We talk about Crusade at every turn, referring to massacres and intolerance. Yet the idea of crusade goes beyond the cliches.
The first crusade is an extremely important event because for the first time in many years, he will see out his European continent from overseas. Beyond the religious aspect of Crusades, and the gap that will ensue over the centuries, it marks the end of an era and a confinement that lasted from the fall of Rome. For the first time, this is not Europe who is or who observes but it is Europe that gives the impetus. The clash with Islam which will result is not the first but is one that will leave more traces.
The circumstances of the Crusade
The slow maturation of the idea of crusade in the Christian religion was spread over nearly a millennium. From the installation of Christianity as state religion in the Roman Empire in 313, it ceased to be anti-militarist for, gradually become the right arm of secular power. The establishment of God's peace and truce of God gave him an ascendancy over the secular military and the Christianization of the enthronement ceremony of the knights is the focus of this class. It makes sense that religion to be an advocate of armed struggle against those it sees as infidel.
Pope Urban II for 7 years, he succeeded in 1085 to Gregory VII (1073-1085). Since Nicolas II in 1059, the popes are elected by the cardinals and Dictatus papae of 1071 confirmed the prominence of the pope on the rest of society. The schism of 1054 with Constantinople initiated the breakdown of the Church. The defeat of the English King Alfonso VII in 1086 marked a setback to the Reconquista, despite making Toledo a year earlier and the conquest of Sicily by Robert Guiscard in 1091.
But the east side, there is an opposite movement. The capture of Baghdad in 1055 initiated a return to the lost unity of the first century of Islam. While in 1025, Byzantium was at the peak of his power at the end of the century, his fame grew and its territory was considerably reduced. In 1025, the Empire is finally at peace, at the end of the century, it is again coming under attack from Turkey.
In 1071, the Turks crushed the Byzantines Sedjoukides to Montzihert and seized all of Asia Minor. Betrayed by his internal enemies, Romanus IV Diogenes prisoner. Alp Arslan releases but his troops, Turkoman, swept into Anatolia. This unit does not last, however: from 1092, the death of Alp Arslan, the sultanate is fragmenting. The Turks do not colonize the whole of Syria, which remains predominantly Arab.
There are also Orthodox (Jacobites and Monophysite), especially in northern Syria and upper Mesopotamia, Greek Orthodox who s'arabisent gradually Maronites in Mount Lebanon, monks Georgian Armenian Gregorian (Monophysite), while a learned assembly of Christians who resist, somehow, pressure muslumane.
At Constantinople, the West looks with condescension, even contempt. But the year one thousand, past the great famines, sees the Frankish kingdoms recover. Poverty declines, the lords assertive face to royalty, chivalry emerges .... The Church wants to balance the cons then secular warrior society. It establishes the Peace of God and the Truce of God. And we begin to assert that there is a just war against infidels.
The Council of Clermont
Since 1074, a first idea of crusade was born but it is not implemented. Gregory VII had received a request for assistance of Michael III, Emperor of Byzantium. In exchange for relief from the West for Eastern Christians, it would reopen negotiations for reunification. In 1055, the legates of the Pope excommunicated the Patriarch Michael Serulaire. But it was not until 1204, during the sack of Constantinople that the incident will be renamed Shisme by the papacy.
The main reason is the ban by the Turkish pilgrims to visit the tomb of Christ. In light of recent historiography, this ban has probably been exaggerated by Urban II in order to generate popular enthusiasm. While the Turks were subjected to harassment moult pilgrims, many more than the old masters of Jerusalem, the Fatimids, they were defeated in 1078, but the pilgrimage was not interrupted so far.
In Jerusalem, a monk, Peter the Hermit met the patriarch of Jerusalem, Simeon. This one would have delivered a letter that Peter's mission was to give the pope. Returning to Europe, Peter begins to preach the idea of an expedition that would aim to help the Eastern Christians.
