After hundreds of years of Muslim incursions into formerly
Christian territories, the West was finally aroused to
resist. Kings, nobles, prelates, priests, monks, and
commoners were almost always motivated by religious belief and
zeal (albeit, perhaps mixed with more than a little bit of
escapism and greed and self interest). But who were the
motivators? Ultimately it may have been the Turkic leaders
who were expanding Islamic suzerainty, but that alone didn't
move anyone into action until besieged Byzantine emperors and
somewhat threatened Catholic popes (the latter often working
through charismatic preachers) got into the act.
This unit will look at the more important folks involved in the
first four crusades along with a few maps and illustrations to
show where they were active..
First Crusade -- 1096-1099:
Despite the organizational and logistics problems
involved, the First Crusade succeeded -- but only because of
disunity among its enemies.
Summaries:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Crusade
https://www.worldhistory.org/First_Crusade/
https://www.britannica.com/event/Crusades/The-First-Crusade-and-the-establishment-of-the-Latin-states
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crusades
Chronology - First Crusade 1095 - 1100
Launched by Pope Urban
II at the Council
of Clermont in 1095, the First Crusade was the most
successful. Urban gave a dramatic speech urging Christians to
swarm towards Jerusalem and make it safe for Christian pilgrims
by taking it away from the Muslims. The armies of the First
Crusade left in 1096 and captured Jerusalem in 1099. From these
conquered lands Crusaders carved out small kingdoms for
themselves which endured for some time, though not long enough
to have a real impact upon local culture.November 18,
1095 Pope Urban II opens the Council of
Clermont where ambassadors from the Byzantine emperor Alexius
I Comnenus, asking help against the Muslims, were warmly
received.
November 27, 1095
Pope Urban II calls for a Crusade (in Arabic: al-Hurub
al-Salibiyya, "Wars of the Cross") in a famous speech at the
Council of Clermont. Although his actual words have been lost,
tradition has it that he was so persuasive that the crowd
shouted out in response "Deus vult! Deus vult!" ("God wills
it"). Urban had earlier arranged that Raymond,
Count of Toulouse (also of St. Giles), would volunteer
to take up the cross then and there and offered other
participants two important concession: protection for their
estates at home while they were gone and plenary indulgence
for their sins. The inducements for other Europeans were just
as great: serfs were allowed the leave the land they were
bound to, citizens were free from taxation, debtors were given
a moratorium on interest, prisoners were released, death
sentences were commuted, and much more.
December 1095 Adhemar
de Monteil (also: Adémar, Aimar, or Aelarz), Bishop of
Le Puy, is chosen by Pope Urban II as the Papal Legate for the
First Crusade. Although various secular leaders would argue
amongst themselves over who led the Crusade, the pope always
regards Adhemar as its true leader, reflecting the primacy of
spiritual over political goals.
April 1096 The first of the four planned
Crusader armies arrives in Constantinople, at that time ruled
by Alexius I Comnenus.
April 20, 1096 Peter
the Hermit, a native of Amiens in France, leads 20,000
commoners out of Cologne on the Peasants' Crusade.
May 06, 1096 Rhineland
Massacres: Crusaders moving through the Rhine
Valley massacre Jews in Speyer. This is the first major
slaughter of a Jewish community by Crusaders marching to the
Holy Land.
May 18, 1096 Crusaders massacre Jews in
Worms, Germany. The Jews in Worms had heard about the massacre
in Speyer and try to hide - some in their homes and some even
in the bishop's palace, but they are unsuccessful.
May 27, 1096 Crusaders massacre Jews in
Mainz, Germany. The bishop hides over 1,000 in his cellars but
the Crusaders learn of this and kill most of them. Men, women,
and children of all ages are slaughtered indiscriminately.
May 30, 1096 Crusaders attack Jews in
Cologne, Germany, but most are protected by local citizens who
hide the Jews in their own houses. Archbishop Hermann
would later send them to safety in neighboring villages, but
the Crusaders would follow and slaughter hundreds.
June 1096 Crusaders led by Peter the Hermit
sack Semin and Belgrade, forcing Byzantine troops to flee to
Nish.
July 03, 1096 Peter the
Hermit's Peasants' Crusade meets Byzantine forces at Nish.
Although Peter is victorious and moves towards Constantinople,
about a quarter of his forces are lost.
July 12, 1096 Crusaders under the leadership
of Peter the Hermit reach Sofia, Hungary.
August 1096 Godfrey
De Bouillon, the Margrave of Antwerp and a direct
descendant of Charlemagne, sets off to join the First Crusade
at the head of an army of at least 40,000 soldiers. Godfrey is
the brother of Baldwin of Boulogne (the future Baldwin I of
Jerusalem..
August 01, 1096 The Peasants' Crusade, which
had departed from Europe that Spring, is shipped over the
Bosprous by Emperor Alexius I Comnenus of Constantinople.
Alexius I had welcomed these first Crusaders, but they are so
decimated by hunger and disease that they cause a great deal
of trouble, looting churches and houses around Constantinople.
Thus, Alexius has them taken to Anatolia as quickly as
possible. Made up of poorly organized groups led by Peter the
Hermit and
Walter the Pennyless (Gautier sans-Avoir, who had led a
separate contingent from Peter, most of whom were killed by
the Bulgarians), the Peasants' Crusade would proceed to
pillage Asia Minor but meet with a very messy end.
September 1096 A group from the Peasants'
Crusade is besieged at Xerigordon
and forced to surrender. Everyone is given a choice of
beheading or conversion. Those who convert in order to avoid
beheading are sent into slavery and never heard from again.
October 1096 Bohemond
I (Bohemond Of Otranto, French Bohémond De Tarente),
prince of Otranto (1089–1111) and one of the leaders of the
First Crusade, leads his troops across the Adriatic Sea.
Bohemond would be largely responsible for the capture of
Antioch and he was able to secure the title Prince of Antioch
(1098–1101, 1103–04).
October 1096 The Peasants' Crusade is
massacred at Civeot, Anatolia, by Turkish archers from Nicaea.
