The First, Second, and Third Crusades: 1095-1192 | MEGA-COMPILATION DOCUMENTARY

0:00 in 1095 Pope Urban II preached before a great

0:05 council at Claremont France there he presented a call

0:09 to action to the knights and Warriors of the Latin

0:11 Christian World Pope Urban called on these men

0:14 to launch a military campaign in the East

0:17 to bring Aid to the Eastern Christian Empire of Constantinople

0:21 and to take control of Jerusalem and The Holy Land

0:24 in Syria Palestine thus began that Monumental period of History

0:28 known as the Crusades which spanned several centuries

0:32 and deeply impacted the Mediterranean world the Crusades were

0:36 a series of military campaigns sanctioned by the pope

0:40 and conducted by Knights and rulers from the Latin West

0:43 with the purpose of retaking or expanding Christian territory

0:47 especially in the Holy Land Spain and Portugal and later

0:51 the Baltic it all began with the First Crusade which

0:58 saw a Latin Christian Army composed of Warriors from France

1:02 England Germany Italy and other regions capturing Jerusalem itself

1:07 and establishing new Latin Christian Kingdoms in the holy

1:10 land and the surrounding territories but how did the Crusades

1:15 begin and why did they begin when they did

1:18 many people are intrigued by the fact that the Crusades

1:21 began in the late 11th century some four centuries

1:25 after the great expansion of the early Islamic caliphates

1:28 in the mid 7th Century the early Arab conquests were

1:32 among the most important events of the Early Middle

1:34 Ages within a century the rashidun and umayyad caliphates conquered

1:39 much of the old Roman Empire including Mesopotamia Syria

1:43 Palestine Egypt Western North Africa and even Spain this rapid

1:49 and spectacular series of conquests transformed the Mediterranean World

1:53 greatly reducing the size of the most powerful Christian

1:56 State at the time the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantine

2:00 Empire as it's sometimes called much of the early

2:03 Christian world had been centered on these Eastern

2:06 regions which had been the wealthiest and oldest parts

2:08 of the old Roman Empire Jerusalem located in Judea

2:13 in the Roman province of Palestine had been an important holy

2:16 site in the early Christian era prized as the location

2:19 of Christ's death and Resurrection pilgrims had flocked

2:23 to this region throughout the early Christian centuries foreign 638

2:32 Jerusalem was taken by the rashidun caliphate during the Arab

2:35 conquest of Syria Palestine and yet it wasn't until

2:39 1095 some four centuries later that a pope called

2:43 for a crusade to recapture Jerusalem at the time

2:47 of the early Arab conquests the Latin Christian world was

2:51 poor fragmented and still in its formative stages it's

2:55 impossible to even conceive of a ruler in the Latin

2:58 West at that time launching any sort of transcontinental

3:02 Expedition especially to far away Jerusalem the pope was

3:06 busy just trying to maintain some sort of coherent

3:09 order in central Italy during the Early Middle Ages

3:19 the Mediterranean world was dominated by the sprawling wealthy

3:23 umayyad and Abbasid caliphates as well as the Byzantine Empire

3:28 at this time the Latin West had scarcely emerged

3:31 as a significant player the defining moment came with the rise

3:38 of Charlemagne who United much of the old Western

3:40 Roman Empire into a new carolingian Empire a distinctively

3:45 Frankish entity that would leave its mark on the Latin

3:48 world from then on the western world would

3:51 be largely a Frankish world with markedly Frankish institutions

3:55 but still the Latin West remained far poorer and less

3:59 powerful than Byzantium or the great Islamic Empires

4:03 and after the death of Charlemagne the carolingian Empire collapsed

4:07 and fragmented it was during this period the 9th

4:10 and 10th centuries that Latin Christendom experienced what historian Jeffrey

