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Crusades unit 1 - The origins of conflict (The course of the first crusade…
Crusades unit 1 - The origins of conflict
Christianity in Western Europe
The role of the Church:
The medieval Church was all-powerful and explained the explainable. All other powers including kings would defer to the Pope - a position that came into contention by various other powers supported by the Holy Roman Emperor. Simony provided an income for the nobility of Europe and gave second sons an income
The rising influence of the papacy:
Medieval people saw power as being divided into "spiritual" and "earthly", so was the Pope allowed to tell a king what to do? Especially the Holy Roman Emperor? This came to a head in 1056 when Henry IV (a six year old) came to the throne, and is known as the Investiture Contest
The Church Reform movement:
This developed because there was an argument over whether or not nobility had the right to appoint people to Church positions, and came to a head in 1073 when Pope Gregory VII excommunicated Henry and used military enforcement against him. These forces made Henry back down and take his "Walk to Canossa"
Islam c1071
Islamic politics:
On the eve of the crusade, two rival Muslim power bases existed; the Umayyad dynasty with a shi'a caliphate (based in Cairo) and the Abbasid dynasty, who had overthrown the Umayyad's and taken their power base in Baghdad
The rise of the Seljuk Turks:
The Turks had created a power base in Iran and Iraq and then expanded this into central and Southern Syria by the 1070s, and by the 1080s this had extended to Northern Syria. Sulayman and Malik Shah both held extensive land after the Battle of Manzikert (1071), but after the death of Malik Shah and his brother Tutush his sons Ridwan and Duqaq began to fight over the land. The danishmends controlled North and Eastern Anatolia under Kilij Arslan
The struggle between these powers likely aided the progression of the first crusaders as they crossed Anatolia
Islamic society and economy:
Islamic cities were bigger and more "civilised" than their European counterparts. Islamic wealth was based on the production of foodstuffs, making land key to their economy
The Byzantine Empire up to 1071
Alexius Komnenos:
The new Emperor (1081) dealth with both the Normans and the Pechenegs by 1091, and he had previously negotiated with Sulayman to protect the Empire's Anatolian holdings, but when Sulayman died the threat from the Turks resurfaced, and after the death of Malik Shah (a potential ally) warlord after warlord tried to prove their power
The Battle of Manzikert (1071):
The loss at Manzikert resulted in the loss of most of Anatolia, which led to a mass migration into Byzantium leaving no one working the fields, leading to a lack of revenue and tax income. Constantinople went into an economic crisis and civil war. Within a decade, all three threats had intensified
The Council of Piacenza (1095):
At the Council of Piacenza Alexius asked the West for help and was pleasantly surprised; it is possible that Urban decided to help in order to repair the Schism and place Rome at the head of a united Church
By the mid-11th century, the Empire faced three threats: the Normans trying to take control of Southern Italy, the Pechenegs raiding inland around the Balkans, and the Seljuk Turks who were rapidly pushing through Anatolia towards Byzantium
Urban II
Wanted to continue the reforms started by Gregory VII and assert papal authority
One of Urban's main motives for the crusade was the desire to improve relations with the Byzantines
He also wanted to increase the influence of the Church in the East
Taking Jerusalem, the centre of religion, would greatly improve his reputation
Wanted every soul to be saved from the knightly violence that the feudal system encouraged
The Council of Clermont (1095):
This speech, recorded in the Gesta Francorum and Fulchre of Chartres, announced the first crusade and suggested motives such as remission of sins, helping the Eastern Church, uniting against an enemy, taking Jerusalem and the terrible treatment of Christians
Why did the first crusade erupt?
What was happening in the Near East that made Alexius ask for help?