At the Council of Piacenza in March 1095, Pope Urban II launched a triple : Rebuilding the unity of Christianity (to the schism of 1054), restore discipline in the Church and defend itself. Jerusalem is in the crosshairs. Again, there is an appeal from the first Basileus Alexius and the Pope urges the faithful "to pledge an oath to go to the aid of Alexis'
Eight months later, new council in Clermont which are often exaggerated the importance: 13 or 15 archbishops, 80 bishops, 90 abbots. It is far from massive councils will come later. Will be discussed: *
The excommunication of Philip 1 of Ber, already sentenced to Piacenza.
* Measures to reform the clergy, the fight against simony and discipline éclésiatisque, again in the line of Placentia. * From
means to enforce more strictly peace and truce of God.
On this last point, we know that Cluny was in leading the fight, seeking to deflect the heat of the noble warrior to combat more "spiritual", at least more effective in Christendom, as the Reconquista. However, Urban II is a former Cluny (from 1073 to 1077).
If the first 9 days are devoted to these points, November 27, Urban II launched his appeal to Notre Dame du Pont, who kept secret during the beginning of the council's proposed crusade.
Deus Lo Volt
The answer is immediate and thousands of people will then embark on the roads leading to Jerusalem.
At Clermont, Urban II will be supported by laymen. Peter the Hermit will head the People's Crusade. Robert D'Arbristan is the first major to raillier. Then the pope will tour, supported by the bishop of Puy, Ademar de Monteil, to repeat his message: Limoges, Angers, Le Mans, Tours and Bordeaux and Poitou. He leads by force recovery of Jerusalem.
Its themes are:
The holy land is occupied for four centuries.
The Holy Sepulchre was destroyed by Caliph Al-Hashim
The Turkish control on the pilgrimage route to prevent Christians to visit Jerusalem.
But soon this preaching, an ambiguity appears: go to Antioch or Jerusalem? Rescue the Christians of the East or liberate the holy places?
Urban II then promised an indulgence plenaries for all those who go on a crusade.
The departure date is set for August 15, 1096, the day of the Assumption of Mary. But Peter the Hermit, without having attended Gauthier, a poor knight, will start from March 8, with nearly 20 000 pilgrims. A crusade
Semitic?
Before arriving in the Holy Land, the Crusaders will mostly be noticed by a rabid anti-Semitism, massacres and pogroms. As popular as the crusade crusade lords soak in its abuses. We slaughter the Jews as "enemies of God" according Emich. Around Prague, lends Folkmar and his company engaged in pogroms. They will be destroyed one month later.
Another robber, Gottschalk will suffer the same fate in Hungary's army Coloman. Finally, include the case of Liesingen Emich, a robber knight who begins his own crusade by massacring the Jews in the Rhineland cities it traverses: Cologne, Trier, Worms ... In Mainz, 1300 Jews were killed, despite protests from bishops and nobles. He too will be wiped out by the Hungarian King Koloman.
is based on rumors. Do not we say that Ademar of Chabannes and Raoul Glaber in 1030 and 1050, allegedly wrote that Jews have accused the caliph Al-Hashim of the impending arrival of the windows? This statement totally wrong (both éclésiastiques how could they foresee an event that takes place 50 years later) is no less powerful pretext.
Even Godefroy de Bouillon burn the Jews in the synagogue in Jerusalem if we are to believe the Arab chronicler Ibn-al-qalanisi.
But on closer inspection, the pattern is not the only anti-Semitic. In fact, these puzzles are left without supplies. They are housed and live in the locals. The temptation is great to take by force what the locals do not necessarily want to give. Moreover, pilgrims pillage Christian villages even when they have more Jews "at hand". This mindset will be the robber because of numerous disagreements between the Basileus and the Crusaders. Thus, Semlin, just before entering into Byzantine territory, the troops of Peter the Hermit stormed the city and killed some of its inhabitants for a problem of supply.
The People's disastrous crusade
The crusade itself was so popular distinguished by pogroms, looting and massacres throughout the eastern part of Europe.
As mentioned earlier, the group led by Peter the Hermit is a party in March 1096. He joined Gautier without crossing somehow the Roman Empire. His "army" is undisciplined and Basileus judge dangerous to leave unchecked. However, he allowed to camp near Constantinople July 20.