Only small children are spared the sword so that they could be
sent into slavery. Around 3,000 manage to escape back to
Constantinople where Peter the Hermit had been in negotiations
with Emperor Alexius I Comnenus.
October 1096 Raymond, Count of Toulouse
(also of St. Giles), leaves for the Crusade in the company of
Adhemar, the bishop of Puy and Papal Legate.
December 1096 The last of the four planned
Crusader armies arrives at Constantinople, bringing the total
numbers to approximately 50,000 knights and 500,000
footmen. Curiously there isn't a single king among the
Crusade leaders, a sharp difference from later Crusades. At
this time Philip I of France, William II of England, and Henry
IV of Germany are all under excommunication by Pope Urban II.
December 25, 1096 Godfrey De Bouillon, the
Margrave of Antwerp and a direct descendant of Charlemagne,
arrives in Constantinople. Godfrey would be the primary leader
of the First Crusade, thus making it a largely French war in
practice and causing the inhabitants of the Holy Land to refer
to Europeans generally as "Franks."
January 1097 Normans led by Bohemond I
destroy a village on the way to Constantinople because it is
inhabited by heretic Paulicians.
March 1097 After relations between Byzantine
leaders and the European Crusaders deteriorates, Godfrey De
Bouillon leads an attack on the Byzantine Imperial Palace at Blachernae.
April 26, 1097 Bohemond I joins his
Crusading forces with the Lorrainers under Godfrey De
Bouillon. Bohemond is not especially welcome in Constantinople
because his father, Robert
Guiscard, had invaded the Byzantine Empire and captured
the cities of Dyrrhachium and Corfu. ("Guiscard" is most
properly translated as (Wise Guy".)
May 1097 With the arrival of Duke
Robert of Normandy, all of the major participants of the
Crusades are together and the large force crosses into Asia
Minor. Peter the Hermit and his few remaining followers join
them. How many were there? Estimates vary wildly: 600,000
according to Fulcher
of Chartres, 300,000 according to Ekkehard,
and 100,000 according to Raymond
of Aguilers. Modern scholars place their numbers at
around 7,000 knights and 60,000 infantry.
May 21, 1097 Crusaders begin the siege of
Nicaea, a mostly Christian city guarded by several thousand
Turkish troops. Byzantine Emperor Alexius I Comnenus has a
strong interest in the capture of this heavily fortified city
because it lies just 50 miles from Constantinople itself.
Nicaea is at this time under the control of Kilij
Arslan (Dawud Kılıj Arslan ibn Süleyman ibn Kut
al-Mish), sultan of the Seljuk Turkish state of Rhüm (a
reference to Rome). Unfortunately for him Arslan and the bulk
of his military forces are at war with a neighboring Emir when
the crusaders arrive; although he quickly makes peace in order
to lift the siege, he would be unable to arrive in time.
June 19, 1097 Crusaders captured Antioch
after a long siege. This had delayed progress towards
Jerusalem by a year.
June 19, 1097 The city of Nicaea surrenders
to the Crusaders. Emperor Alexius I Comnenus of Constantinople
makes a deal with the Turks that puts the city in his hands
and kicks the Crusaders out. In not allowing them to pillage
Nicaea, Emperor Alexius engenders a great deal of animosity
towards the Byzantine Empire.
July 01, 1097 Battle of Dorylaeum: While
travelling from Nicaea to Antioch, the Crusaders split their
forces into two groups and Kilij Arslan seizes the opportunity
to ambush some of them near Dorylaeum. In what would become
known as the Battle of Dorylaeum, Bohemond I is saved by
Raymond of Toulouse. This could have been a disaster for the
Crusaders, but the victory frees them of both supply problems
and from harassment by Turks for a while.
August 1097 Godfrey of Bouillon temporarily
occupies the Seljuk city of Iconium (Konya).
September 10, 1097 Splitting off from the
main Crusading force, Tancred
of Hauteville captures Tarsus. Tancred is a grandson of
Robert Guiscard and nephew of Bohemund of Taranto.
October 20, 1097 The first
Crusaders arrived at Antioch
October 21, 1097 The Crusaders' siege of
the strategically important city of Antioch begins. Located
in the mountainous region of Orontes, Antioch had never been
captured by any means other than treachery and is so large
that the Crusader army is unable to completely surround it.
During this siege Crusaders learn to chew on the reeds known
to Arabs as sukkar - this is their first experience
with sugar and they come to like it.
December 21, 1097 First Battle of Harenc:
Because of the size of their forces, Crusaders besieging
Antioch are constantly running short of food and conduct
raids into the neighboring regions despite the risk of
Turkish ambushes. One of the largest of these raids consists
of a force of 20,000 men under the command of Bohemond and
Robert of Flanders. At this same time, Duqaq of Damascus had
been approaching Antioch with a large relief army. Robert is
quickly surrounded, but Bohemond comes up quickly and
relieves Robert. There are heavy casualties on both sides
and Duqaq is forced to withdraw, abandoning his plan to
relieve Antioch.
February 1098 Tancred and his forces
rejoin the main body of Crusaders, only to find Peter the
Hermit attempting to flee to Constantinople. Tancred makes
sure that Peter returns to continue the fight.
February 09, 1098 Second Battle of Harenc:
Ridwan
of Aleppo, titular ruler of Antioch, raises an army to
relieve the besieged city of Antioch. The Crusaders learn of
his plans and launch a preemptive assault with their
remaining 700 heavy cavalry. The Turks are forced into
retreat to Aleppo, a city in northern Syria, and the plan to
relieve Antioch is abandoned.
March 10, 1098 Christian citizens of
Edessa, a powerful Armenian kingdom that controls a region
from the coastal plain of Cilicia all the way to the
Euphrates, surrenders to Baldwin
of Boulogne. Possession of this region would provide a
secure flank to the Crusaders.
June 01, 1098 Stephen
of Blois takes a large contingent of Franks and
abandons the siege of Antioch after he hears that Emir Kerboga of
Mosul with an army of 75,000 is drawing near to
relieve the besieged city.