Trouble in the Near East
The Battle of Manzikert in 1071 had led to large loss of land and migration into Constantinople, leading to economic crisis worsened by the debasing of the coin
The Seljuk Turks had rapidly expanded and were pushing at the Bosphorus, leading to mass panic
The call for help
A threefold threat from the Pechenegs, Normans and Turks left the Byzantines unstable, although Alexius I dealt with these problems fairly successfully, so by 1095 the most pressing problem was the crippled economy and the declining faith in Alexius, and to regain the faith he wanted to take back lost lands
In order to do this Alexius sent letters to the lords of Europe to help him, including Pope Urban II
Alexius' tactics when neutralising the Normans and Pechenegs involved creating armies of people willing to fight for a fee, and it is possible that this is what he thought he was doing when he called for help from Urban II
He dealt with the Normans by hiring mercenaries of skilled fighters, such as Vikings, Franks and Anglo-Saxons, showing his ability to negotiate and manage an army with limited resources
By 1095 it is argued that Alexius was in a relative position of safety having dealt with the Normans and Pechenegs
What made so many Westerners answer the call to fight an unknown enemy?
The power of the Pope
Urban II used his network of Churches, abbeys and families to promote his message of a spiritual reward in return for helping fellow Christians in peril; a potent and appealing message to the violent knights concerned for their souls
The crusaders and their world
The promise of wealth and land (Bohemond of Taranto)
To protect the pilgrims and Christians (Raymond of Toulouse and Peter the Hermit)
To repair relations with the Church (Hugh of Vermandois)
Religion/indulgence (Godrey of Bouillon and Raymond of Toulouse)
To link religion with the violent feudal system that the Church so disliked to create a "just war" that stopped Christians fighting each other
It was thought that at the end of the century the world would end, and this made many Christians worried about their souls and so likely to want to achieve indulgences
Why did Pope Urban II help Alexius I and how did he achieve such a massive response from Western Christians?
Since the Investiture Contest, Popes had wanted to develop the idea of a "Holy War", seen through their recruitment of Matilda, who in turn hired scholars to find passages in the Bible that condoned violence on God's behalf
The Church wanted to end the lawlessness in the West and had exploited the violent tendencies of knights to fight against enemies of the Church, such as in 1081 when the Pope offered spiritual rewards to the armies of Matilda of Tuscany who fought against the German Emperor
However, it must be considered that Alexius I may have been able to manipulate the Pope into thinking that Christians were being mistreated, as evidence suggests that they were not, in order to receive a fighting force
Repairing the Great Schism was important for the Pope, especially as it would provide an opportunity for the Church to extend it's power
Extending the Western Church's influence and taking Jerusalem for the Western Catholic Church would improve his position and power, which was frequently being tested during this period
The course of the first crusade
The Peasant's Crusade:
The uncontrollable army that arrived outside Constantinople had already looted across Europe and many had died. Alexius shipped them immediately across the Bosphorus only days away from Kilij Arslan. The group continued to loot and a group of Italians and Germans attacked a fort at Xerigordos and after capturing it were besieged and eventually killed by the Turks. In response the rest of the army marched on the Turks: only a few escaped (including their leader)
The defeat of the Peasant's Crusade made Kilij Arslan underestimate the main force and allowed them to escape facing the superior forces of the Turks immediately
1)
After arriving in Constantinople all of the leaders were ordered to swear an
oath of fealty
to Alexius I without a fuss, except Raymond, who swore a lesser oath, and Godfrey who launched an assault on the city before swearing
2) The siege of Nicaea:
A blockade was placed around the city and siege engines were constructed on site; the crusaders were working well together. Godfrey and Bohemond held of Kilij Arslan and Alexius lent boats to block supplies getting in by water, which pushed the city to surrender. Boutoumites and Taticius took the surrender, which deprived the crusaders of the loot they were promised, although Alexius kept the peace by distributing money and gifts
3) The Battle of Dorylaeum:
After leaving Nicaea the vanguard led by Bohemond and Robert of Normandy was attacked by Kilij Arslan. The two leaders showed superb military and leadership skills by sending for reinforcements, making a makeshift camp for protection and ordering the knights not to get drawn into battle, which was done using morale-boosting prayers. Adhemar, Godfrey, Hugh, and Raymond arrived and the crusaders defeated the Turk army