4:14 baraklow called The Crucible of Europe the old order

4:18 of Charlemagne's empire broke down and Europe seemed to experience

4:22 attacks from all sides the fierce Norsemen of Scandinavia

4:27 the Vikings ravaged Ireland England and France while the Magyar

4:31 Horsemen invaded from the East and from the south

4:33 the Arabs expanded in Spain captured Sicily and assailed

4:38 the Italian coasts this was a formative period

4:43 for the Latin West when a nightly Elite capable of providing

4:46 defense emerged as the rulers of a new feudal

4:49 Europe ultimately Latin Christendom would repel or even assimilate

4:53 many of these invading forces the Vikings converted some

4:57 of them becoming the Normans who gave their name

4:59 to Normandy the magyars became the hungarians and Hungary

5:04 became the easternmost Kingdom of the Latin West meanwhile

5:07 in Spain the Christian Kings of astorias began to make

5:11 small gains at the expense of the powerful umayyad caliphate

5:14 of Cordoba by the early 11th century Latin Christendom

5:18 was emerging as more politically organized more militarily powerful

5:22 and increasingly prosperous with a growing population [Music] the Italian

5:27 Coastal Powers were launching fleets capable of defeating the Arab

5:31 Naval forces of Sicily and North Africa and securing

5:35 valuable trade routes by the late 11th century the Normans

5:38 closely Allied to the Pope in Rome had even

5:41 conquered Sicily with its wealthy beautiful capital of Palermo

5:45 many people don't know that Palermo was one

5:48 of the most important Muslim cities during the Early Middle

5:51 Ages the capture of Sicily by the Normans represented

5:55 a major shift in the Strategic realities of the Mediterranean

5:58 world another important Milestone came when the Christian king

6:03 of Leon Castile in Spain Alfonso VI conquered Toledo

6:07 in 1085 one of Arab Spain's lavish cultural and Military

6:11 hubs foreign made note of these signs of the emerging

6:21 power of the Latin Christians or the Franks

6:24 as he called them when he wrote his Grand history

6:27 centuries later IBN Outlet there wrote The Power

6:31 of the Franks and their increased importance were first manifested

6:35 by their invasion of the lands of Islam

6:37 and their conquest of part of them in the year 478

6:41 that's 1085-1086 for that was when they took the city

6:45 of Toledo and other cities of Spain as we

6:48 have already mentioned then in the year 484 that's

6:53 1091-1092 they attacked and conquered the island of Sicily

6:57 as we have also mentioned they descended on the coasts

7:00 of Africa and seized some part which was then

7:03 taken back from them later they took other parts

7:05 as you shall see this passage in IBN allahir's Chronicle

7:12 comes just before his discussion of the First Crusade

7:15 which helps us understand why the Crusades began when they

7:19 did by the mid 11th century Latin Christendom

7:22 a region composed of many differing kingdoms and Powers nevertheless

7:26 shared a common religious Allegiance and a common Latin

7:29 Heritage derived from the legacy of the Western Roman Empire

7:32 as well in many circumstances as a Frankish Legacy

7:36 the Latin Christian world was increasingly powerful and Wealthy

7:40 more and more competing on equal terms with the Byzantine

7:44 East and the various Muslim caliphates and Empires during

7:50 the 11th century the Latin Christian Church Consolidated its

7:54 Authority Across the Western World and more importantly Consolidated its

7:59 ideas the reform popes such as Leo the ninth

8:02 Alexander II and Gregory VII began to articulate a vision

8:06 of Christian Society with the Pope at the head

8:08 and the Knights and the warrior Elite acting to defend

8:11 and expand christendom's Frontiers the popes condemned the petty

8:15 Wars among Nobles in France urging them to instead

8:18 join together and travel to places like Spain and Sicily

8:23 Pope Alexander II granted a Papal Banner to Roger

8:26 of outfill the Norman prince who succeeded in overturning

8:30 Arab rule in Sicily Rogers War according to the pope

8:34 had spiritual Merit men who joined Roger could gain

8:37 the church's blessing and spiritual benefits the popes were

8:41 also giving their blessing to the Christian kings

8:44 of Spain as they battled the Umayyads and the taifa

8:47 kingdoms of Morris Spain here lay the roots

8:51 of the ideas of the Crusade just as Charlemagne's heirs had

8:54 battled the Vikings and the magyars so now the Knights

8:57 of Latin Christendom were called on by the church

9:00 to battle saracens and Moors both terms used

9:02 by the Latins for various Muslim kingdoms and Powers in 1071

9:11 an event took place which sent shock waves throughout

9:14 the Christian world that year the Eastern Byzantine emperor

9:17 Romanus IV lost a critical battle against the seljuk

9:21 Turks at manzakur in Asia Minor modern-day turkey the seljuk

9:27 Turks were also an emerging power during the mid

9:29 to late 11th century they'd converted to Sunni Islam

9:33 and come to dominate much of the Arab East

9:35 Swift horse archers their armies proved devastating to both

9:40 their Muslim and Eastern Christian

9:41 opponents they captured considerable territories

9:44 from the powerful Fatimid caliphate in Egypt a prominent Shiite

9:48 power during this period including the Syria Palestine region

9:55 by their victory at months occurred the seljuk Turks captured

9:59 almost the whole of Asia Minor one of the last

10:01 important territories held by the Byzantine emperors the power

10:06 of the Byzantine emperors nearly collapsed they now relied

10:09 heavily on Western mercenaries to maintain their shrinking Empire

10:13 from Constantinople the Byzantine emperor Alexius the first kaminus

10:18 dispatched Messengers to the Pope in Rome hoping to acquire

10:21 Western military assistance in driving the seljuk Turks

10:25 from Asia Minor these events would lead to that Monumental

10:29 Expedition known to history as the First Crusade foreign

10:43 [Music] in March of 1095 Pope Urban II completed

11:00 a tour of France and Italy by holding Council

11:03 in piachenza In Lombardi here ambassadors from the Byzantine

11:08 emperor Alexius kamninis appealed to the pope for Western

11:11 military aid the seljuk Turks had seized control of most

11:16 of Anatolia and were on the doorstep of Constantinople

11:21 it's hard to discern precisely what Alexius hoped to gain

11:24 from his appeal to the Pope alexius's daughter Anna

11:28 kemnina in her Chronicle the alexid says nothing about

11:32 her father requesting aid from the west and instead

11:35 treats the First Crusade as a spontaneous movement initiated

11:39 by the Latins however Anna wrote in the mid-12th century

11:43 and she may have purposely tried to distance her father

11:46 from Latin policy it's possible that the delegation at piachenza

11:51 was there more on routine as part of The Emperor's

11:54 ongoing efforts to recruit Latin Warriors into his service

11:57 but it's also possible that Alexius meant to take

12:01 advantage of Western military resources in a large

12:04 and serious push against the seljuks the Council of piacenza

12:08 is often viewed as the moment when Pope Urban

12:11 decided to launch the First Crusade however Jonathan Riley Smith

12:16 points out that the idea of a military Expedition sent

12:19 to Aid Byzantium had likely been developing in the Pope's

12:22 mind for years a highly learned broad-minded individual Pope

12:26 Urban Reckoning the historical ties binding Rome and Constantinople

12:30 and throughout his papacy strove to bring the two

12:33 closer together one of his first acts as Pope

12:37 was to lift the Latin Church's excommunication on Alexius

12:41 at the Council of melfi in 1089 he established friendly

12:45 correspondence with both the Byzantine emperor and the patriarch

12:48 of Constantinople relations between the Latin and Greek churches

12:52 warmed piachenza also was not the first time the Byzantine

12:57 emperor had appealed to Latin Christendom for martial support

13:00 only a few years earlier Alexius had asked

13:03 the pope to send troops to fight the pechen eggs

13:05 in the Balkans as mentioned earlier Alexius himself was

13:10 no stranger to working with Latin Christians in 1086 Alexius

13:15 had met with Robert the first count of Flanders

13:17 who is coming back from pilgrimage to Jerusalem Alexius

13:21 had shown Robert much hospitality and the two even

13:24 embarked together on a campaign against the seljuks Constantinople had

13:29 a sizable population of Western Europeans but the emperor's

13:32 own Bodyguard the varangians made up of elite Scandinavian Warriors

13:36 Pope Urban II recognized how a serious response

13:40 to this appeal was the natural next step in the papacy's

13:43 drive to assert its Spiritual Authority in the wake

13:46 of the investiture controversy following Pope Gregory VII's expulsion

13:51 from Rome in 1084 as a result of his conflict

13:55 with the Holy Roman Emperor the papacy had been

13:57 in a weakened State now at piachenza Urban vividly

14:01 exercised papal power as historian Christopher Tireman says sitting

14:05 in judgment on the state of the church and the morals

14:08 of the clergy and debating the sins of Emperors

14:11 and Kings specifically the conduct of Henry IV of Germany

14:14 and the adultery of Philip the first of France

14:18 a call to Aid the Greeks against the seljuk

14:21 Turks would be yet another confident demonstration of papal

14:24 strength after the Council of piacenza in March 1095

14:28 Pope Urban II began planning the expedition that would be

14:32 known to history as the First Crusade he made

14:35 an elaborate Tour of France the first pope to do

14:38 so in half a century which was to culminate

14:41 in the Council of Claremont in November to be

14:44 attended by 13 archbishops 82 Bishops and a large

14:47 number of abbots and other clergyman these church leaders would

14:52 hail from the anglo-norman Realms in the north to Northern

14:55 Austria in the East to Italy in the south

14:58 the Pope's tour cover the bulk of southern central

15:01 western and Southeastern France each stop featured Mass assemblies

15:06 and preaching all designed to convey the gravity

15:08 of the event Urban avoided areas under the direct control

15:12 of the king of France who was to be

15:14 excommunicated at Claremont for adultery everywhere the pope went there

15:18 was great excitement over his presence there is strong

15:21 evidence to indicate that prior to the Council of Claremont

15:24 the pope met with Ramon IV count of Toulouse

15:27 one of the wealthiest Lords in all of Europe Raymond

15:30 had campaigned in the Iberian Peninsula alongside Alfonso VI

15:34 of Leon and Castile who had granted Raymond his daughter

15:37 Elvira in marriage deeply Pious and experienced in the wars

15:42 against the Moors in Spain Raymond was a natural

15:45 Ally to the Pope in his plans for a military

15:47 campaign against the seljax in the East Ramon himself

15:51 likely knew the details of Urban's Plan before Claremont

15:54 and probably also committed to involve himself in the cause

15:58 during his private talks with the Pope the pope

16:01 also met with an important Bishop of Ramon's domains

16:04 adamor of lapui who was designated spiritual head

16:07 of the Crusade Additionally the pope consulted the bishop of kehor

16:11 the Archbishop of Leon and the Abbot of Clooney

16:14 as well as the Cardinals and Italian clergymen traveling

16:17 with him one of whom was dambert Archbishop of Pisa

16:20 destined to be elected patriarch of Jerusalem in 1099.

16:23 clergyman were asked to encourage the local

16:26 Knights and nobility to travel to Claremont

16:28 for the council in November there is even a long-running legend that the first

16:33 Crusader vows were made in October at a meeting in burgundy in examining

16:38 Pope Urban's planning and travels throughout 1095

16:42 leading up to the Council of Claremont

16:43 it's clear that the pope had a meticulous plan in mind that had been

16:47 in development for much of his papacy in some ways the idea was forming

16:52 long before Urban's election as Pope

16:54 the popes had been concerned about the disintegration

16:57 of christendom's Eastern Frontier for some time

17:00 in 1074 news of Westward Turkish incursions

17:04 had caused Pope Gregory VII to propose leading personally an army of some

17:09 50 000 Christians to quote liberate their brothers in the East Urban's goal was

17:14 far more ambitious to mobilize the resources

17:17 of christendom's military class under the command

17:20 of important rulers like Ramon IV

17:22 of Toulouse with the intent of bringing support

17:24 to the byzantines and liberating Jerusalem even

17:28 before 1095 many of Europe's major noblemen

17:31 and clergyman were already aware of the plan now all that was left was

17:36 to make the major announcement in the fall at Claremont Pope Urban II's Tour

17:42 of France in 1095 culminated with the Council

17:45 of Claremont which began on November 18.

17:48 most of the high-ranking attendees were churchmen abbots and Bishops the council

17:53 dealt with an array of ecclesiastical

17:55 issues Church organization simony celibacy lay

17:59 investiture as well as the excommunication of King Philip the first of France

18:03 for refusing to maintain his relationship with his Queen and openly keeping

18:08 a mistress in her place finally it was announced that on Tuesday

18:12 November 27 the pope would address the public to make a great announcement

18:17 a crowd gathered in response so large that it could not be hosted

18:21 within the cathedral a platform was raised on the field before The City

18:25 Gate here Urban made his speech five versions of the Pope's speech survived

18:32 to this day while they are not identical they agree for the most

18:36 part on the ideas expressed by the Pope in essence he called

18:40 on the Knights of Europe to engage in a war of Liberation

18:43 Eastern Christians were abused and humiliated by the seljuk Turks and it

18:48 was the Christian duty of their Western Brethren to help them regardless

18:52 of the costs involved Constantinople was emphasized

18:55 as the rallying point for the Western

18:57 forces with the idea that the Crusade would join forces with the emperor

19:01 Alexius and Aid him in repulsing the Turks and winning back

19:04 his territory but Alexius was not the only Lord Urban encouraged the knights

19:10 to help Christ himself was to be given Aid by this Expedition

19:14 the pope highlighted Jerusalem and The Holy Land as the inheritance of Christ

19:18 on Earth and urged Western Christians to win back territory that lawfully

19:23 belonged to him in this way Urban born of the nightly class himself

19:28 spoke to the European nobility in terms that were deeply meaningful to them

19:33 as Soldiers of Christ it was their duty to fight for his lands

19:37 just as a vassal must fight to defend the lands of his feudal

19:41 Lord Jerusalem had long been an objective veneration and pilgrimage for Western

19:46 Christians in a society that prized relics the Holy Sepulcher the sight

19:51 of Christ's death and Resurrection was the ultimate Relic for medieval Latins

19:56 contact with the Holy Sepulcher provided

19:58 a means of powerful connectedness to Christ

20:01 the most sacred site on Earth the pope proclaimed must not remain

20:05 in the hands of infidel it must be procured by Christians so

20:09 that it could receive due honor Pope Urban must have been a remarkable

20:13 speaker his words moved the masses gathered at Claremont and soon

20:18 The Heir was filled with men shouting Deus Vault God wills it adamar

20:23 the bishop of La Pui came forward and became the first man

20:26 to receive the cross that is take the pledge to go on Crusade

20:30 and many others followed his example one of our most important eyewitness

20:36 accounts of the First Crusade is the guest of francorum written anonymously

20:40 by a follower of Bowman of taranto possibly a knight the author

20:44 of The gesta was not present at the Council of Claremont but he opens

20:48 his Chronicle with an account of the Pope's speech which he must

20:51 have compiled from the oral accounts of other Crusaders who had heard

20:55 the Pope's words this version of urban speech is quite interesting because it

21:00 gives us an idea of how the Pope's call to Crusade was perceived

21:04 by a fairly ordinary participant the guester records the Pope's words as follows

21:10 whoever wishes to save his soul should not hesitate humbly to take

21:14 up the way of the Lord and if he lacks sufficient money

21:17 Divine Mercy will give him enough brethren we ought to endure much suffering

21:21 for the name of Christ misery poverty nakedness persecution want illness hunger

21:28 thirst and other ills of this kind just as the Lord saith

21:32 to his disciples ye must suffer much in my name and be not

21:36 ashamed to confess me before the faces of men verily I will give

21:41 you mouth and wisdom and finally great is your reward in heaven

21:46 the guest aversion emphasizes the sacrificial aspect of the Crusade the idea

21:51 that it was a great trial undertaken out of Devotion to Christ

21:54 and a desire to gain Heaven this flies in the face of the incorrect

21:59 idea held by some that most Crusaders were motivated out of material

22:04 greed and not out of spirituality in fact the Deep spiritual motivations behind

22:09 the First Crusade are evident everywhere in the primary sources we possess

22:14 if the gesta was indeed written by an ordinary Soldier or Knight it's

22:18 a fascinating glimpse into the religious

22:20 convictions of such a person another important

22:24 eyewitness chronicler of the First Crusade was full care of shatra a priest

22:28 who served as chaplain to Baldwin of bologna and lived out his days

22:32 in the early Crusader kingdom of Jerusalem full care who also offers

22:36 an account of Pope Urban speech emphasizes the Crusade as an act

22:40 of Love performed by westerners to Aid Eastern Christians suffering under seljuk