June 03, 1098 The Crusaders
under the command of Bohemond I capture Antioch, despite their
numbers having been depleted by numerous defections during the
previous months. The reason is treachery: Bohemond conspires
with Firouz, an Aremenian convert to Islam and captain of the
guard, to allow the Crusaders access to the Tower of the Two
Sisters. Bohemond is named Prince of Antioch.
June 05, 1098 Emir Kerboga, Attabeg of
Mosul, finally arrives at Antioch with an army of 75,000 men
and lays siege to the Christians who had just captured the
city themselves (although they do not have full control of it
- there are still defenders barricaded in the citadel). In
fact, the positions which they had occupied a couple of days
before are now occupied by the Turkish forces. A relief army
commanded by the Byzantine Emperor turns back after Stephen of
Blois convinces them that the situation in Antioch is
hopeless. For this, Alexius is never forgiven by the Crusaders
and many would claim that Alexius' failure to help them
released them from their vows of fealty to him.
June 10, 1098 Peter
Bartholomew, a servant of a member of Count Raymond's
army, experiences a vision of the Holy Lance
being located at Antioch. Also known as the Spear of Destiny
or the Spear of Longinus, this artifact is alleged to be the
spear that pierced the side of Jesus Christ when he was on the
cross.
June 14, 1098 The Holy Lance is "discovered"
by Peter Bartholomew subsequent to a vision from Jesus Christ
and St. Andrew that it is located in Antioch, recently
captured by the Crusaders. This dramatically improves the
spirits of the Crusaders now besieged in Antioch by Emir
Kerboga, Attabeg of Mosul.
June 28, 1098 Battle of Orontes: Following
the Holy Lance "discovery" in Antioch, the Crusaders drive
back a Turkish army under the command of Emir Kerboga, Attabeg
of Mosul, sent to recapture the city. This battle is generally
regarded as having been decided by morale because the Muslim
army, split by internal dissent, numbers 75,000 strong but is
defeated by a mere 15,000 tired and poorly equipped Crusaders.
August 01, 1098 Adhemar, Bishop of Le Puy
and nominal leader of the First Crusade, dies during an
epidemic. With this, Rome's direct control over the Crusade
effectively ends.
December 11, 1098 Crusaders capture the city
of M'arrat-an-Numan,
a small city east of Antioch. According to reports, Crusaders
are observed eating the flesh of both adults and children; as
a consequence, the Franks would be labeled "cannibals" by
Turkish historians.
January 13, 1099 Raymond of Toulouse leads
the first contingents of Crusaders away from Antioch and
towards Jerusalem. Bohemund disagrees with Raymond's plans and
remains in Antioch with his own forces.
February, 1099 Raymond of Toulouse captures
the Krak
des Chevaliers, but he is forced to abandon it in order
to continue his march to Jerusalem.
February 14, 1099 Raymond of Toulouse begins
a siege of Arqah, but he would be forced to give up in April.
April 08, 1099 Long criticized by doubters
that he had truly found the Holy Lance, Peter Bartholomew
agrees to the suggestion of priest Arnulf
Malecorne that he undergo a trial by fire in order to
prove the relic's authenticity. He dies of his injuries on
April 20, but because he does not die immediately Malecorne
declares the trial a success and the Lance genuine.
June 06, 1099 Citizens of Bethlehem plead
with Tancred of Bouillon (nephew of Bohemond) to protect them
from the approaching Crusaders who had by this time acquired a
reputation for vicious looting of cities they capture.
June 07, 1099 The Crusaders reach the gates
of Jerusalem. then controlled by governor Iftikhar
ad-Daula. Although the Crusaders had originally marched
out of Europe to take Jerusalem back from the Turks, the
Fatimids had already expelled the Turks the year before. The
Fatimid caliph offers the Crusaders a generous peace agreement
that includes protection of Christian pilgrims and worshippers
in the city, but the Crusaders are uninterested in anything
less than full control of the Holy City - nothing short of
unconditional surrender would satisfy them.
July 08, 1099 The Crusaders attempt to take
Jerusalem by storm but fail. According to reports, they
originally attempt to march around the walls under the
leadership of priests in the hope that the walls would simply
crumble, as did the walls of Jericho in biblical stories. When
that fails, unorganized attacks are launched with no effect.
July 10, 1099 Death of Ruy Diaz de
Vivar, known as El Cid (= Siidi = Arabic for "lord").
July 13, 1099 Armies of the first Crusade
launch a final assault on Muslims in Jerusalem.
July 15, 1099 Crusaders breach the walls of
Jerusalem at two points: Godfrey of Bouillon and his brother
Baldwin at St. Stephen's Gate on the north wall and Count
Raymond at the Jaffa Gate on the west wall, thus allowing them
to capture the city. Estimates place the number of casualties
as high as 100,000. Tancred of Hauteville, a grandson of
Robert Guiscard and nephew of Bohemund of Taranto, is the
first Crusader through the walls. The day is Friday, Dies
Veneris, the anniversary of when Christians believe that Jesus
redeemed the world and is the first of two days of
unprecedented slaughter.
July 16, 1099 Crusaders herd Jews of
Jerusalem into a synagogue and set it on fire.
July 22, 1099 Raymond IV of Toulouse is
offered the title King of Jerusalem but he turns it down and
leaves the region. Godfrey De Bouillon is offered the same
title and turns it down as well, but is willing to be named
Advocatus Sancti Seplchri (Advocate of the Holy Sepulcher),
the first Latin ruler of Jerusalem. This kingdom would endure
in one form or another for several hundred years but it would
always be in a precarious position. It is based upon a long,
narrow strip of land with no natural barriers and whose
population is never entirely conquered. Continual
reinforcements from Europe are required but not always
forthcoming.
July 29, 1099 Pope Urban II dies. Urban had
followed the lead set by his predecessor, Gregory
VII, by working to enhance the power of the papacy
against the power of secular rulers. He also became known for
having initiated the first of the Crusades against Muslim
powers in the Middle East. Urban dies, though, without ever
learning that the First Crusade had taken Jerusalem and was a
success. (Urban II was succeeded by Pascal
II, who had to contend with three successive
anti-popes.)
August 1099 Records indicate that Peter the
Hermit, principal leader of the failed Peasants' Crusade,
serves as leader of the supplicatory processions in Jerusalem
which occur prior to the battle of Ascalon.
August 12, 1099 Battle of Ascalon: Crusaders
successfully fight off an Egyptian army sent to relieve
Jerusalem. Prior to its capture by the Crusaders, Jerusalem
had been under the control of the Fatamid
Caliphate of Egypt, and the vizier of Egypt, al-Afdal,
raises an army of 50,000 men that outnumber the remaining
Crusaders five to one, but which is inferior in quality. This
is the final battle in the First Crusade.
September 13, 1099 Crusaders set fire to
Mara, Syria.
First Crusade Aftermath 1100 - 1143
1100 Islamic rule is weakened because of
power struggles among Islamic leaders and the Christian
crusades.
1100 Bohemund of Taranto is captured by the
Seljuks. His nephew, Tancred of Hauteville, becomes regent of
Antioch.
1100 With the support of Pisan merchants, Daimbert
(aka Dagobert), the Archbishop of Pisa forces Godfrey of
Bouillon to dismiss Arnulf and make Daimbert himself the first
official Patriarch of Jerusalem.
1100 Byzantine emperor Alexius I Comnenus
launches new attacks on the Seljuk Turks.
June 1100 Godfrey De Bouillon attempts to
negotiate a deal with the Venetians: they could take a third
of any city they help capture plus trading rights throughout
the Kingdom of Jerusalem if they support him against his
political rivals.
July 18, 1100 Godfrey De Bouillon dies while
attempting to conquer Egypt.
December 11, 1100 Baldwin of Boulogne (also
Baldwin of Edessa) is crowned King of Jerusalem (Baldwin I).
The position is grander in name than in practice. The
"kingdom" is divided into four feudal principalities over
which Baldwin has limited control. His power is further
checked by an ecclesiastical hierarchy which is subject only
to the pope in Rome. Finally, several port cities are
controlled by Italian city-states like Venice and Genoa as the
price for the naval aid and sea trade upon which the Latin
Kingdom depends for survival.
December 25, 1100 Baldwin I is actually
crowned King of Jerusalem on Christmas Day.
1101 Raymond IV of Toulouse, count of
Tripoli, captures Ankara from the Seljuk Turks.
March 1101 Milan archbishop Anselm of Buis
and Count Albert of Biandrate arrive at Constantinople with a
Lombard army in order to launch attacks on Muslims in the Holy
Land.
April 1101 Baldwin I negotiates a deal with
Genoese merchant similar to that attempted by Godrey de
Bouillon with Venetians the previous year: they could take a
third of any city they help capture plus trading rights
throughout the Kingdom of Jerusalem if they support him
against political rivals. With the Genoese aid, Baldwin is
able to capture the cities of Arsulf and Caesarea.
May 1101 An Egyptian army marches towards
Ascalon in order to drive out the Crusading invaders from the
Holy Land.
August 1101 Battle of Heraclia: Turks under
Kilij Arslan I are able to halt the advance of the final waves
of Crusading armies from Europe travelling to reinforce the
new Crusader States in Syria.
September 1101 First Battle of Ramleh: An
Egyptian army under emir Sa'ad ed-Daula al-Qawasi is defeated
by Baldwin I, though at the cost of nearly half his knights.
The two forces had spent the entire summer facing off against
each other, neither side willing to initiate action. Only
after more reinforcements arrived from Egypt did Baldwin
decide to act. With around 260 knights and fewer than 1000
infantry he charged Muslim positions defended by around 10,000
soldiers. Gripped by panic the Egyptians fled after they
nearly won and Baldwin chased them all the way back to Ascalon
1102 Valencia is captured by the Almoravids,
Berbers from the Sahara.
1102 Crusaders capture Caesarea Palaestina.
April 1102 Second Battle of Ramleh: Thinking
that they would face an Egyptian scouting party, Baldwin I
rides out with Stephen of Blois and Stephen of Burgundy. This
time, though, they faced an Egyptian army twice the size of
the previous. With a mere 500 knights or so, the Christian
Crusaders are unable to achieve victory a second time. Most
are killed and a few escape, including Baldwin who manages to
reach Arsulf.
May 1102 Ships bearing English and German
Crusaders arrive at Jaffa. With these additional forces,
Baldwin I is once again able to mount effective cavalry
charges against the Muslims who had been besieging the city
and, once again, drove the Egyptians back as far as Ascalon.
1103 Bohemund I of Antioch is released from
imprisonment among the Turks.
1103 Baldwin I lays siege to Acre, but an
Egyptian fleet is able to rescue them.
1104 Battle of Harran: Baldwin II, count of
Edessa, is taken captive and Tancred of Hauteville assumes
control of the County of Edessa in his place. At the same time
King Baldwin I of Jerusalem is able to capture Acre with the
aid of a fleet from Genoa.
August 27, 1105 Third Battle of Ramleh: The
Egyptians try one more time to wrest control of Jerusalem from
the Crusaders but fail. This time Egyptian forces are better
able to stand up to the cavalry charges of mounted knights,
but an effective defense had not been perfected, allowing the
smaller numbers of Crusaders to defeat much larger Muslim
forces. After this, no more large invasions were launched from
Egypt - raids, yes, but no concerted attempts to conquer the
Crusaders states.
1107 Baldwin Le Bourg, later Baldwin II, is
released by the Turks and has to fight Tancred of Hauteville
to regain control of Edessa.
1107 Death of Pisa archbishop Daimbert in
Messina. Daimbert had been chosen by Pope Urban II to replace
Adhémar as spiritual leader of the Crusades.
September 1108 Bohemond of Taranto
surrenders to the Greeks.
December 04, 1108 The armies of the First
Crusade conquer Sidon.
