss.