ABSTRACT
William I (William the Conqueror) invaded England and brought an end to its Anglo-Saxon dynasty. He reformed the economic and political order, making England one of the most powerful states in medieval Europe. Having secured his throne, William set about to consolidate his government. The most important measure to this end was the compilation of the Domesday Book, ordered by the king at Christmas in 1085. Despite his great achievements in England, William never forgot his possessions in northern France. Much of his time after 1066 was spent there on military campaigns. In 1073 he was compelled to mount an invasion of Maine (a region south of Normandy) to defend a title he had acquired years earlier. William I established a powerful and centralized foreign government that would influence English history for centuries. William's conquest of England also represented a turning point in the relationship of England to the rest of Europe.