May 05, 1109 Moors under the command of
Masdali re-capture Valencia and it would not return to
Christian hands for another 225 years.
July 01, 1109 Death of Alfonso VI of
Castile. Alfonso was known for his attempts to drive the Moors
out of Spain.
July 12, 1109 Crusaders capture the harbor
city of Tripoli, located along the coast of Palestine.
July 25, 1109 Birth of Alfonso I Henriques
of Portugal at Guimarães. The first king of Portugal, Alfonso
would create the nation of Portugal by liberating it from
Muslim invaders and attempts at dominance from Castile in
Spain.
1110 Tancred of Hauteville retakes the Krak
des Chevaliers.
May 1110 The Franks overrun Muslim defenses
in Beirut.
February 17, 1111 The Sultan's Minbar in
Baghdad is destroyed by Ibn Al-Khashshab.
March 11, 1111 Death of Bohemond I (Bohemond
Of Otranto, French Bohémond De Tarente), prince of
Otranto (1089–1111) in Canossa, Apulia. One of the leaders of
the First Crusade, Bohemond had been largely responsible for
the capture of Antioch and he had secured the title Prince of
Antioch (1098–1101, 1103–04).
1112 Death of Tancred of Hauteville, a
grandson of Robert Guiscard and nephew of Bohemund of Taranto,
in Antioch while using the name Bohemund II.
February 15, 1113 The Knights Hospitaller
receive formal papal recognition as a separate and independent
monastic order. The Hospitallers would play an important role
in the security of the Crusader states in the Middle East.
1115 A Muslim army is dispatched by Sultan
Mohammed to fight European Crusaders in Syria.
1115 Baldwin I, Latin King of Jerusalem.
builds the Krak de Montreal in the Negev desert. This would
become one of the strongest and most heavily fortified of all
the Crusader castles.
July 08, 1115 Death of Peter the Hermit.
According to tradition, Peter was one of those primarily
responsible for spreading the fervor which helped launch the
First Crusade.
1118 Baldwin I, Latin King of Jerusalem.
leads expedition against Muslim forces in Egypt. No Egyptian
leader is willing to challenge Baldwin, even though his force
comprises of around 200 knights and 600 soldiers. He is able
to advances as far as the Nile river until he is forced to
turn back due to illness.
1118 - 1143 John II Comnenos serves as Byzantine
emperor. Also known as Kalo Ioannes (John the Beautiful), John
has a very mild reign marked by personal piety and efforts to
restore the former extent of the Empire before the Turks
captured so much territory through Asia Minor.
April 02, 1118 Death of Baldwin I; Baldwin
Le Bourg is named his successor. King Baldwin II. Baldwin I
had been the real founder of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem
and the real force behind its expansion. Baldwin the second is
his cousin and the choice of the various barons.
April 14, 1118 Baldwin II is crowned King of
Jerusalem. Baldwin would support the religious military
orders, expands the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem. and holds firm
against the attacks of Seljuk Turks.
August 15, 1118 Death of Alexius I Comnenus,
Byzantine emperor.
December 19, 1118 Sargossa in Spain falls to
the Crusaders.
1119 Hugues de Payens founds the Order of
Knights Templar in Jerusalem. The name came from the fact that
their headquarters was on the site of Solomon's Temple.
June 27, 1119 Battle of the Field of Blood
(Ager Sanguinis): Muslim forces defeat Roger of Antioch and a
Frankish army at Aleppo. Baldwin II comes to try to save as
many as he can.
July 1119 A Muslim army is assembled under
the command of Ilghazi, Turkish Emir of Mardin, and the Emir
of Damascus.
August 01, 1119 Forces of the First Crusade
are defeated in the battle of Sarmada.
August 14, 1119 Crusaders under Baldwin II
are able to stop the advances of Turks under Tel-Danith.
1122 Balak, nephew of Ilghazi, Turkish Emir
of Mardin, captures Joscelin, the cousin of King Baldwin II.
1123 Balak, nephew of Ilghazi, Turkish Emir
of Mardin, takes King Baldwin II prisoner.
May 1123 A Venetian fleet defeats an
Egyptian fleet at Ascalon.
February 14, 1124 Crusaders, mostly Franks
and Venetians, begin a siege of Tyre.
June 1124 After the death of Balak, nephew
of Ilghazi, Turkish Emir of Mardin, King Baldwin II is
released by Timurtash, son of Balak.
July 07, 1124 Tyre is starved into
submission with the aid of a Venetian sea blockade. This means
that most of the Mediterranean coast is now in the hands of
the Crusaders and under the control of the Latin Kingdom of
Jerusalem.
October 1124 King Baldwin II reneges on the
conditions of his release, forms alliances with Arab enemies
of Timurtash, and attacks his positions around Aleppo. Baldwin
is only stopped when il-Bursuqi, atabeg of Mosul, intervenes.
1125 Assassins kill Ibn Al-Khashshsab.
June 11, 1125 Battle of Azaz: Crusaders
under Baldwin II, Joscelin I, and Pons of Tripoli defeat the
Seljuk Turks under il-Bursuqi, atabeg of Mosul. This battle
involves what might be the largest collection of Crusader
knights assembled: at least 1,100.
November 1126 Il-Bursuqi, atabeg of Mosul,
is assassinated.
1127 Imad ad-Din Zengi becomes the Seljuk
Atabeg (Governor) of Mosul. Founder of the Zengid Dynasty,
Zengi would play a key role in the launching of the Second
Crusade.
January 13, 1128 At the Council of Troyes,
the Templars receive the formal rules of their order,
originally commissioned by St. Bernard, and are granted
official recognition.
May 1129 Fulk V, Count of Anjou, marries
Melisende, daughter and heir of Baldwin II, king of Jerusalem.
November 1129 Crusaders launch attacks on
Damascus but Baldwin is unable to achieve his goal of
capturing the city.
1130 The Almohad (al-Muwahhidun) Dynasty
rises to power. Taking the name "the Unitarians," this group
of Berber Muslims would supplant the Almoravid (al-Murabitun)
Dynasty and is inspired by the teachings of reformist Berber
scholar Ibn Tumart who dies this same year.
