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First crusade reasons for success - Coggle Diagram
First crusade reasons for success
Muslim disunity
allowed the crusaders to survive the long and dangerous journey down to Jersulam
Seljuk turks leadership crisis
Most of the states on the way to Jerusalem were held by independent warlords
e.g. Nicaea was held by Kilij arslan whilst Antioch was held by Yagi-Siyan and Jerusalem by the Fatimids
Kilij arslan was even distracted from Niceae because he was fighting the Danishmends - reason for crusader victory
Lack of continuity on how harshly they would treat the crusaders
harassed in the north e.g. Dorylaem but faced little challenge from Antioch to Jerusalem
Also weren’t concentrating their forces
For example Duqaq and RIdwan would never have collaborated to create a relief army for Antioch
these factors made the crucial difference at battles such as dorylaeum
crusaders on very edge of defeat
Crusader tactics and strategy
• Dorylaeum
o Bohemond of Taranto Made a decision to hold their lines against the Seljuk onslaught
o Decided to employ religious motivation and had priests praying and chanting, as well as using the women to motivate the men
• Hid their cavalry behind infantry
o Used at ascalon
• Timed their cavalry charges well to
o Bohemond of Taranto used this Antioch
o Hidden cavalry charge
• Godfreys choice to chnage the focal point of the attack on Jerusalem
Constructed his siege machines in daylight in one soot, then secretly moved them to break through a weak spot
Decision at Antioch to tunnel and collapse the walls
religious motivations
Being united around the capture of Jersalem and reopening of Pilgrimage routes
Urbans call for the crusade
could explain the determination for many to reach Jerusalem through famine, drought, enemy attacks etc
barefoot ascension to the mount of olives before they started a final push on Jerusalem
Holy relics
The Holy Lance found in Antioch by Peter Bertholemew in Antioch
encouraged them to push onto Jerusalem
He also underwent an ordeal by fire to prove himself
rallied the crusaders massively