The Norman expansion in 11th century Europe is a movement of enormous historical importance which took men and women from the duchy of Normandy to settle in England, Apulia, Calabria, Sicily and the Principality of Antioch. The Norman expansion in the South is particularly interesting, because it represents a story of a few bands of Norman mercenaries who managed to subdue local Lombard princes, drive out Byzantine and Muslim rulers who ruled the areas for centuries and began the process of unifying a political entity that would later develop to the Kingdom of Sicily.
I want to focus on a series of questions: What was the strategy of the Norman expansion in Apulia, Calabria and Sicily and what were the factors that shaped it? Was there any consistent plan of expansion developed by the Norman leadership after their initial conquests? What were the tactics used by the Normans to subdue the local communities and how did this affect their relations with the locals? What was the political, social and religious background of the different urban societies in southern Italy and Sicily and in what ways did this present a favourable ground for the Norman expansionist strategy? Was there any aspect of religious enthusiasm in the Norman conquests especially in Muslim Sicily, and if so, did it develop to some sort of religious persecution?