22:45 rule for your brethren who live in the East are in urgent

22:50 need of your help and you must hasten to give them Aid which

22:53 has often been promised them for as most of you have heard

22:56 the Turks and Arabs have attacked them and have conquered the territory

23:00 of Romania as far west as the shore of the Mediterranean and the hellespawn

23:04 which is called the arm of Saint George and they have occupied

23:09 more and more of the lands of those Christians and have overcome

23:12 them in seven battles they have killed and captured many and have

23:16 destroyed the churches and devastated the Empire if you permit them to continue

23:21 the faithful of God will be much more widely attacked by them

23:25 on this account I or rather the Lord beseech you as Christ's

23:30 Heralds to publish this everywhere and to persuade all people of whatever rank

23:34 foot soldiers and knights poor and Rich

23:37 to carry Aid promptly to those Christians

23:40 I say this to those who are present it is meant also

23:44 for those who are absent moreover Christ commands it full cares account

23:50 also includes the plenary Indulgence promised by the pope to Crusaders all who

23:55 die by the way whether by land or by sea or in battle

23:59 against the pagans shall have immediate remission of sins Pope Urban II's

24:06 Crusade was carefully organized and he

24:09 expected participants to adhere to his instructions

24:12 potential Crusaders were to get approval from their local clergy and they

24:16 were to join one of the armies led by a great Lord

24:19 such as Ramon IV of Toulouse or Godfrey of bouillon who had received

24:23 the cross from Urban's preachers but not everyone obeyed the Pope's commands

24:28 some bands of renegade Crusaders mostly made up of the desperately poor struck

24:33 out on their own wild Lawless excursions in the spring and summer

24:38 of 1096 armies from northern France southern

24:41 France Italy and the Holy Roman Empire

24:44 were busy preparing to depart for the east in response to Pope Urban's

24:48 appeal but some of Europe's poor rejected the idea of following a great

24:53 Lord or submitting to the Pope's terms and schedule Thomas Madden summarizes

24:58 it well to many the extensive preparations of the church and the nobility

25:03 for the Crusade seem not only Superfluous but also faithless if Christ's

25:08 soldiers marched to the Holy Land would he not scatter the Infidel Turks

25:12 as he had the Philistines long ago one man in particular advocated

25:17 this view Peter The Hermit a ragged holy man who rode from town

25:22 to town on a donkey mesmerizing crowds with his fiery preaching contrary

25:28 to popular belief Peter The Hermit was most likely not asked to preach

25:32 the Crusade by Pope Urban Thomas ashbridge states that Peter was quote

25:36 most likely not endorsed by the papacy

25:39 Peter's preaching seemed to have something

25:42 Divine about it though gibbert of nojian a chronicler of the First

25:45 Crusade would quote not report this as true and attributed this reputation

25:50 to quote the common people who

25:53 love novelties although Peter attracted large throngs

25:57 of peasants into his company Jonathan Riley Smith points out that we should

26:01 not believe that these forces consisted only of peasants there were some

26:06 Knights among them some of whom ended up eventually joining the military Elite

26:10 of the Crusader States but nevertheless Thomas asbridge says that the people's

26:15 Crusade was a quote largely uncontrollable ramshackle horde by the time he left

26:21 France in April 1096 and headed to Cologne a considerable train of disciples

26:26 trailed Peter and in Germany as well he attracted even more while

26:31 the real Crusade still prepared Peter's

26:33 horde drifted Eastward poorly provisioned and short

26:37 on cash the Crusaders quickly turned hungry pillaging was common as they

26:41 crossed into the Byzantine Empire

26:44 the Byzantine emperor Alexius kamninis was shocked

26:48 when he heard reports of this mob descending upon his lands at once

26:52 he arranged for them to be supplied with Provisions to put an end

26:56 to their thieving when Peter arrived in Constantinople he met another Westerner

27:01 who had traveled East with a Motley following Walter sense of War

27:05 a minor but experienced Knight like

27:08 Peter's group Walters throngs which included only

27:11 eight Knights had plundered on their way coming to blows with the forces

27:15 of king Coleman of Hungary both were interviewed by Alexius who was

27:20 according to Thomas Madden impressed by Peter's abilities as an orator Alexius

27:25 convinced Peter and Walter that they should await the arrival of the papalee

27:29 sanctioned Crusader forces but the peasant

27:32 armies were not convinced despite the protests

27:35 of Peter and Walter The People's Army crossed the Bosphorus on August 6.

27:40 entering Turkish territory The People's Army

27:43 was without a plan and without means

27:46 of fighting Peter returned to Constantinople to try

27:49 to gain additional aid from Alexius meanwhile

27:52 in Asia Minor Kili arslan the seljuk

27:55 Sultan of room dispatched forces to intercept

27:58 The Peasants Army Walter himself fell

28:01 in the slaughter back in Constantinople Peter received word

28:06 of what had happened and settled into await the arrival of the true Crusader

28:10 armies the people's Crusade is a bizarre

28:14 and tragic incident it cannot be considered

28:17 a part of the First Crusade proper since it was conducted outside of the papily

28:21 sanctioned expedition in his speech at Claremont

28:24 Pope Urban had emphasized that the poor

28:27 and inexperienced should not be participating

28:29 in his crusade in essence the people's Crusade

28:33 was everything Pope Urban had sought

28:35 to avoid fortunately his careful planning did ensure

28:39 that the Crusade proper was free of the chaos surrounding the people's Crusade

28:43 the main armies of the First Crusade

28:46 mobilized between December 1095 and August of 1096

28:50 adhering to the schedule laid out by Pope Urban II the Pope's directives called

28:55 for the Crusaders to make their way

28:57 toward the Byzantine capital of Constantinople where

28:59 they would unite under the leadership

29:01 of Emperor Alexius kimninis who would then guide

29:04 them in a campaign of reconquest against the seljuk Turkish rulers of the Levant

29:09 first to depart in August was the brother of King Philip the first

29:13 of France Hugh the first count of vermandua leading a small army provided both

29:18 by himself and by his brother the king sailing from Italy Hughes Fleet foundered

29:23 on the dalmatian coast and the count

29:25 had to be rescued by Byzantine officials who

29:27 brought him to Constantinople to meet Emperor

29:29 Alexius toward the end of August departed

29:32 Godfrey of bouillon Duke of lower Lorraine

29:35 in later centuries Godfrey would become the central

29:38 figure in the mythology of the First

29:40 Crusade idealized as the perfect Christian Knight

29:43 however prior to taking the Cross he had been at odds with the papacy

29:47 a vassal to Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV he'd even participated in the siege

29:51 of Rome which drove out Pope Gregory VII in 1084 the fact that Godfrey

29:57 answered the call to the Cross demonstrates the power of Pope Urban's message

30:01 but also alludes to the complexity

30:02 of late 11th century politics was Godfrey's opposition

30:06 to the pope at any time any deeper than loyalty to his own Lord

30:10 William of Tire tells us that Godfrey was tall powerful in billed with a beard

30:15 and hair of blonde in a charter struck before his departure Godfrey's mother

30:20 said he was quote preparing to fight for God in Jerusalem Godfrey was joined

30:25 on the Crusade by its older brother

30:27 Eustace III count of bologna and their younger

30:30 brother Baldwin of Bologna dark-haired and taller

30:34 than his brothers Baldwin had originally

30:36 been destined for the church but his love of the nightly lifestyle prompted him

30:39 to change careers before ordination however he'd

30:43 received the literary education common to clerics

30:45 at the time and all his life had an intellectual bent to his personality

30:49 Jonathan Riley Smith says he was

30:52 an intelligent calculating and ruthless man he was

30:54 not pleasant but his strength of personality and quickness of mine were to be

30:58 of great value to the Crusaders without any lands or wealth of his own Baldwin

31:03 took Service as one of Godfrey's high-ranking Knights but he had his heart

31:07 set on winning a lordship of his own with a considerable Army of Walloon

31:12 and lotharangian knights behind him Godfrey marched

31:14 through Germany his Men passed in perfect

31:17 peace in order through Hungary where king

31:19 Coleman was understandably nervous after the antics

31:21 of the people's Crusade by December Godfrey

31:25 came with Insight of Constantinople and laid

31:27 down Camp outside the city near the head of the Golden Horn Bowman of taranto

31:32 was the most experienced military commander

31:35 of the First Crusade his martial skills had

31:38 been honed in the Norman Wars against

31:39 the byzantines a hugely tall powerfully built man

31:43 Bowman is described by Anna kamnenna

31:45 as perfectly proportioned with a hard Savage

31:48 quality to his whole aspect and that even his laugh sounded like a threat

31:52 in 1097 Bowman was in the process of besieging Amalfi which had rebelled against

31:57 his uncle count Roger the first of Sicily

32:00 when he encountered Crusaders on their way

32:02 to the east Bowman whose family was closely Allied to Pope Urban II was

32:07 so impressed by these men that he had once took the cross himself gathering

32:11 around him a small but powerful force

32:13 of Norman Warriors and set out for Constantinople

32:17 meanwhile Godfrey of bouillon was camped outside

32:20 of the Byzantine Capital with his men although Pope Urban had insisted

32:24 that the Crusaders would find an emperor Alexius

32:26 a trustworthy Ally eager to join them

32:29 in the fight against the Turks Godfrey knew that Hugh vermandua was being held

32:33 a virtual prisoner inside of Constantinople and was

32:36 hesitant to put himself in the emperor's

32:38 Power by entering the Royal Palace but Alexius

32:41 refused to allow Godfrey to cross the Bosphorus until he'd come before him

32:45 to swear loyalty there were a few

32:47 tense moments but Alexius finally agreed to provide

32:50 hostages to the Crusaders while Godfrey entered

32:52 the palace Godfrey's chronicler Albert avakin says

32:56 that Alexius declared Godfrey quote an adopted

32:58 son Godfrey swore loyalty to the emperor

33:01 and the emperor promised to provide Aid to the Crusaders by January 20

33:05 of 1097 Godfrey's Army crossed the Bosphorus

33:09 Bowman showed up at Constantinople in April Anna

33:12 kemnina tells us that Alexius was deeply

33:15 anxious about Bowman's presence since in the past

33:17 the Italian Normans had invaded Byzantine

33:19 lands but Bowman conducting himself with perfect

33:23 courtly decorum presented himself as utterly loyal

33:26 to Alexius gladly swearing fealty to him

33:28 an oath which Alexius did not believe the Norman intended to keep the emperor

