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GREAT MILITARY BATTLES
THE CRUSADES
The first crusade
began in 1095 AD after the Byzantine Emperor Alexius I appealed to the leader
of the Christian church Pope Urban II for military aid to combat the Muslim
incursions against his empire.
The Pope saw an
opportunity to reunite the churches of east and west and thus requested the
kings of Europe set aside their differences and unite under one banner to re
conquer the holy lands from Muslim rule.
Two armies were raised
for this historic undertaking, one made up of European volunteers comprising a
mixture of princes, nobles, mercenaries and wealthy adventurers.
The main Crusader
force consisted of French and Norman armored knights, these were experienced
battle hardened troops and most of the expeditions hopes of victory were riding
on there success.
After crossing the
Hellspont between Europe and Asia, the army of Europeans set out with high
expectations but were defeated and literally annihilated by Muslim forces at
the battle of Nicomedia in 1096.
The main Crusader army
after victories at Dorylaeum 1096 and Antioch 1098, had fought their way deep
into the holy lands successfully capturing the cities of Ascalon and Jerusalem
in 1099, thus completing the re conquest of the holy lands.
As a result of the
Muslim defeats, four Crusader states were set up in Syria and Palestine, the
principality of Antioch, the counties of Tripoli and Edessa and the kingdom of
Jerusalem.
The Muslims however
soon recovered and began launching counter attacks at the newly formed Crusader
states. Without sufficient reinforcements from Europe, the hard pressed knights
could not hold all the territory gained and the county of Edessa was lost in
1144.
This loss prompted the
second crusade of 1147- 49, but while crossing Anatolia the Crusader army was
severely mauled by Muslim forces and forced back across the Hellspont. This
Crusader defeat enabled the Muslims to retake the kingdom of Jerusalem in 1187
AD.
The loss of Jerusalem
prompted the immediate calling for a third crusade 1189- 92. This was to be
commanded by two of Europe's finest generals, Richard the Lion Heart of England
and Phillip Augustus of France.
Although this crusade
failed to recapture the kingdom it did occupy and reinforce the coastline of
Palestine thus ensuring the survival of the remaining crusader states.
By the 13th century,
it was realized that the defence of the holy lands would always be in doubt so
long as Egypt remained a center of Muslim power. The fourth crusade was now
ordered 1202- 04, with the intention of occupying Egypt.
The Crusader army
began to assemble at the port city of Venice but could not pay the Venetians
for the full passage. They were then diverted to the Byzantine capital of
Constantinople in support Alexius Ducas, a claimant to the Byzantine throne who
promised to financially back them once they placed him in power.
Once this task had
been completed and the promise of transport and payment was not fulfilled, the
Crusaders proceeded to sack the city and execute the newly crowned Bzantine
emperor Alexius V, effectively ending the fourth crusade.
The fifth crusade
1217- 21, landed in Egypt and captured the port city of Damietta. As the
Crusaders continued towards Cairo, they were stopped as a result of the Nile
river flooding its banks and were forced to turn back and await the waters
receding.
During this respite,
powerful Muslim forces began to close on the city and the Crusaders found
themselves surrounded and heavily outnumbered. The Europeans chose not to stand
and fight but instead abandoned Egypt by sea.
During the sixth
crusade 1228- 29, the holy Roman emperor Frederick II, re gained Jerusalem not
through battle but keen diplomacy, however he could not secure enough territory
to ensure its defence and the city was abandoned and lost to Muslim forces in
1244 AD.
The seventh crusade
1248- 54, under King Louis IX of France landed in Egypt but was decisivlery
defeated at the second Battle of Mansurah on February 11th 1254, with most of
the army including the king taken prisoner by the Muslims.
After a large
ransom was paid and King Louis IX released, he organized and led the The eighth
crusade 1270, which was directed against the Muslim held African territory of
Tunis, with the intention of using it as a base for future attacks against Egypt.
This Crusade ended in
utter disaster as King Louis IX died of dysentery shortly after arriving.
Leaderless and without any finacial backing forthcomming, the Crusaders were
forced to sign a humiliating peace treaty with the Hafsid Dynasty and pay
a large tribute for safe passage back to Europe.
More significant than
the crusades themselves in ensuring the survival of the Crusader states were
the Mongol invasions of the Muslim world, 1217 - 1260 AD.
However after the
decisive Muslim victory over the Mongols at Ain Jalut in 1260 AD, the Muslims
turned their full attention back against the remaining Crusader states with the
last of which falling 1291, thus ending Europe's attempts to reclaim the Holy
lands for Christianity.
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