4) Baldwin and Tancred
left the main armies and secured Armenian towns including
Alexandretta
which was a useful port during the siege of Antioch. Baldwin took
Edessa
by protecting the city from an attack by Kerbhoga and then being adopted by Thoros (the leader) and made Baldwin his heir. Within days Thoros was outed and Baldwin was crowned, refusing to hand the territory over to Alexius
5) The siege of Antioch:
The siege began in 1097, but the issue for the crusaders quickly became the lack of food. Taticius traveled into Asia Minor to look for food but never returned and Alexius never arrived in Antioch at all. Supplies from the coast finally relieved the armies and a guard named Firuz had agreed to let Bohemond into the city. The crusaders took the city in 1098 just in time, as Kerbogha's forces arrived
6) Stephen of Blois deserts
, possibly because of the massive army led by Kerbogha. He met Alexius on the way and painted such a dire picture of the situation in Antioch that Alexius decided not to continue on to Antioch, and when he got home his wife forced him to join the crusade of 1101
7) Peter Bartholomew discovers the Holy Lance
buried beneath the floor of St. Peter's Church; with their spirits renewed, the crusader army made one final attack on Kerbogha and defeated him
8) Bishop Adhemar dies
in August 1098, creating a rivalry between the leaders, especially Raymond and Bohemond who both wanted control of Antioch, but protests from the army forced the leaders to move on to Jerusalem in November, but both Raymond and Bohemond remained behind; Raymond emerged as leader of Antioch
9) The siege of Jerusalem:
Little disruption was created in the early stages, but three things changed the crusaders' situation: the arrival of a Genoese fleet meant siege engines could be built, visions of the dead Adhemar reinforced the spiritual quest, and the need to attack grew as news of a release force reached the crusaders. Godfrey spotted a section of wall that seemed weak, but this was not the section he was attacking; under the cover of darkness he disassembled his siege engine and reasembled it at the weak spot: Godfrey breached the wall and a bloodbath followed
The Crusaders
Raymond Count of Toulouse:
A powerful and wealthy man in his sixties who had military experience. Raymond was a keen supporter of the Church Reform and met with the Pope before the crusade was announced and likely wanted to be the secular leader of the crusade
Hugh of Vermandois:
Joined the crusade because his brother the King of France had been excommunicated for having an affair, and this would help make up for his brother's blunder in the eyes of the Pope, further emphasising the power of the Pope
Godfrey of Bouillon:
A previous opponent of the Pope, Godfrey made money from selling lands to the Church before embarking on the crusade (although made sure he would be able to buy them back on his return) and was a vassal of Henry IV. As Godfrey was already wealthy, it seems unlikely that he joined for riches
Travelling with Godfrey were his brother,
Baldwin of Boulogne
, and cousin,
Baldwin of Bourq
, both of whom had considerable military experience and all three were prominent members of the crusade; as both Baldwins were wealthy, it makes little sense that they joined the crusade for wealth
The final group included
Robert of Normandy
, who mortgaged all his lands to join the crusade, gaining little,
Stephen of Blois
, and
Robert II
. These men knew the pilgrimage would be dangerous and would give them little gain but they went anyway, suggesting that religion was a powerful pull
Peter the Hermit:
A charismatic speaker who led the People's crusade; he was considered a very religious man and took on a personal vendetta after being denied pilgrimage to Jerusalem
Bohemond of Taranto:
Deprived of his inheritance, the Norman Bohemond was a skilled military man who had experience with the Byzantine Empire after fighting for control of Italy with the Normans. On hearing about the crusade he and his nephew
Tancred
left for Constantinople immediately; these two are the most likely to have been motivated by land and wealth
The impact of the first crusade
The Muslim Near East:
The Shi'ites of Egypt were angry at the loss of Jerusalem, and tried to launch a counter-attack, but Godfrey attacked them at Ascalon and won. The rest of the Near East saw the crusaders a a Byzantine force, and not a religious movement, and so felt no need to lead a religious uprising against them yet
The Byzantine Empire:
The relationship with the crusaders and Byzantines was relatively friendly, but this ended at Antioch: Bohemond's insistence that he kept Antioch for himself influenced relations right up until the fourth crusade, but Alexius did regain land and ease military threats on his land, so relations were amicable
The Latin West:
The returning crusaders were welcomed as heroes and a crusading fever began with the crusade of 1101, and the Reform Movement received a boost despite Urban II dying the same year (1099)