Crusades
Nicaea, 1097
“Battle of Nicaea (1097)”, Igor Dzis Pope Urban II’s call mobilised immense numbers of people from all social classes. The “People’s Crusade” of ordinary folk, who demonstrated their Christian fervour by massacring Jewish communities across Germany and Hungary, were slaughtered by the Seljuk Turks when they crossed the Bosphorus. The more formidable army of the princes arrived in 1097, and…
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THE SIEGES OF ANTIOCH
Godfrey of Bouillon leads the siege of a city from a 14th-century French manuscript. The crusaders are deploying a wheeled tower that could be rolled right up to the defensive walls-a similar structure was used during the siege of Nicaea. The crusader knights clash with Muslim troops during the First…
The Naval Leagues of the Smyrna Campaign (1343-1352)
No naval league materialized during the pontificate of Benedict XII, but his successor, Clement VI, oversaw the formation of two naval leagues, the first in 1343, which formed the preliminary wave of the Crusade of Smyrna, and the second in 1350. The first operation was officially proclaimed as a crusade…
Battle of Ager Sanguinis, (1119) Part I
The campaign that ended in the battle of Ager Sanguinis was born out of Frankish strength rather than weakness. It was the complacency and overconfidence of that strength which caused the Antiochene army to behave in a way which broke with the established norms of crusader campaigning. The protocols were…
Battle of Ager Sanguinis, (1119) Part II
The Battle of Ager Sanguinis, 1119 Il-Ghazi’s plan worked perfectly. The Franks quickly became aware that they were surrounded. Prince Roger, even before the beginning of the battle, realised that things were not going as planned and described the Muslim attack as ‘many-sided’. At this point he made his last…
Battle of Muret 1213
The initial invasion of 1210 took Raymond, count of Toulouse, off guard. Simon de Montfort proved an able commander. He pursued sieges to their conclusion, and his heavy cavalry won victories at Castelnaudary (1211) and Muret (1213). Although crusader numbers fluctuated wildly, their determination in difficulty and constant reinforcement from…
Battle of Arsuf 1191
“Richard the Lionheart, Battle of Arsuf, 1191” Justo Jimeno Bazaga The Crusader armies tended to be an ill-assorted mix of troop types and fairly undisciplined. The backbone was provided by mounted men-at-arms and nobles from the Christian kingdoms of Europe. Armoured in chain mail and an open-faced metal helm, the…