33:33 was convinced that Bowman meant to use the Crusades as some kind of opportunity

33:37 to conquer Byzantine lands about the same

33:41 time that Bowman appeared at Constantinople Robert II

33:44 count of Flanders a man of considerable

33:46 military prowess and piety arrived with his army

33:49 a charter of count Roberts states that he was quote going to Jerusalem

33:53 on the authority of the apostolic sea to liberate the Church of God which

33:57 had been trampled underfoot by Savage peoples

34:00 for a long time his Flemish Warriors

34:02 would prove to be a valuable asset in the course of the Crusade next

34:06 to arrive in Constantinople was Raymond IV

34:09 count of Toulouse with his large splendidly

34:11 equipped Southern French army as well

34:13 as the papal legit the shabbatimer of lapui

34:16 Raymond met with Alexius in April according

34:18 to Anna kamnena the emperor had a deep affection for Raymond and was impressed

34:22 by the count Superior intellect his untarnished reputation

34:25 the purity of his life Anna says that Alexius and Raymond engaged in long

34:30 discussion with one another and that the emperor

34:32 quote unreservedly opened the doors of his soul to the count already

34:36 enormously wealthy Thomas Madden says that Raymond had

34:40 decided to finish his life in the service of God having personally discussed

34:44 the Crusade with Pope Urban Raymond was

34:46 Keen to see Alexius commit himself as fully to the cause as the Western princes

34:50 Raymond's chronicler and chaplain says that when

34:53 Alexius asked Raymond to take an oath

34:55 of loyalty to him Raymond responded that he

34:57 would gladly do so if Alexius would also take the cross and Lead

35:01 his army to the liberation of the Holy Land Alexius insisted that he wanted very

35:07 much to do so but that he could not leave Constantinople at this time

35:11 Pope Urban's entire project had been predicated

35:14 on the idea that eastern and western

35:15 Christianity would be gloriously United in brotherly

35:18 bonds against the saracens Anna kamninis

35:22 says her father would have loved to join in the war against the Turks

35:25 but that he feared the Latins would

35:26 betray him to compensate Alexius promised to supply

35:30 the Crusaders with Provisions troops and guides

35:33 Raymond unwilling to bend on this issue

35:36 would not swear an oath of loyalty to Alexius but instead took an oath

35:40 simply to respect alexius's territories the emperor

35:44 was satisfied with this and permitted Raymond

35:46 to cross the Bosphorus and join Godfrey and Bowman for the Advance on nicaea

35:52 the final Latin Army to arrive in Constantinople was that of the northern French

35:56 led by William the conqueror's eldest son

35:59 Robert curtos Duke of Normandy and his brother-in-law

36:02 Stephen II count of bluewa kurtos and Stephen were warmly received by Alexius

36:07 and were much impressed by his wealth

36:09 and generosity they eagerly swore loyalty to him

36:13 then continued on their way to complete

36:15 the Crusader Army besieging nicaea on May

36:19 6 1097 the armies of the first crusade reached nicaea an ancient city

36:24 on the Northwestern edge of Asia Minor

36:26 situated on the eastern shore of the ashkanian

36:29 lake it's only a short Journey from Constantinople

36:32 opposite the Bosphorus and is the gateway

36:35 to Anatolia from the West currently nicaea was in the hands of the seljuk

36:40 Turks acting as the capital of the Sultan of rum the reduction of nicaea

36:45 would open the way for the Crusader's long journey to the Holy Sepulcher

36:49 and allow the byzantines to establish a base in Asia Minor from which further

36:53 reconquests could be made in the region the guest of francorum written by one

36:59 of Bowman's men says that on the day of the Ascension of the lord

37:02 we began to attack the city on all sides and to construct Machines

37:07 of wood and wooden towers with which we might be able to destroy Towers

37:11 on the walls Kylie arslawn the Sultan

37:14 of room was campaigning on his Eastern Frontier

37:17 when he heard reports of the Crusader

37:19 Army besieging his capital assembling his forces

37:22 he marched on nicaea on May 21 arslan moved up from the south

37:27 and immediately launched an attack meant to break the siege the army of Raymond

37:32 of Toulouse bore the brunt of the assault

37:34 but the Crusaders handled the situation well

37:37 maintaining their blockade of the city while

37:39 also dispatching troops to engage the Turks

37:42 a decisive cavalry charge led by Godfrey

37:46 and Bowman smashed the Turkish forces sending

37:48 Kylie arslan into full retreat so the Celts won a glorious Victory wrote Emperor

37:54 alexius's daughter Princess Anna using her favorite

37:57 term for westerners Celts the guesta says

38:01 our men hurled the heads of the killed far into the city

38:04 that the Turks might be more terrified

38:06 there at abandoned by killier Sloan the Turks

38:10 of nicaea sent Messengers to Alexius offering

38:13 to surrender the emperor sent his agents

38:16 into nicaea to negotiate the transfer of the city to Byzantine power on June 18.

38:22 Alexius excluded the Crusaders from this process

38:25 but afterwards according to full

38:27 care of shatra the emperor quote ordered gifts to be presented

38:31 to our leaders Gifts of gold and silver and Raymond and to the foot

38:34 soldiers he distributed copper coins historian

38:38 Thomas asprich says that the siege

38:40 of nicaea was a largely collaborative Venture in which Latins and Greeks

38:44 cooperated effectively and the Crusaders willingly

38:47 fought for the Byzantine Empire nicaea

38:50 restored to Christian rule the way was open for the Crusaders

38:53 to make the Long March east across Asia Minor to act as advisors

38:58 to the Franks Alexius assigned a small Byzantine contingent led by titios

39:03 an experienced half-arab half-greek General who had lost his nose in an earlier

39:08 battle and wore a gold prosthetic in its place although this was

39:13 not the large-scale support the Franks had wanted from Alexius they

39:16 were undeterred and by June 29 were on the move having captured

39:21 nicaea the Crusaders began a long march Eastward across the vast sunscorch

39:26 territory of Anatolia it was summer in Asia Minor and the heat

39:30 was brutal and unrelenting worse still the sultan Kili arslan had ravaged

39:35 the territory burning crops into spoiling water sources in hopes of halting

39:39 the Crusaders advance to reduce Supply problems the Latin princes divided

39:44 their armies with the first body led by the Norman's Bowman and Robert

39:48 curtos and the second marching a day behind under Raymond of Toulouse

39:52 and Godfrey of bouillon during the march Bowman spies informed him that kileyar

39:57 Sloan lay ahead with his army preparing an ambush on the evening

40:01 of June 30 as his forces approached the ruined Byzantine town

40:04 of Dory lamb Bowman ordered the Infantry to pitch a defensive camp

40:08 at a stream and organized his Cavalry for battle on the morning

40:12 of July 1st Kili arslawn struck but Bowman was ready swarms of Turkish

40:19 Horsemen descended upon the Christian Camp Bowman and Robert curtos made several

40:24 charges but the light Swift Turkish Cavalry eluded them Wheeling away when

40:29 attacked then sweeping back in to harass the Crusaders with arrows things

40:34 quickly went bad for the Christians they were losing men and horses

40:38 and even the unarmed pilgrims hunkered down in the camp were being

40:42 killed a lesser Commander might have

40:45 panicked but Bowman reacted instantly and effectively

40:48 immediately changed tactics ordering his Knights to Dismount and stand

40:52 with the Infantry in a tight Shield wall encircling the camp allowing them

40:57 to protect the horses supplies and pilgrims inside this worked suddenly

41:03 the Turks had to move in nearer to harass the Crusaders who held

41:07 their ground and began to kill Turks venturing too close for several

41:11 hours the Crusader Knights and foot soldiers stood side by side

41:15 in this cramped formation unbreakable before

41:17 the increasingly desperate Turkish assaults the heat

41:21 was intense the air choked with dust women in the camp trudged back

41:25 and forth from the stream carrying buckets of water to the men

41:28 on the lines this deadlock was broken with the arrival of the second

41:34 Crusader Army caught unawares Kylie arslawn had no time to react Godfrey

41:41 and Raymond LED their cavalries in a charge that scattered the Turks

41:45 Kylie arslawn's Army retreated the crusaders had won a great Victory though

41:51 narrowly the Battle of Dory lamb

41:53 demonstrated Bowman's top-notch capabilities as a general

41:56 for one he'd known that the enemy attack was coming and chose

42:00 a well-watered site for Camp finally at a desperate moment he had

42:05 organized his troops in such a way that allowed them to hold

42:07 until reinforcements arrived the victory also

42:11 demonstrated the effectiveness of the Frankish

42:13 cavalry charge well executed by Raymond and Godfrey but the seljuk Turks

42:18 had also performed quite well and their Swift harassing tactics had proven

42:22 very effective despite the ultimate results of the battle the Turks Left

42:28 Behind the whole of their Camp filled with gold and silks horses

42:32 and weapons which the Crusaders immediately

42:34 seized Kylie arslan abandoned his city

42:36 of Iconium and retreated deep into the interior of Anatolia hoping now

42:41 to avoid the Christians as they moved across Asia Minor after they

42:45 subdued the seljuk Sultan of room the armies of the First Crusade

42:49 spent four months journeying across the rest of Anatolia they dispatched two

42:55 small reconnaissance forces ahead of them

42:57 one under Godfrey of bouillon's younger brother

42:59 Baldwin of bologna and another under Bowman's nephew tankrid Baldwin and tankrid

43:06 established contacts in cilicia with the local Armenians this helped to secure

43:11 a safe route through the mountainous territory on the Northern approach to Syria

43:15 Baldwin of Bologna rejoined the main Army in Mirage in October 1097.