August 21, 1131 Death of King Baldwin II of
Jerusalem. Count Fulk of Anjoy is named his successor. With
this, the first generation of Crusaders effectively ends.
September 1131 Count Fulk of Anjoy is
crowned the third king of Jerusalem.
March 05, 1133 Birth of Henry II
Plantagenet. As king of England Henry would answer the call to
join the Third Crusade but he would die before being able to
do anything. His son, Richard I Lionheart, would become one of
the leaders of the Third Crusade.
May 13, 1133 Honen, founder of the Jodo sect
of Japanese Pure Land Buddhism, was born in Inaoka, Mimasaka
province of Japan.
1135 The Seljuk Turk domination of Baghdad
ends.
March 30, 1135 Medieval Jewish scholar Moses
Maimonides was born.
1137 John II Comnenus, successor to Alexius
I Comnenus as Byzantine Emperor, leads a military campaign
against Armenia and Antioch.
July 1137 An army under the command of Count
Fulk of Anjoy, King of Jerusalem. is ambushed by Muslim forces
commanded by Imad ad-Din Zengi. Count Raymond of Tripoli is
killed, but Count Fulk is able to escape to the Crusader
castle of Montferrand which Zengi had been besieging. Unable
to get help in time, Fulk surrenders Montferrand to Zengi in
return for the freedom of all the Crusaders there.
1138 Birth of Salah-al-Din Yusuf ib-Ayyub
(Salah al-Din, Saladin), one of the greatest heroes of Islamic
history because of his success in stopping the European
Crusaders and recapturing much of the land they had conquered
from Muslims. Saladin is a Kurd who acquires a strong
reputation in Europe both for his fighting skills and his
honorable diplomacy.
March 1138 Conrad III (first German king of
the Hohenstaufen dynasty and uncle of Frederick I Barbarossa,
an early leader of the Third Crusade) is elected king of the
Romans and ruler of Germany. Conrad would help lead the Second
Crusade.
1139 Imad ad-Din Zengi attacks Damascus
which, in turn, asks Count Fulk for aid. Fulk agrees and takes
a Crusader army north, forcing Zengi to withdraw. Christian
Crusaders arriving from Europe were unable to comprehend how
or why a Christian leader would ally himself in this fashion
with a Muslim leader. The fact of the matter was, keeping the
Muslims divided served the Christian cause; moreover, the
Crusader states were too weak to stand on their own and
depended upon such alliances.
July 26, 1139 Battle of Ourique: Afonso I
Henriques defeats a large Almoravid force and is crowned king
of Portugal. Alfonso creates the nation of Portugal by
liberating it from Muslim invaders and attempts at dominance
from Castile in Spain.
1140 - 1125 1125 Pope Callistus II launches
a Crusade against Spain and eastern regions controlled by
Muslims.
1142 Raymond II, count of Tripoli, gives the
Krak des Chevalier to the Knights Hospitaller. Here they
establish their headquarters and make it the largest Crusader
fortress in the Holy Land. It would later prove to be a
significant problem for Saladin's efforts to reconquer the
region.
1143 The eldest son of Fulk of Jerusalem
becomes Baldwin III, king of Jerusalem (under the regency of
his mother, which lasted until 1152). Baldwin III is the first
king of Jerusalem actually born in Palestine.
April 08, 1143 Death of John II Comnenus,
Byzantine emperor. John was evidently poisoned by accident by
one of his own arrows during a hunt.
November 04, 1143 While out riding, Count
Fulk's horse throws him and he strikes his head hard. The king
of Jerusalem would die three days later.
November 07, 1143 Count Fulk of Anjou, king
of Jerusalem and leader of the Christian Crusaders in the Holy
Land, dies after having been thrown from his horse three days
earlier. Fulk's wife, Melisende, becomes regent.
December 24, 1144 Muslim forces under the
command of Imad ad-Din Zengi re-capture Edessa, originally
taken by Crusaders under Baldwin of Boulogne in 1098. This
event makes Zengi a hero among Muslims and leads to a call for
a Second Crusade in Europe.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To expand images, click on the small images or on the links
immediately below small images.
http://www.mmdtkw.org/CRUS0001-FirstCrusadeRouteMap.jpg
Getting there -- Wherever they started, and whether or not their
route included a sea voyage, all the crusaders funneled through
Constantinople. In that city the leaders were flattered
and given gifts, and they and their armies were hustled through
before they could do too much damage to the city. (They
had already done enough damage before they got to
Constantinople.) When in Constantinople the Crusades
leaders promised to return to the Emperor cities and Byzantine
territories that were recovered from the Turks. They may
even have been sincere when they made their promises, but they
found reasons not to honor their pledges.
http://www.mmdtkw.org/CRUS0200-LondonPsalterMapSlide.jpg
Like most European late Medieval maps, the London Psalter Map
places Jerusalem at the center of the earth. For more
information, see http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/mapsviews/psalter/.
http://www.mmdtkw.org/CRUS0209-Alexios_I_Komnenos.jpg
http://www.mmdtkw.org/CRUS0210-AnnaKomnene.jpg
Alexios i Komnenos was the grandson of a previous Byzantine
Emperor. His father had refused the succession and a
member of another family was crowned. Alexios had a fine
military career fighting Pechenegs, Normans, and Turks for the
new Emperor, and eventually used his family and military
connections to oust the Emperor and install himself. As
Emperor, Alexios found himself gradually losing territory to the
Seljuk Turks -- to the point that the Turks were posing a
serious threat to his capital, Constantinople. The threat
eventually got serious enough that he took the drastic step of
asking the Pope of western Catholicism for help. For his
own reasons, Pope Urban I responded affirmatively.
Anna Komnene was the very well educated and competent daughter
of Emperor Alexios I. But she also had more than a touch
of hero worship concerning members of the Komnenoi family and
especially her father. Despite her clear exaggeration of
his exploits and abilities and despite occasional errors in
chronology her book, the Alexiad, written thirty years
after the death of Alexios, is still the best available source
of information about the Byzantine court, its allies, and its
enemies. The book is also the first known history of any
kind written by a woman.
