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Booklet 2: The First Crusade - reasons for success - Coggle Diagram
Booklet 2: The First Crusade - reasons for success
Allied Aid
Asbridge: 'The expedition benefitted immensely from naval support while still at Antioch and on the road south to Palestine - the arrival of the Genoese fleet at Jaffa in the Summer of 1099 transformed the siege of Jerusalem. Pope Urban II is known to have encouraged the maritime powers of northern Italy to collaborate with the crusaders.'
At Antioch, there was more encouragement when a fleet from the Italian port of Genoa arrived nearby, along with reinforcements, wood and craftsmen to build siege engines
Bohemond had secretly made contact with Firouz, a Christian inside Antioch who commanded a tower on the city walls. He bribed his contact to betray his Muslim masters.
France: 'Byzantine aid was of enormous assistance to the success of the First Crusade. At the siege of Nicaea it was very much in evidence.'
On 16th May, Kilij Arslan finally arrived, planning an ambush, but was forced to flee due to the sheer numerical superiority of crusaders and Byzantines; Alexius sent ships under his commander Manuel Boutoumities, to blockade lake Ascanius, as supplies were still being brought into the city
On the journey to Jerusalem, the Lord of Shayzar reached an agreement with the crusaders offering food, shelter, horses, supplies and a guide to lead them away; the amirs of Homs and Hama gave the crusaders supplies and a safe passage through their lands
Muslim Disunity
After the death of Malik Shah in 1092, the Seljuk Empire began to fall apart
His son Barkiyruq fought against his brother Muhammad for possession of the Sultanate; this decentralised and divided the Seljuk Empire allowing local warlords to increase in power and rule their territories autonomously
Kilij Arslan, Sultan of Rum (Anatolia), Kerbogha of Mosul, Ridwan of Aleppo, Duqaq of Damascus, Yaghi Siyan of Antioch
These local warlords fought amongst themselves and against other Turks and Arabs: Kilij Arslan fought against Damishmend Turks for supremacy over Anatolia; Emirs of Aleppo (Ridwan) and Antioch (Yaghi Siyan) at war against the Emir of Damascus (Duqaq); 1098: Fatimid Vizer of Egypt , Al Afdal, took Jerusalem from Seljuk Turks
Local rulers were more interested in defending themselves against their Muslim rivals than uniting to defeat Crusaders: Arab Emir of Shaizar made an agreement with the Crusaders, promising not to attack and gave them supplies if they stayed away from their lands; 1099: Emirs of Hama and Tripoli brought gifts for the Crusaders and promised they would not attack; 1099: Fatimids of Egypt offered to divide Syria with the Christians whilst the Seljuks fought amongst themselves
Had the Muslims united against the Crusaders the history of the First Crusade would be very different
Scott: 'If the Muslims had maintained the unity Muhammad had preached, no crusade could possibly have succeeded'
Asbridge: 'the Crusaders passage was eased by the willingness of semi-independent Muslim rulers to negotiate short term truces'
Tyerman: 'Political chaos in the near East denied their opponents unity while allowing the crusaders opportunities for diplomacy and alliances'
Military Reasons
Jotischky: 'One reason for the success of the crusade in attaining its target was superior military skill. The crusaders, having surprised Kilij Arslan at Dorylaeum showed themselves to be adaptable in counteracting the eastern tactics that relied heavily on drawing the charge of heavily armed westerners until the knights momentum was spent and they became separated from each other or could be surrounded'
At Dorylaeum, it was the military skill of Bohemond that saved the day: he organised the men into a tight defensive formation that held out for over five hours before the main crusader army appeared and forced the Muslim coalition to flee
His quick thinking and skill saved the crusaders from being ambushed by Kilij Arslan's new greatly strengthened forces after creating a loose alliance with the Damishmends; sure enough they stripped Kilij Arslan's main camp of gold, silver, food and pack animals
Spiritual experience/religious reasons
During the ambush at Dorylaeum, at the height of the battle, the crusaders encouraged each other with the words 'Stand fast together trusting in Christ...today we may gain much booty.'; as one noted 'If God had not been with us in this battle and sent the other army quickly, none of us would have escaped.'
Tyerman: 'Without the element of ideology and spiritual exhilaration there would have been no march on Jerusalem, let alone a successful conquest. In the winter of 1097-8, spiritual leadership and direction came to the fore, visions, relics, liturgical ceremonies and communal penitence bound the army together'
At Antioch, on 14th June, Peter led the princes to Antioch's cathedral where, under the stone floor, he dug up a fragment of what appeared to be an ancient spear; some were not convinced but others such as Raymond of Toulouse took this as a sign from God
From that point onwards there were regular reports of visions and signs from God and the religious fervour of the crusaders intensified; once again the crusaders thanked God for their victory and some claimed to have seen a host of saints on white horses fighting alongside them in the heat of the battle
The first Christian accounts of the victory say the army was inspired by its belief in the power of the 'holy lance'