43:21 he found his wife godvara seriously ill she died before the month's end whether

43:27 or not Baldwin grieved he was composed enough

43:30 to approach his brother Godfrey about a new

43:32 project Baldwin had learned from his Armenian

43:35 contacts that there were Christian cities in Mesopotamia

43:38 eager for a strong Lord to protect them

43:41 from the Turks Godfrey agreed with his brother's

43:45 plan to establish a Frankish state

43:47 in Mesopotamia which would provide a reliable source

43:50 of supplies for the Crusaders during their coming

43:53 campaign in Syria with Godfrey's blessing Baldwin Departed

43:57 the main army with a small Battalion

43:59 of knights since he had given up his studies

44:02 for the priesthood Baldwin had served

44:04 as his brother's Knight but he had larger Ambitions

44:07 and now seemed poised to achieve them

44:09 on entering Mesopotamia he quickly captured the turkish-held

44:13 towns of ravindell and turbosil Baldwin's success attracted

44:17 the notice of thoros Armenian Lord of Odessa

44:20 who feared a coup from his subjects since he could not protect the city

44:24 from raids by his Turkish neighbor Baldrick

44:26 of samosata thoros offered Baldwin an alliance and Baldwin

44:31 gladly accepted in February 1098 Baldwin crossed

44:35 the Euphrates and entered Odessa to cheering crowds

44:39 of Armenians by now Baldwin was reputed

44:42 as a Victorious leader and the locals were eager

44:44 for a champion so enthusiastically was Baldwin welcomed

44:48 the thoros decided to make him his adopted

44:50 son in a strange ritual Baldwin and thorough

44:54 stripped to the waist and embraced one

44:56 another publicly while a long shirt was placed over them both to seal their new

45:00 status as father and son Baldwin next set

45:04 out with his men to neutralize the threat

45:07 of Baldrick of samosata he established a castle

45:10 near to samasata which could check any Turkish raids on his return to Odessa

45:16 Baldwin discovered that a group of Armenian noblemen

45:18 were plotting to kill thoros and Elevate

45:21 Baldwin as Soul ruler Baldwin appears to have

45:25 been unwilling to prevent this plot from going

45:27 through and was very likely at least passively

45:30 complicit in it thoros was seized by a mob of odessans who stabbed him to death

45:35 in the streets Baldwin of bologna now

45:38 ruled a powerful State centered around Odessa he

45:42 had risen to power through martial prowess

45:44 and ruthless political Intrigue but he would prove

45:48 to be the strong leader the odessans

45:50 desired making their City powerful again and neutralizing

45:53 the threat of neighboring Turks soon he

45:57 captured samosata and his new state the county

46:00 of Odessa would straddle the Euphrates for half

46:02 a century Baldwin established close bonds with the Armenians

46:06 Marrying an Armenian woman and employing Armenians

46:09 as Knights Governors and advisers in the late

46:14 summer of 1097 the Crusaders entered Northern

46:17 Syria making their way toward the ancient city

46:19 of Antioch secured by Massive curtain walls

46:23 set with 400 Towers Antioch was considered impregnable

46:27 overwhelmingly Antioch was populated by Christians Armenians Greeks

46:32 and syrians the Arab chronicler IBN al-athir says

46:36 that yagi Sian the city's Turkish Governor

46:39 worried when he heard of the approaching Frankish

46:41 Army that antioch's Christians would side

46:43 with their co-religionists so he sent the Christian men

46:47 outside of the city wall to dig a moat they labored on until the evening

46:53 but when they wished to enter the city yagi sin prevented them and said you can

46:58 leave me Antioch until I see how things will be with us and the Franks

47:03 it was October 1097 when the Vanguard

47:06 of the Crusader Army arrived before Antioch the anonymous

47:10 author of the guest of francorum who was a follower of Bowman writes that we

47:15 established a strict blockade on three gates

47:17 of the city for we could not besiege it

47:19 from the other side because a mountain high and very steep stood in our way

47:24 indeed the Crusaders concentrated their efforts

47:26 on the Northwestern quarter of the city which gave

47:29 them access to the Iron Bridge and the river boom and placed his army before

47:33 the Saint Paul Gate the northern French under

47:36 Robert curtos Robert of Flanders U of vermandua

47:40 and Stephen of bluewa cover the section

47:42 of wall just anti-clockwise of Bowmans Raymond of Toulouse

47:46 and the southern French blockaded the dog

47:48 gate while Godfrey of Beyond's lotharangians and Germans

47:52 covered the Gate of the Duke tatikios

47:54 and the byzantines camped some distance away

47:56 from the walls presumably to act in support

47:59 of the Franks you can see from this diagram

48:02 how much of Antioch could not be blockaded

48:04 including the wall running up into the forested

48:07 mount silpius to the East and the portion of the wall that hugged the River

48:10 on the southern end in the opening months of The Siege the Crusaders sparred

48:17 with the Turks on the walls full care

48:19 of chartres says that the Crusaders found a number

48:22 of boats in the aforsad river these they

48:25 took and fashioned into a pontoon bridge over which they crossed to carry out

48:28 their plans this bridge of boats was strategically

48:33 crucial since it allowed the Crusaders to quickly

48:35 access the plain Southwest of Antioch which

48:38 the Turks initially used as a staging ground

48:40 for armed sorties from the city the Frankish

48:44 leaders also dispatched squadrons into the surrounding

48:46 Countryside to take control of the nearby castles

48:49 such as Harem for the purpose of denying

48:52 yagisian control of antiox territory by mid-november

48:57 winter cold was setting in and the crusaders

48:59 had to send foraging Expeditions farther and farther

49:02 from the city in search of food now grain and all food began to be

49:07 excessively dear before the birthday of the Lord

49:09 says the guest to Frank Korum cold

49:12 and hungry the Crusaders celebrated Christmas in their damp

49:15 ramshackle Camp seeking sustenance in their faith

49:18 and in the thought that Beyond Antioch lay the object of their longing the holy

49:23 city of Jerusalem three days after Christmas Bowman

49:28 himself along with count Robert of Flanders led

49:31 a small force of knights into antiox

49:33 Hinterland in search of Provisions during their Journey

49:37 the foragers were surprised by a Turkish Army

49:39 sent from Damascus to relieve Antioch the Turks

49:43 instantly fell upon the Crusaders but Bowman

49:46 and the count of Flanders quickly organized

49:48 their men into a solid defensive formation while

49:51 the count of Flanders led a direct attack on the Turkish Cavalry Bowman moved

49:55 his Normans into a flanking position that prevented

49:58 the Turks from surrounding count Robert's Knights

50:01 in the confusion of the battle the Turks retreated

50:04 although boom and lost a sizable amount

50:07 of men he did manage to prevent the Turkish

50:09 force from bringing Aid to Antioch unfortunately

50:13 for the Crusaders Bowman and his foragers managed

50:16 to secure only modest provisions as the year came to a close the crusaders had

50:21 made little progress in the siege of Antioch

50:24 and remained huddled outside the massive City

50:26 walls with little hope of ever breaking

50:28 through them the first months of 1098 were

50:31 cold and miserable in the Crusader Camp before

50:34 the walls of Antioch food was scarce illness

50:38 common and little progress had been made

50:40 in reducing the enormous ancient city on the orantas

50:43 desertions from the Army's Rank and file became a problem even Peter The Hermit

50:48 and William the carpenter the former leaders

50:50 of the people's Crusade snuck away and tried to flee in the night but they were

50:54 caught by Bowman's nephew tankrid who dragged them back

50:57 to his uncle's tent to face the Wrath of the giant Norman almost evil

51:03 of all whom the Earth endures why did you so vitally flee was it perchance

51:08 for the reason that you wish to betray

51:09 these Knights and the host of Christ Peter

51:13 and William begged Bowman to be merciful

51:15 and ultimately he did pardon them but a far

51:18 more serious desertion occurred by the end

51:20 of January when the Byzantine General titicos departed

51:23 with the Greek contingent tatikios insisted that he

51:26 only meant to retrieve supplies after which he

51:29 would return to Antioch few Crusaders believed him

51:33 in February a Turkish Army led by ridwan

51:36 of Aleppo moved toward Antioch via the Iron

51:38 Bridge Bowman led a contingent against them

51:41 and through a brilliantly timed cavalry charge

51:44 defeated them the victory boosted Crusader morale

51:48 and with the arrival of spring warmth an English

51:50 Fleet appeared off the coast of Saint Simeon

51:53 carrying much needed provisions and supplies also lavish

51:57 Gifts of horses and weapons arrived from Odessa

51:59 now a Latin State under Godfrey's brother

52:02 Baldwin throughout the siege Bowman who spoke fluent

52:05 Greek had made it a point to personally Patrol the walls of Antioch he often

52:10 conversed with guards on the towers and by April

52:12 he had established contact with one feruz

52:15 an Armenian convert to Islam according to the Muslim

52:18 chronicler IBN al-kalanisi ferus nurtured a grudge

52:22 against yagi sien the Turkish governor of Antioch

52:25 because of some ill usage and confiscations which he had suffered at his hands

52:29 Bowman cultivated his relationship with faroos exploiting

52:33 the armenian's anger toward yagisian promising him Rich

52:36 Rewards eventually firuz agreed to betray his Tower

52:41 to the Crusaders and he and Bowman

52:43 began to secretly arrange a plan meanwhile reports

52:47 began to reach the Christian Camp of an enormous Turkish Army led by one kerbuka

52:52 the atabag of mosul advancing now to relieve

52:55 Antioch news of kerbuka's approach spread dread

52:59 among the Crusader forces finally after languishing all

53:02 winter outside Antioch were they to be smashed

53:05 against the Walls by Caribou God's Army full care of chartra recounts how one

53:09 of the Christian Army's primary Latin leaders was

53:12 so Disturbed that he withdrew from The Siege then

53:16 Stephen countablua left the siege and went home to France by sea we all grieved

53:22 on his account because he was a very

53:24 noble man although Stephen was among the wealthiest

53:27 of the Crusades leaders he had little

53:29 talent for military matters his flight from Antioch

53:32 would in time prove to be an unbearable disgrace on his name as pressure mounted

53:38 in the Latin Camp Bowman prepared to set

53:40 his trap ever driven by personal ambition

53:43 he kept his alliance with faroo's secret

53:46 and sought to arrange things so that Antioch would

53:49 be his and his alone Bowman came to all the leaders bearing joyful words to them

53:55 in this wise men most illustrious Knights see how all of us whether of greater

54:00 or lesser degree are an exceeding poverty

54:03 and misery and how utterly ignorant we are

54:05 from what side we will fare better therefore

54:08 if it seems good and honorable to you

54:10 let one of us put himself ahead of the rest and if he can acquire

54:14 or contrive the capture of the City by any plan or scheme by himself or through