The Basileus Alexius was informed of the impending this cohort may have been warned by letters from Pope Urban II. But he intends to have a modicum of control over a party he considers barbaric and dangerous than that of Gautier. The Governor Byzantine Niketas which is responsible for this mission but he fails and withdraws to Nish. Belgrand will be sacked by the Crusaders. Nish came before the promise of nonaggression made Niketas is not required and the Crusaders, again, trying to loot the city. Niketas will then kill some of the Crusaders. Alexis sends an embassy to intimate the order to Peter to meet if it wants to ensure territories crossed the rest of the trip. This time, the Crusaders submit themselves and the rest of the trip will happen smoothly.
It allows him to camp near Constantinople but not more than 3 days. Happened on 1 August 1096, Pierre joined Gautier sans Avoir, who has been waiting for several days. The Crusaders are kept away from the city but even then, clashes broke out as well as looting. The Crusaders will even roasting the lion of Alexis II. The Basileus is then cross the Bosphorus in this patchwork army and leaves them on the eastern bank. There they will wait for the armies of the Princes Civitot. But the land of Nicea are too tempting: a part of the army leaves the loot. One of the lieutenants of Gautier, Renaud even managed to temporarily remove the Turks Castle Xerigordon. When the Seljuks seize it again, they will massacre all the Christians present.
late August, the Crusaders are going to Nicomedia but face the Turks defeat is bloody, is part of the Crusaders massacred or sold into slavery. Pierre returns, unable to discipline its location, it will seek help from Alexis Gautier and leaves the task of keeping the camp. October 21, the pilgrim survivors (25 000 according to some sources - the company has grown to appreciate the trip) are going to Nice, framed by less than 500 knights. But they fall in an ambush by Arslan ibn lQilij Sulaiman, the emir of Anatolia. Less than 3000 people will survive to take refuge in the fortress of Civitot immediately besieged by the Turks. Troops from Byzantium allow the evacuation of the debris of an army.
The evacuation ends the popular crusade. A sinister pyramid of bones in recall failure.
For some columnists, this disaster is the consequence of the sins of the crusaders, others believe that the emperor has done everything possible to hasten this end. Because for the crusaders, the Christian God can not be defeated, defeat is necessarily due to the betrayal
The arrival of the princes
Urban II had managed to rali several senior Western lords. He had rejected the English princes who were in his care of the Reconquista. Raymond de Saint Gilles, Count of Toulouse, Hugh of Vermandois, brother of King Robert of France first, answered the call. Courteheuse Robert, Duke of Normandy, Godfrey of Bouillon, Duke of Lower Lorraine and his brother Baldwin, Bohemond of Taranto, son of Robert Guiscard (the conqueror of Sicily), Stephen of Blois, Robert of Flanders, Ademar of Puy complement this army not composed, as we have said, lords downgraded or seeking a fief. But this army is not dependent kingdom.
The lords left uncoordinated. When Hughes arrived in Constantinople, Godfrey of Bouillon is on the borders of the Byzantine Empire, Bohemond of Taranto is on the shores of the Adriatic.
Robert of Normandy, Stephen of Blois and Robert of Flanders camp in Rome.
When Raymond of St Gilles and Ademar of Le Puy, they are still in France. 4 routes to reach a total Constantinople.
Alexis will then seek to obtain an oath of loyalty on the part of princes. He remembers the example of Roussel de Bailleul, an adventurer Norman, who had been in the service of Michael VII Doukas but had the opportunity to carve out a stronghold in the territories of the Empire. So much so that Michael's appeal to the Turks who had beaten him in 1071 to get rid of the bulky adventurer. The Basileus
will therefore not see the Western princes regain the Holy Land for their own benefit but intends to recover the lost lands of the former empire to his advantage. He knows how to entertain and attempts by the splendor of his home to appease the princes.
Hugues arrives the first one escorted (in fact very closely) by John Comnenus, nephew of the Basileus. He will be sworn. Then Godfrey agrees
Constantinople but seeks to avoid meeting taking as pretext the attention of other princes. The Basileus interrupts his supply. Godfrey plunders the hinterland to feed his army. The arrival of other princes January 20, 1097 unblock the situation and allegiance is then formulated. The Lords of the West must comply with the Byzantine tradition obliges them to worship the Emperor and are a testament to West.