For more information on Alexios I, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexios_I_Komnenos.
For more information on Anna Komnena, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Komnene.
For the entire text of the Alexiad in English translation, see http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/AnnaComnena-Alexiad.asp.
http://www.mmdtkw.org/CRUS0201-Urban1042-1099.jpg
http://www.mmdtkw.org/CRUS0202-UrbanSpeechCleremont.jpg
http://www.mmdtkw.org/CRUS0203-UrbanIIClermont.jpg
Pope Urban I responded positively to pleas for help from Alexios
I Komnenos, the Byzantine Emperor. It's not ours to
gainsay Urban's altruistic and religious motives, but it's also
naive to think that he wouldn't know that he would benefit in
prestige and power by being the person who got the First Crusade
rolling.
For Information on Urban, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Urban_II
. For Urban's speech at Cleremont, see http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/urban2-fulcher.html.
http://www.mmdtkw.org/CRUS0204-AdhemarDeLePuy.jpg
http://www.mmdtkw.org/CRUS0205-Adhemar.jpeg
http://www.mmdtkw.org/CRUS0206-Adhemar1087-1098.jpg
Adhemar was Bishop of Puy-en-Velay and, on hearing Urban's
Clermont speech in 1095 he became an enthusiastic proselytizer
of the idea of reconquering Jerusalem for Christianity.
The Pope named Adhemar as his Legate -- i.e., put him in charge
of the spiritual guidance of those who took the cross. By
all accounts he was a great organizer both in the planning and
carrying out of Crusade plans. His charismatic preaching
is what really convinced Europeans to participate and his
mediation abilities clearly kept the military leaders in harness
-- that is demonstrated by what the disunity after his death
(probably of typhus) on August 1, 1098. When he was gone,
disputes among the higher nobles went unsolved, and the march to
Jerusalem was delayed for months. The lower-class foot
soldiers continued to think of dead Adhemar as a leader; some of
them claimed to have been visited by his ghost during the siege
of Jerusalem, and reported that Adhemar instructed them to hold
another procession around the walls. When this was done,
Jerusalem was taken by the Crusaders in 1099.
If you have access to the JSTOR database (which Encore Learning
Members can arrange through George Mason U.) see the article at
http://www.jstor.org/stable/2853164.
http://www.mmdtkw.org/CRUS0207-RaimondAdhemar.jpg
http://www.mmdtkw.org/CRUS0208-Raymond_IV_of_Toulouse.jpg
Raymond IV of Toulouse was chosen by Adhemar to be the military
leader of the Crusade. He took part in several early
confrontations with Muslim forces but did not distinguish
himself until Antioch. He left Antioch to a rival,
Bohemond, and led the march towar Jerusalem. After taking
Jerusalem (with well known atrocities against the civilian
population) he declined the kingship and left the city in the
hands of Geofrey de Bouillon, who took the title
"Princeps".
For more info on Raymond IV, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_IV,_Count_of_Toulouse.
http://www.mmdtkw.org/CRUS0211-PeterHermit.jpg
http://www.mmdtkw.org/CRUS0212-PeterHermit-GautierSansAvoir.jpg
While Adhemar and Raymond were organizing the First Crusade,
another unofficial "People's Crusade" made a premature
start. It was led by another charismatic preacher, Peter
the Hermit, and Peter's military appointee Gautier sans Avoir
(incorrectly translated as Walter the Penniless). Some of
the People's crusades committed atrocities against Jews in
Europe even before crossing into Byzantine territory. The
pogroms were condemned by the Pope and the "official" First
Crusade leaders, but similar activities by members of later
Crusades further blackened the reputation of the Crusades and
the Church that sponsored them. Alexios expeditiously
ushered the "People's Crusade" through Constantinople and into
Khilij Arslan's Caliphate of Rum where Khilij easily massacred
the whole operation. It was so easy, in fact, that Khilij
got the false impression that the later and much better
organized real First Crusade would also be easy pickings.
That underestimation would later cost Khilij dearly.
Peter the Hermit is all over the Internet. (Enter "peter
the hermit" -- with the quotation marks and lower case letters
into your search engine unless you really want to know about
Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits.) Contemporary
descriptions of Peter the Hermit and his companions are
available at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/peterhermit.asp.
Also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_the_Hermit.
http://www.mmdtkw.org/CRUS0213-KilijArslan.jpg
http://www.mmdtkw.org/CRUS0214-KilijRum.jpg
Kilij Arslan I was the Sultan of Rum from 1092 until his death
in 1107, and his territory included all the possible land routes
for armies of the First Crusade. Kilij easily wiped out
two columns of the People's Crusade (1096), which gave him a
false sense of security. When the real First Crusade
arrived Kilij lost his capita city Nicaea (he was away fighting
Danishmends) and the crusader army also defeated him at
Dorylaeum. Kilij was just a speed bump in the way of the
First Crusade. He did, however, regoup and won three
battles against reinforcement armies in a minor (i.e.,
unnumbered) crusade in 1101. Kilij died while trying to
escape from a battle he lost against a Turkish rival in Syria in
1107.
For more information on Kilij I, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilij_Arslan_I.
http://www.mmdtkw.org/CRUS0215-PostCrusade1Map1200.jpg
http://www.mmdtkw.org/CRUS0216-Byzantines-Caliphate.jpg
Two maps show who controlled what in the Middle East at the end
of the First Crusade. The caption of the second map
explains the meaning of the Arabic/Islamic titles: Caliph,
Sultan, Emir, and Shaykh (Sheik).
http://www.mmdtkw.org/CRUS0217-HughVermandois1057-1101-1.jpg
http://www.mmdtkw.org/CRUS0218-HughVermandois1057-1101-2.jpg
Not all of the crusaders were all that great -- even those
called Magnus or le Grand, which mean "the Great". Hugues
I 'le Grand' de Vermandois (Capet), Comte de Vermandois is the
archetype of the not so great. Anna Komnena's description
of him in the Alexiad (Book 10, Chapter 7 -- "Ubus") makes it
clear that Hugh was a pompous ass.