54:19 the help of others let us with one voice Grant him the city as a gift

54:24 the Grim old count Raymond of Toulouse

54:26 immediately objected to this insisting that Antioch

54:30 belonged to Alexius kamninis and no other Bowman

54:33 in his characteristic loud bravado reminded the council

54:36 that alexius's troops had abandoned them and there

54:39 was no sign that the emperor intended

54:41 to help them further in any way by now the other leaders had come to trust

54:46 Bowman and with good reason although the least

54:49 wealthy of the princes the Norman's talents

54:52 had carried the day when all had seemed lost and thus he had essentially become

54:56 the leading figure in the Council of Lords

54:59 and by now everyone understood that Bowman's personal

55:02 ambition could always be trusted Raymond despite

55:06 being the richest of the leaders was out

55:08 voted the other Lords agreed to Bowman's plan

55:12 Bowman dramatically announced that very shortly Antioch would

55:16 be Christian again and with that departed

55:19 the council it's safe to assume that probably

55:22 all the Lords even Ramon believed him having

55:26 secured the Loyalty of the Armenian guard firuz

55:29 on one of antioch's towers Bowman organized

55:32 the whole of the Christian Army in a ruse

55:34 to fool the Turkish Garrison and gain control of the city on the afternoon

55:39 of June 2nd a large Detachment of Crusader

55:42 infantry and Cavalry marched away from Antioch

55:45 in plain view of the Garrison the Muslim

55:48 troops on the walls were meant to believe

55:50 that the Crusaders were sending off a substantial

55:53 foraging Expedition and thus they should not

55:55 expect any major offensives anytime soon however under

56:00 cover of Darkness on the night of June

56:02 3rd the Crusaders snuck back toward the city

56:05 and took up positions in hiding just

56:07 beyond the walls awaiting boom and signal Byzantine

56:12 Princess Anna kamnenna explains how Bowman by sneaking

56:15 up to the wall below farooza's Tower sprung his trap and Bowman immediately went

56:22 off to the tower The Armenian according

56:24 to his agreement opened the gates Bowman climbed

56:28 at once with his followers to the top of the tower as fast as he

56:31 could within minutes Bowman and his troops had

56:35 complete control of feruza's tower this allowed Bowman

56:39 to dispatch squadrons throughout the city to kill

56:41 more patrolling guards and open the main city Gates on Signal of a trumpet Blast

56:47 from one of Bowman's Knights on farooza's Tower

56:49 Godfrey boyon and Roberta Flanders rushed into the city

56:53 with their troops there followed a brutal

56:56 sack in which Crusaders and Native Greek

56:59 and Armenian Christians spread throughout the city killing

57:02 the seljuks and capturing booty for the Greeks and Armenians this was a moment

57:07 of Vengeance in which they vented years

57:09 of restrained anger at antiox occupiers Thomas asbridge explains

57:15 that in those crucial first few minutes

57:17 the combination of surprise the confusion of darkness

57:20 and fear of the Crusaders unrestrained brutality paralyzed

57:24 The Defenders yagi's seeing himself in a panic

57:28 fled the city via the Iron Gate but was thrown from his horse and left

57:32 for dead by his companions there lying bleeding

57:35 on the ground the Turkish Emir was discovered

57:37 by some Armenians decapitating the city's Fallen

57:41 Governor the Armenians took the head to Bowman

57:43 who promptly rewarded them Bowman had already raised

57:47 up his blood red banner over the city

57:50 walls and raimond of Toulouse occupied the city's

57:52 lavish Greek palace by the morning of June

57:56 4th it was over the crusaders had control of the city with each of the major

58:02 leaders holding various portions of the walls only

58:06 the Citadel on the top of the mountain

58:08 remained in Muslim hands barricaded by the last

58:11 survivors of the Garrison in a desperate

58:13 last attempt to escape death Bowman however

58:17 had taken a position with his troops just

58:19 outside the Citadel and was intent on resting

58:22 it from the last Turkish Defenders thus ended the siege of Antioch after eight

58:27 grueling months the crusaders had captured the most

58:31 important city in Syria and they had done

58:33 it completely without Byzantine help indeed the byzantines

58:37 had withdrawn from The Siege instead it

58:41 was Bowman's abilities which had delivered Antioch

58:44 into Christian hands Baldwin of Bologna's capture

58:48 of Odessa proved helpful to the Crusaders in another

58:51 way as well on his way to Antioch the Turkish atabag of mosul kerbaka stopped

58:56 for three days to besiege Odessa delaying

58:59 its progress when he failed at this task

59:01 The Turk continued on intent on destroying

59:04 the Crusader Army camped outside of Antioch the crusaders

59:08 had already captured Antioch and by the time

59:10 kerpocas forces began to arrive before antioch's

59:14 walls on June 5th the crusaders had

59:16 already firmly established themselves within the city Only

59:20 The Citadel on Mount silpius remained in Turkish

59:23 hands and this garbaka bolstered with a Garrison

59:26 of his own the Army karabaka commanded was awesome to behold so large in fact

59:32 that it could fully blockade the city

59:34 Antioch had just been through a months-long Siege

59:37 and so food was scarce within her powerful

59:39 walls penned in by kerbaka's troops the Crusaders

59:42 once again faced the very real Prospect

59:45 of starvation meanwhile far away in Anatolia another sizable

59:50 Army was on its way to Antioch this one Byzantine and headed by Emperor Alexius

59:56 kamninis who had finally elected to bring Aid

59:58 to his beleaguered Latin allies however at philomelion

1:00:01 the emperor encountered one Stephen count of bluewa

1:00:04 who had fled Antioch just before its

1:00:06 fall Stephen eager to justify his premature departure

1:00:10 from the fight assured Alexius that the whole

1:00:12 Christian Army had already been destroyed and thus

1:00:15 the cause of the Crusade completely lost Alexius was perhaps a little too eager

1:00:21 to trust Stephen's word and quickly elected to abandon

1:00:24 his mission together the Byzantine emperor

1:00:27 and the count of bluewa picked up and headed

1:00:29 back for the safety of Constantinople meanwhile

1:00:32 from the walls of Antioch the Crusaders under

1:00:35 the de facto leadership of Bowman were

1:00:38 gazing down at the enormous Army of kerbuka

1:00:40 and folding them like the coils of a serpent

1:00:43 it seemed incredible that after their astounding

1:00:46 capture of the powerfully Fortified City Christ Warriors

1:00:49 should perish all the same within their prize

1:00:52 naturally everyone in the Army was looking

1:00:55 toward Bowman the man who time and time again had carried the day for a solution

1:00:59 the Norman giant was weighing his options carefully

1:01:02 and already formulating a plan to defeat

1:01:05 the mighty caribouka meanwhile the desperation of the situation

1:01:10 caused many Crusaders to pray for a miracle

1:01:13 one Southern French priest called Peter Bartholomew

1:01:16 approached count Raymond of Toulouse with Tales

1:01:18 of a vision from Saint Andrew the Saint

1:01:21 Peter insisted had assured him that buried

1:01:23 somewhere beneath antioch's magnificent Cathedral of Saint Peter

1:01:27 was the lands that had been used at Calvary to pierce the side of Christ

1:01:31 if the Crusaders found this Relic and carried

1:01:34 it into battle against karabuka God would

1:01:37 grant them Victory although many were skeptical

1:01:40 of Peter's story others were convinced by it among

1:01:43 them the pious old count Ramon who

1:01:45 on June 15 began an excavation beneath the altar

1:01:48 of Saint Peter's Cathedral Peter himself was

1:01:51 among those digging in the dirt at one

1:01:53 point Peter cried out and scrambled out of the hole holding an old iron Shard

1:01:58 and shouting that he discovered the precious Relic

1:02:01 news of Peter's Discovery exploded throughout the city

1:02:04 a few Skeptics remained such as Bishop adamar of lapui but for the average Rank

1:02:09 and file Soldier this could be nothing

1:02:11 but a sign from God considering the gravity of the situation it was exactly what

1:02:17 the Crusaders needed morale was boosted and the weary

1:02:20 hungry Christian soldiers were convinced now that they

1:02:24 would indeed triumph over karabaka's hordes whatever

1:02:28 Peter Bartholomew pulled out of the hole in Saint Peter's that day there can be

1:02:32 no doubt of the spiritual impact on the Christian Soldiers it came at the right

1:02:36 time as well for the leaders of the army had decided on a very daring

1:02:40 and dangerous strategy a full-on battle with kerbokam

1:02:45 careful God's troops were numerous and his position

1:02:48 strong but within the Turkish forces there

1:02:50 were internal divisions between jealous emirs says historian

1:02:54 Thomas Madden citing the potential fractiousness of caribou

1:02:57 God's vast Coalition Army nevertheless the Turkish atabag

1:03:01 seemed poised to capture Antioch and destroy

1:03:03 the Christian forces inside by late June count

1:03:07 Ramon of Toulouse was ill and thus it fell to Bowman alone to lead the upcoming

1:03:12 counter-attack against Caribou in choosing to confront

1:03:15 kerbaka head on the Crusaders faced several enormous

1:03:18 challenges for one Gerber God's Army greatly outnumbered

1:03:21 them also the Turks had plenty of horses while the Crusaders by now had no

1:03:26 more than 200 horses of military quality remaining

1:03:29 the majority of their troops would have

1:03:32 to fight on foot but Bowman also understood

1:03:34 that the Crusaders who had survived up

1:03:36 to this point had been hardened into a battle-tested

1:03:39 efficient fighting force the trials of War

1:03:41 had bound them with the Brotherhood of soldiers

1:03:44 who have long fought shoulder to shoulder

1:03:47 Bowman's battle plan was astounding writes historian Thomas

1:03:50 sasbridge its execution exceptional Bowman chose the bridge

1:03:54 gate for the selling point placing the Latins on the Western Bank of the orantas

1:03:58 preventing the Turkish troops on the Eastern Bank

1:04:01 from quickly engaging them first to emerge

1:04:04 from the city was a division of archers

1:04:05 under Hugh of vermandua which hammered the Turks

1:04:08 with arrows driving back the first line of Muslim troops and opening a space

1:04:12 for the remainder of the Crusader Army to deploy

1:04:16 Bowman had divided the remainder of the army

1:04:18 into five distinct divisions to provide cohesion

1:04:21 in the midst of battle once the bridge gate had been cleared the northern French