April 4, Bohemond also takes an oath. On 21, it was the turn of Raymond of St Gilles to do the same thing, somewhat forced by the other princes.
This attitude will disappoint many soldiers Crusaders who do not understand why we must swear allegiance to an emperor even as it considers effeminate traitor. The gap will grow even larger. Alexis believes that the Crusaders are there to take Antioch to his advantage while Westerners only dream of Jerusalem. Misunderstanding said after the crusade.
The path to Antioch
late April, the Crusaders set off to Nice and will lay siege 6 May 1097. Robert of Flanders, Hugh the Great, Godfrey discovered the way the bones of many participants in the People's Crusade. Meanwhile, they were joined by Robert of Normandy and Stephen Blois May 29
The Turks sent an army to clear the city's vice, it will be cut to pieces by those whom we now call the francs. But the seat does not always successful. The Basileus sends a flotilla, June 17, to take the city back from the lake belt. This time, the defenses fall and Nicaea was taken. But the Crusaders have no right to come in and must return it to Alexis. They then have the horrible feeling that the Basileus uses them as mercenaries (it pays very poorly at that) and uses them to expand his empire at a lower cost. Moreover, it does not keep his promise to provide additional Frankish army.
The crusade continues, still farther south. The trip was terrible. On 1 July, the Turks attacked Robert, Bohemond and Etienne Dorylaeum. The shock front and bloody. But the Crusaders held their own and the Turks suffered a defeat that will make them think. Now they no longer attack the Frankish cavalry in open terrain and in battle. They prefer the raids, harassment, destruction of food sources ... After Dorylaeum designed and is crossing the mountains of the Anti-Taurus, between Caesarea and Marash. Crossing terrible. It devours horses died of thirst. Bohemond had even been cut into pieces and roast the Turkish spies caught around the camp.
October 20, the Crusaders were finally to Antioch. During the trip, the cities occupied by Christians, Syrians and Armenians to open their door, thus showing their desire to be liberated from the Turks.
The siege of Antioch
The city is an old walled city, bristling with 400 turns, coupled with a mountain and surrounded by a river: impregnable. Only the seat can come to the end. It lasted seven months and will emerge as the most terrible ordeal experienced by the Crusaders. The disease, famine, the rain changes the camp into a quagmire and the attacks of the Turks will transform the seat in hell.
The master of the city, Yaghi Siyarn is little loved. He expelled the Syrian Christians and he suspects of wanting to move to the enemy. Sheltered behind its walls, he is content to wait for help from the master of Mosul, Karbuq. For their part, the Crusaders will be assisted (light) of Basileus in this enterprise of conquest.
December 23, Bohemond and Robert go to Aleppo search for food. Attacked on the way home, they are stripped of their food by the Turks. Meanwhile, the camp was attacked, some leaders are sick.
Peter the Hermit tries to flee in January but he is caught and humiliated by Bohemond. A month later, in February, it was the Greek Tarquin who return to Constantinople.
March 5, the Crusaders were again attacked but they managed to kill more than 1,500 Turkish. Their heads will be used as projectiles in the precincts of the city as well as "gifts" for ambassadorial Fatimid glad the Turks who destroyed part of their empire to be threatened in turn.
The blockade is so total. But the army's relief is Karbuqâ in sight. She unsuccessfully besieged Edessa Baldwin then again towards Antioch. Stephen of Blois, and retires to Alexandretta Veur return to France. It even announces to Alexis that all is lost;
But meanwhile, Bohemond was able to return to the lower part of the city, enjoying the treachery of some Frirouz which enabled them to climb a tower. The Crusaders then become the besieged army Karbuqa. Some desert.
A Bathélémy Pierre, a priest says when he had a vision several months ago and the holy lance, which had pierced Christ's side, is in the cathedral of Antioch. Other Cross claims to have seen Jesus in a dream that they blamed their debauchery. June 14, the lance is actually found in the cathedral. Bohemond took command and ordered three days of fasting and processions. He made a request to Karbuqa ordeal refuses.
