A history of the Tower's development...

1. 
   The Normans
   It is with William the Conqueror (1066-87) that the history of the Tower of London begins.
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2. 
   Medieval Tower
   As a powerbase in peacetime and refuge in times of crisis, the Tower’s fortifications were updated and expanded by medieval kings.
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3. 
   The Tudors
   Henry VIII (1509-47) continued the work begun on the royal residential buildings by his father Henry VII, but on a grander scale.
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4. 
   Restoration
   Charles I’s reign (1625-49) ushered in a long and bloody civil war (1642-9) between the King and Parliament. Once again the Tower was one of the King’s most important assets.
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5. 
   19th-century Tower
   Work on the huge new barracks commenced. On 14 June 1845 the Duke laid the foundation stone on the barracks named after his greatest victory – Waterloo.
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6. 
   A modern Tower
   Two World Wars saw the Tower back in use as a prison and a place of execution. Between 1914 and 1916 several spies were held and subsequently executed there, including Franz Buschmann.
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7. 
   Further reading
   The bibliography of the Tower of London
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