1:04:25 under Robert of Flanders and Robert of Normandy

1:04:28 emerged in column behind Hughes archers and then

1:04:31 maneuvered to his left next Godfrey bouillon

1:04:34 marched out with his lotharangians and Germans followed

1:04:37 by Bishop adamer leading the southern French

1:04:40 each division fanned out leftwards in a semi-circle

1:04:44 with Bowman commanding the largest and final

1:04:46 contingent allowing him to bring aid to any portion of the army that came under

1:04:50 heavy attack Thomas ashbridge calls this disposition

1:04:54 of the troops the finest expression of Bowman's

1:04:56 military genius but despite this well-ordered deployment had kerperga

1:05:01 reacted differently the Crusaders might have been

1:05:04 crushed as they came out of Antioch once

1:05:07 he realized that the Crusaders were sailing forth

1:05:10 from the bridge gate kerbuka had two options

1:05:12 immediately attacked with his main force or wait

1:05:16 and meet them in battle on grounds of his own choosing in that kirpaka chose

1:05:21 the latter probably because he did not judge

1:05:24 the Ragged Crusader Army to be much of a threat had he launched an immediate

1:05:28 attack he could have inflicted heavy losses

1:05:30 but he also would have ended The Battle Before

1:05:33 the Christians were fully deployed no doubt

1:05:36 the bulk of their numbers would have retreated

1:05:38 and many might not have even deployed at all instead care but God chose to allow

1:05:44 the Franks to bring the whole of their army out of Antioch thus giving him

1:05:48 the opportunity to crush them completely in one

1:05:51 grand stroke this would allow him to avoid

1:05:54 a long Siege but this does not mean the Crusaders were able to march unmolested

1:05:59 out of Antioch while kerbuka's main Force held

1:06:02 back the Crusaders as they struggled to get

1:06:05 into position before the bridge gate were

1:06:07 attacked fiercely by the advanced Turkish troops there

1:06:10 was a vicious counter-attack from the Turks

1:06:12 who had been guarding the bridge gate followed

1:06:14 almost instantly by an assault from the Turks

1:06:17 sweeping down from positions before the Gate

1:06:19 of Saint Paul and the Gate of the Duke

1:06:21 most pressing of all Turks positioned before

1:06:24 the Gate of Saint George quickly began crossing the river and coming up behind

1:06:28 the Crusaders for an attack the Christians were

1:06:31 surrounded militarily this was a near impossible situation

1:06:35 to survive a small infantry-based army while

1:06:39 attempting to deploy out of a narrow gate

1:06:41 was being heavily attacked from all sides

1:06:44 by enemy cavalry at this crucial moment the Crusaders

1:06:48 by now tested in countless battles against

1:06:50 the Turks Rose to the challenge the Knight

1:06:53 Reinhardt of tool was dispatched with the contingent

1:06:55 of French and lotharangians and they met

1:06:58 the Southeastern attack with such ferocity that the enemy

1:07:01 broke in panic meanwhile the main body

1:07:04 of the Franks held formation against the onslaught

1:07:07 of Turkish arrows just as they had done at Dory lamb Unbroken by the Turkish

1:07:13 Onslaught and United as a solid impenetrable body

1:07:16 of infantry the Crusaders now marched forward fighting

1:07:20 with precision and ferocity before this powerful counter-attack

1:07:24 the Turkish Advanced guard utterly broke turning

1:07:27 tail and fleeing kirpaka realizing what was going

1:07:31 on began a rushed panicked advance and ran

1:07:35 right into his own retreating troops this caused

1:07:38 more Turkish units to break off in Retreat

1:07:40 meanwhile the Crusader infantry continued their Advance

1:07:44 shattering the Turkish formations with brutal efficiency

1:07:49 it wasn't long before the entire Turkish Coalition

1:07:52 was in full flight with kerbaka himself

1:07:54 barely escaping with his life it was over

1:07:58 a tiny Army of weary hungry Christian Soldiers

1:08:02 had utterly shattered an enormous well-equipped Turkish Army

1:08:05 within hours the Turkish troops inside the Citadel

1:08:09 surrendered to Bowman and now the whole

1:08:11 of Antioch truly was securely in Christian hands

1:08:15 it was an astounding Victory probably the most

1:08:18 important of the First Crusade now the way

1:08:21 lay open for the march on the Ultimate

1:08:24 Prize Jerusalem following their defeat of garboga

1:08:28 the Crusaders controlled a wealthy stretch of territory

1:08:31 from Odessa to Antioch and the important port city of Saint Simeon but since

1:08:35 the Army was according to full care

1:08:37 of shatra weary by many days of arduous labor

1:08:40 the Council of leaders decided not to march

1:08:43 on Jerusalem until November 1st for the remainder

1:08:47 of 1098 the Franks settled into Antioch

1:08:49 consecrating churches and dispatching parties of knights

1:08:52 to subdue nearby fortresses Bowman who occupied

1:08:56 The Citadel essentially acted as antioch's prince in accordance

1:09:00 with the council's decision during The Siege

1:09:02 there had been one stipulation to that agreement

1:09:05 however that Bowman Could Only Rule Antioch

1:09:08 so long as Emperor Alexius did not come to claim her Alexius had failed to bring

1:09:13 Aid to the Crusaders during their desperate standoff

1:09:16 with kerbuka despite his daughter Anna's claim

1:09:18 that the emperor was much concerned to bring

1:09:21 help personally to the Celts after Bowman's

1:09:25 brilliant defeat of the enormous Turkish Army all

1:09:27 the Army's leaders were quite content for him to have the city all that is

1:09:32 except for count Ramon Ramon continued to insist

1:09:35 that Alexius had not been given sufficient opportunity

1:09:38 to claim Antioch he convinced the council that one final attempt should be made

1:09:42 to offer the city to the byzantines

1:09:45 the Army's leaders selected Hugh of varmandua to lead

1:09:48 an embassy to Constantinople to request that the emperor

1:09:51 come and claim Antioch meanwhile Bowman would

1:09:54 continue to act as antioch's Prince in August

1:09:57 the Army suffered a devastating loss Bishop adamer

1:10:01 the spiritual father of the Crusade revered

1:10:04 by all fell ill and died Ralph of Gunn

1:10:08 a follower of tankards describes adamar as a man of great Merit and a man

1:10:13 worthy of honor in any place adamar was so respected by both Bowman and Ramon

1:10:18 that he was often The only voice in the army that could mediate between the two

1:10:23 as the months wore on and the leaders

1:10:25 began planning the march on Jerusalem Bowman

1:10:28 and Raymond's disagreements continued there was still no

1:10:32 word from Alexius and Bowman was busily establishing

1:10:35 his new state the principality of Antioch

1:10:37 it became clear that the Norman Prince had no intention of joining in the march

1:10:42 on Jerusalem Ramon insisted that Bowman keep his vow

1:10:46 to participate in Jerusalem's capture Ramon even

1:10:49 promised to accept Bowman's rule in Antioch if

1:10:52 the Norman would swear to Aid in the campaign

1:10:54 for Jerusalem Bowman agreed to this November

1:10:59 1st came and went and the Army remained

1:11:01 stalled in Antioch with a Bowman still unwilling

1:11:04 to march on the holy city regardless

1:11:06 of his earlier promise Rymal and for his part

1:11:09 hesitated to withdraw from Antioch and thereby

1:11:12 guarantee Bowman total control of the city

1:11:15 by now the common soldiers eager to fulfill

1:11:17 their vows at Jerusalem were quite impatient

1:11:20 with their leaders delays everyone understood that Bowman

1:11:23 would never move his forces out of Antioch

1:11:25 and so the ordinary soldiers began to press Ramon to lead them to Christ City

1:11:30 who else but he could guide them to Jerusalem they asked Raymond was an old

1:11:35 man at the time of his departure for the East he had been one

1:11:38 of the wealthiest Lords in Europe perhaps only

1:11:41 piety explains why such a man could forsake

1:11:44 all that for the Perils of crusade now

1:11:48 pressed by the common pilgrims of the Christian

1:11:50 Army the Aged count at last relented in his long struggle with Bowman on January

1:11:55 13 1099 count Raymond of Toulouse Barefoot

1:11:59 unarmed and carrying a pilgrim staff departed Antioch

1:12:03 at the head of the army adopting the guise of an ordinary Pilgrim as a statement

1:12:07 about the true purpose of the Crusade following

1:12:11 him was the whole of the Christian host

1:12:13 singing Psalms rejoicing that at last they

1:12:16 journeyed to Jerusalem only Bowman in the bulk

1:12:20 of his Normans remained behind in Antioch

1:12:22 though a small Norman contingent under Bowman's nephew

1:12:25 Tankard did accompany Ramon with Ramon of Toulouse

1:12:29 in the lead the Christian Army traveled south through Syria along the way they

1:12:33 encountered saracen fortresses which sent out tribute payments

1:12:37 and Provisions in exchange for being left

1:12:39 unmolested by the now famous destroyers of kerboka

1:12:43 many of these small Muslim statelets were

1:12:46 in Rebellion against the Emir of Damascus and other

1:12:49 Turkish princes and thus were Keen to remain

1:12:51 neutral additionally Palestine was now in the hands

1:12:55 of the fatimids a Shiite egyptian-based Empire

1:12:58 so the seljuks and Damascus had no interest

1:13:01 in hindering the Frankish Advance sworn enemies

1:13:04 of the Sunni seljuk Turks the fatimids had

1:13:07 kept track of the Crusader's progress and had

1:13:09 even sent embassies to them offering to collaborate

1:13:12 against the Turks so long as the Franks

1:13:14 agreed not to attack Jerusalem the fatimids did not yet grasp but the Christian

1:13:18 Army would settle for nothing less than control of the holy city on May 19

1:13:24 1099 the Crusaders entered Fatima territory they marched

1:13:29 along the coast passing the ports of Beirut

1:13:31 sidon tire and acre all willing to offer

1:13:34 supplies in trade for peace the Crusaders obliged

1:13:38 and by June 3rd they reached the Inland

1:13:40 Road just north of Jaffa which led to the holy city news arrived at a fatiman