June 28, the Frankish army rushed in battle against the Turks, aided by the Syrians and Armenians. Raymond aguiliers to take with him the Holy Lance. Against all odds victory is complete, Antioch fall totally in the hands of the Crusaders.
The Crusaders did not take advantage of this débandande. Instead, they will do everything to delay the departure to Jerusalem. The various princes seeking to carve out fiefdoms in the conquered lands and this will create tensions between them. The oath of loyalty to Alexis is carefully set aside. Antioch Bohemond claims but is hampered by his peers.
On 12 December, the city of Ma'arrat is taken. But part of the Crusader army has developed a very singular ideology: the Ebon, believing that poverty is the strength of their salvation. They form the band of Tafurs. After the city of Ma'aarat he massacre the population and destroy the city to force the barons to continue the journey.
must wait 3 March 1099 for the crusade be relaunched following pressure from "little people" who have not forgotten the primary purpose of the trip: Jerusalem.
The Crusaders hit the road, as Arga conquered cities, Tripoli and Jerusalem before arriving June 6th A new head start. The arrival of a Genoese fleet, bringing food and supplies, restore courage and energy to the Crusaders. Godfrey and Raymond are then build huge siege towers to reach the top of the walls. The Franks also find logs in a cave and Bohemond had a vision: the city will be taken after 9 days of assault if the Crusaders are a procession. Peter the Hermit withdrew to the Mount of Olives to pray.
After three days of fasting, the windows make a procession under the walls of Jerusalem under the ridicule and insults of the Turks. They are "Israel under the walls of Jericho" (George Tate)
July 14 is the assault. The first attack was repulsed. But on 15, Godfrey kicks off its towers, the Crusaders jumped on the battlements. St Etienne by the door, knights and pedestrians entering Jerusalem. The city is taking and will be total carnage. For several days, no one escapes the wrath of the Crusaders. Listen to Raymond Aguiliers
"We say simply that in the temple and the portico of Solomon, one rode in blood up to their knees, until the brake horse "
course the carnage shocked the entire Near East and will leave a lasting memory. Bin Laden does not speak he not "crusaders"?
After the fighting, the military leaders to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in order to honor God. An old man throws herself at the feet of Peter the Hermit: the successor of Simeon the patriarch who had asked his help.
Victory Ascalon August 12 against the Fatimid military closes the chapter. The Crusaders return laden with booty and confident that God will not abandon more. The vow Crusader is done. Some remain in the Holy Land to keep it against the Turks, others, many, will prefer to return to the West, crowned with glory and memories warriors. But how many crimes committed in the name of God! Pogroms in Europe to the massacre of the Temple of Solomon, the dark side of the Crusade is not the least important.
Godfrey of Bouillon is elected Attorney at the Holy Sepulchre. It is preferred to Raymond for his piety and modesty. Arnold was elected Patriarch, pending the final choice of the pope.
Lords will then hold the Holy Land in 4 states (see map cons) and import of feudalism in the East.
But less than a year later, Godfrey was dead. His brother Baldwin will replace the first. He conquer Arsouf, Caesarea, Acre and 1104 and then Beirut and Sidon in 1110.
He then carves a huge fee that goes to the fortress Aïlah on the Red Sea. Baldwin II, his successor will build the famous Krak des Chevaliers, near Tripoli. It will also be responsible for the creation of the Templars
The first crusade was almost - complete. She saw the victory of the Christians but unprepared for the East they are unfamiliar, they will quickly encounter the attitudes of Muslims and prepare to fail Final shipping this series.
The northern states will therefore develop slowly. County of Edessa was its borders since its formation. But the other principalities must constantly monitor their borders.
There is also protection agreements: So in 1118, Franks require the Emir of Aleppo Yaruqtash the privilege for their armed convoy under their protection (and upon payment of a fee) the caravans that will Aleppo to Mecca.
Gradually, states are solidified. The captivity of Baldwin II between 1123 and 1125 does not change the situation. But the French are a minority compared an Arab army eager to take revenge.