Read about 'Ubus" (Hugh/Hugues) in the Alexiad at (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/AnnaComnena-Alexiad10.asp
-- about half way down) or see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_I,_Count_of_Vermandois.
Steven Runciman thought "Magnus" must have been a clerical error
for "Minor", which would have meant he was the younger brother
of King Phillip I Capet of France. The Magnus
sobriquet might also have been applied in
confusion with an earlier Hugues 'le Grand' de Paris (Capet),
Comte de Paris who lived from 898 to 956.
Sir
James Cochran Stevenson RUNCIMAN, CH, FBA (7
July 1903 – 1 November 2000) — known as Steven Runciman — was a
British historian known for his work on the Middle Ages. His
best known work is his three volume A History of the
Crusades (1951-54).
http://www.mmdtkw.org/CRUS0219-GodfreyDeBouillon.jpg
http://www.mmdtkw.org/CRUS0220-GeofreyDeBouillon1060-1100.jpg
Godfrey (or Geofrey) de Bouillon was the Duke of Lower Lorraine
and had a les than distinguished crusader career until he and a
few of his knights were the first over the wall in
Jerusalem. When Raymond of Toulouse turned down the chance
to be first ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the kingship was
offered to Godfrey. Godfrey refused to be called King of
"God's City", but he did accept the title of Princeps (usually
translated as "first citizen" and from which comes the word
"prince"), Duke, or Advocatus (Protector) of the Holy
Sepulchre. Despite his own reticence, Godfrey is usually
called the "First King of Jerusalem". Later rulers
unabashedly called themselves Kings.
Whatever his title, Godfrey didn't hold it long:
"While he was besieging the city of
Acre, Godfrey, the ruler of Jerusalem, was struck by an arrow,
which killed him", reports the Arab chronicler Ibn
al-Qalanisi. Christian chronicles make no mention of
this; instead, Albert of Aix and Ekkehard of Aura report that
Godfrey contracted an illness in Caesarea in June, 1100.
It was later believed that the emir of Caesarea had poisoned
him, but there seems to be no basis for this rumour; William
of Tyre does not mention it. It is also said that he
died after eating a poisoned apple. In any event, he
died in Jerusalem after suffering from a prolonged illness.
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godfrey_of_Bouillon
http://www.mmdtkw.org/CRUS0222-BohemondAntioch-Dore2.jpg
http://www.mmdtkw.org/CRUS0223-BohemondSiculoNormans.jpg
http://www.mmdtkw.org/CRUS0224-Bohemond_PatriarchDaimbert.jpg
http://www.mmdtkw.org/CRUS0225-BohemondFinale.jpg
http://www.mmdtkw.org/CRUS0226-BohemundSummingUp.jpg
http://www.mmdtkw.org/CRUS0227-BohemondAntioch.JPG
Most participants of the First Crusades had good motives.
One of the few who were in it for themselves was, by all
accounts, Bohemond. He rook Antioch for himself and barely
lost out as he raced toward Jerusalem when Godfrey died.
Unlike the braggart Hugues I 'le Grand', Bohemond successfully
promoted himself as greatest of the crusaders. His story
can be read in the captions of the seven images above or at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohemond_I_of_Antioch.
http://www.mmdtkw.org/CRUS0228a-Pecheneg.jpg
The Pechenegs were a subgroup of the Turkic people who spoke
variants of the Oghuz Turkic language. All we really know
about them is that they were an early (i.e.. pre-Crusade)
irritant in the northern Byzantine border area. They were
skilled mounted warriors who fought on their own behalf or, at
various time fought for whoever would pay them the most.
During the First Crusadeand succeeding crusades, they appeared
as mercenaries on one or the other side (or both sides) of the
battle lines.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pechenegs
Also see http://world.guns.ru/machine/rus/pecheneg-e.html
for the equally dangerous post-Cold War Russian light machine
gun.
http://www.mmdtkw.org/CRUS0228b-HuguesDePayens-Templar.jpg
http://www.mmdtkw.org/CRUS0228c-HuguesDePayens-Templar1070-1136.jpg
http://www.mmdtkw.org/CRUS0228d-Krak_des_chevaliers1.jpg
http://www.mmdtkw.org/CRUS0228e-Krak_des_chevaliers2.jpg
Templars: After the First Crusade, the newly formed
crusader states were barely able to hold their own core areas
and definitely were not able to provide protection for Christian
pilgrims in the Muslim controlled hinterland through which the
pilgrims had to pass on their way to Jerusalem. In late
1119 or early 1120, a few French knights led by Hugues de Payens
formed a military order to protect the travelers. Baldwin II,
the King in Jerusalem billeted knights in a palace wing or
outbuilding, which many experts now say was a space below the
Al-Agsa Mosque, in the precinct of the former Temple of
Solomon. It is from the Temple association that the
Knights derived their name. The Knights Templar lasted for
several centuries in the Middle East and reached their peak when
their headquarters was in the Krak des Chevaliers, now in Syria
just a few miles north of the Lebanese border. They were
later suppressed and its Grand Master, Jaques Demolay was burned
at the stake in 1314..
Masonic connections are unproven, and, in particular the Freemasonry
Knights Templar acknowledge that all they take from the
medieval order is their name and that "THERE IS NO PROOF OF
DIRECT CONNECTION BETWEEN THE ANCIENT ORDER AND THE MODERN ORDER
KNOWN TO DAY AS THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR". (From http://www.knightstemplar.org/faq1.html#member
-- scroll down.)
For information on the Templars, see http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14493a.htm
(for the Catholic side of the story) and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_Templar.
The Wikipedia page is fairly straightforward, but follow-on
links have some more esoteric versions. Reader
beware: there's much misinformation about the Templars on
the Internet; seing it on the net or on TV does not make
it true.