1:13:45 army was now mobilizing in Egypt

1:13:47 the Christians were undeterred they veered Inland confident

1:13:52 that if they maintained faith God would provide

1:13:54 victory by June 6 the Crusaders reached Bethlehem

1:13:59 an entirely Christian city which welcomed the Army

1:14:02 as liberators the following day the Franks climbed the famous hill of Mount Joy

1:14:06 the point on the road at which Jerusalem becomes

1:14:09 visible the Latin sources emphasized the Elation

1:14:13 of the pilgrims at this first sighting

1:14:15 of the holy city Tankard riding ahead with a scouting party was one of the first

1:14:19 to top Mount Joy and Ralph of gone

1:14:21 describes his reaction getting his first glimpse

1:14:24 of Jerusalem from a distance tankrid greeted

1:14:27 her placed his knees on the ground his heart

1:14:29 on heaven the chaplain of Ramon of Toulouse

1:14:33 describes how the Franks organized The Siege

1:14:36 Duke Godfrey and the count of Flanders

1:14:38 and the Duke of Normandy besieged the city

1:14:40 from the north side from the church of Saint Stephen located in the center

1:14:44 of the city Southward to the angular Tower

1:14:47 next to the Tower of David count Ramon

1:14:50 and his army however settled down on the western

1:14:52 side and besieged Jerusalem from the camp

1:14:55 of the Duke to the foot of Mount Zion the Crusaders didn't have the numbers

1:14:59 for a full encirclement and the city was

1:15:01 strongly fortified amid Rocky harsh terrain the Fatima

1:15:04 Governor iftikar had expelled all of Jerusalem's Christian

1:15:08 inhabitants since the story of antioch's betrayal was

1:15:11 also well known local cisterns had been poisoned or spoiled and water was scarce

1:15:17 Jerusalem's Christians joined the Crusaders in their Camp

1:15:20 confirming the rumors of an Egyptian Army

1:15:23 on the way to relieve the holy city faced with little time the Franks decided

1:15:29 on a bold all-out assault on the city

1:15:31 on June 13 the Christian troops stormed Jerusalem's walls

1:15:35 but they were quickly beaten back by the Fatima

1:15:37 Defenders Thomas Madden says that the Crusaders

1:15:41 lack sufficient scaling ladders and Siege Machinery

1:15:43 to threaten seriously Jerusalem's towering walls the city

1:15:47 of Jerusalem is located in a mountainous

1:15:49 region which is devoid of trees wrote full

1:15:52 care of shatra meaning the Crusader Army had

1:15:54 no timber for the building of Siege engines

1:15:57 however shortly after the failure of the first assault on the city a fleet

1:16:01 of genoese and English ships loaded with building

1:16:04 materials arrived at Java having responded to earlier

1:16:08 pleas for AIDS sent back to the West singing this God's blessing the Latin set

1:16:13 to constructing catapults ladders and Towers it was

1:16:16 hard labor in the Palestinian Sun but they

1:16:18 worked briskly for as the chronicler IBN

1:16:20 al-kalanisi wrote news reached them that aleph Dal

1:16:23 the Fatimid vizier was on his way from Egypt with a mighty Army to engage

1:16:27 in the Jihad against them by early July

1:16:30 the crusaders had completed their machinery and were

1:16:33 ready for a proper assault on the city

1:16:34 but first the leaders announced that they would

1:16:37 invoke God's Aid on July 8 the Army

1:16:40 Barefoot and bearing relics processed around the walls

1:16:43 of Jerusalem singing prayers the fatimids watching

1:16:46 from Jerusalem's ramparts shouted jeers at the Christians

1:16:49 and defiled crosses and icons taken

1:16:52 from the city's churches the Crusaders finally stopped

1:16:56 the Mount of Olives the sight of Christ's

1:16:58 Ascension to Heaven here they offered final prayers

1:17:01 that God would grant them victory at dawn on July 14 trumpets blasted through

1:17:07 the Crusader Camp announcing the commencement of the assault

1:17:10 the Muslims inside the city immediately rushed

1:17:13 to the walls for the defense but as they

1:17:15 gazed down over the ramparts they realized

1:17:17 that the westerners had staged an ingenious ruse

1:17:20 for weeks Godfrey bouillon's contingent had busily built

1:17:23 Siege equipment before Jerusalem's powerful quadrangular tower

1:17:27 saracens had responded by working just as hard

1:17:30 to bolster the fortifications of that already strong

1:17:32 section but now the fatimates found that overnight

1:17:36 Godfrey's men had dismantled all their Machinery

1:17:38 moved it one kilometer to a point just

1:17:40 east of Saint Stephen's gate and reassembled

1:17:43 the siege engines there this was an incredible

1:17:46 feat of physical endurance for a single

1:17:48 night the saracens were stunned and terrified

1:17:51 for the portion of the wall now swarming

1:17:54 with Crusader Siege equipment was the weakest point

1:17:56 in Jerusalem's defenses fighting raged all of July

1:18:01 14 with count Ramon's Army managing to bring

1:18:04 their Siege Tower close to the city although

1:18:06 Fierce resistance from the fatimids prevented Ramon's men

1:18:09 from actually capturing the wall however

1:18:12 on the morning of July 15 Godfrey's Tower was

1:18:15 successfully brought up against the city Godfrey's Knights

1:18:19 ludolf and Engelbert were the first to enter

1:18:21 Jerusalem followed quickly by Godfrey and more

1:18:24 of his men it was a crucial moment with Godfrey fighting alongside his Knights

1:18:29 In A desperate battle to secure the wall they

1:18:32 captured the Gate of the column which Godfrey

1:18:34 ordered opened allowing the whole of the Crusader

1:18:37 Army to rush into the city Fatima

1:18:39 resistance collapsed as the Christians spread throughout

1:18:42 Jerusalem Thomas Madden writes that by the standards

1:18:46 of the time adhered to by both

1:18:47 Christians and Muslims the Crusaders would have been

1:18:49 justified in putting the entire population of Jerusalem

1:18:52 to the sword despite later highly exaggerated

1:18:55 reports however that is not what happened it's

1:18:57 true that many of the inhabitants of both

1:18:59 Muslims and Jews were killed in the initial Fray yet many were also allowed

1:19:03 to purchase their freedom or were simply expelled

1:19:06 from the sitting Tankard and the Normans drove

1:19:09 deep into the city's heart where they plundered

1:19:11 the Temple Mount if takar and the high-ranking

1:19:14 fatimate officers took refuge in the tower

1:19:16 of David which they surrendered to count Ramon

1:19:18 who protected their lives and later provided them

1:19:21 with safe passage back to Egypt the crusaders

1:19:25 had done it Pope Urban's dream had come

1:19:27 true a Latin Army had reclaimed Jerusalem

1:19:30 for Christendom the chaplain of Raymond of Toulouse writes

1:19:34 now that the city was taken it was well worth all our previous labors

1:19:38 and hardships to see the devotion of the pilgrims

1:19:40 of the Holy Sepulcher how they rejoiced

1:19:42 and exalted and sang a new song to the Lord it was the crowning moment

1:19:47 for the Crusaders to kneel in prayer before

1:19:49 the tomb of Christ but although they had

1:19:52 captured Jerusalem the Christian hosts still had

1:19:54 to deal with a large Egyptian Army on its

1:19:57 way to reverse their victory the Crusaders

1:20:00 acted quickly to secure the newly conquered Jerusalem

1:20:03 on July 22 1099 Godfrey of bouillon

1:20:07 was elected defender of the Holy Sepulcher ruler

1:20:09 of the nascent kingdom of Jerusalem It is

1:20:12 popularly believed that count Ramon IV of Toulouse

1:20:15 was unhappy with Godfrey's election but historians

1:20:18 John and Lorita Hill conclude that Raymond very

1:20:21 likely concurred in Godfrey's appointment as defender

1:20:23 of Jerusalem soon word arrived from tankrid who is

1:20:28 scouting the southern coast that indeed a fatimate

1:20:30 army at Ashkelon Was preparing to march

1:20:32 on Jerusalem Godfrey's response was to Rally

1:20:35 the Christian forces to the offensive while the Latin

1:20:38 and Greek clergy gathered together in the Church

1:20:40 of the Holy Sepulcher to pray for victory

1:20:42 Godfrey along with the forces of Roberta Flanders

1:20:45 marched South rendezvous at ramla with the armies

1:20:48 of Raymond of Toulouse and Robert of Normandy

1:20:50 as well as tankrid who had captured Nablus earlier that month the newly elected

1:20:56 patriarch Arnold carried the relic of the True

1:20:58 Cross at the head of the Christian

1:20:59 host the Egyptian vizier had assembled a massive

1:21:05 Army made up of troops from all over

1:21:07 the Fatimid caliphate he camped in the plane

1:21:10 of al-mashdal just outside of Ashkelon

1:21:12 with the plan of next marching on Jerusalem

1:21:14 to drive out the Franks He was unaware

1:21:17 that the Crusaders were already on the move

1:21:20 Godfrey and Ramon divided their forces into nine

1:21:23 divisions then rapidly Advanced on the Fatimid

1:21:25 position on August 12 the fatimids were caught

1:21:28 unaware when the Crusaders attacked unlike the Turks

1:21:32 the fatimids did not employ large numbers

1:21:34 of mounted archers and their lance-wielding Arab and Berber

1:21:37 Cavalry which moved closely with their infantry

1:21:39 offered a solid Target for the devastating Frankish

1:21:42 cavalry charge historian RC smale says

1:21:46 that the charge alone secured a Latin Victory

1:21:49 and the best sources agree that the duration

1:21:51 of the battle was brief Olaf Dahl's troops scattered

1:21:54 and as full care of chartra writes

1:21:57 in the sweeping attack the saracens perished on all

1:21:59 sides the entire Egyptian Camp filled with horses

1:22:03 and Provisions was captured by the Christians

1:22:06 it's commonly believed that in the aftermath

1:22:08 of their defeat the fatimids at Ashkelon offered

1:22:11 to surrender the city to the Crusaders

1:22:13 but a quarrel erupted between Ramon and Godfrey

1:22:15 over who would possess it the fatimids hearing

1:22:18 of this quarrel broke off negotiations and Ashkelon

1:22:21 was lost to the Crusaders the source of this tale comes from Ralph of Khan

1:22:26 and Albert avakin neither of whom were present at the Battle and both of whom

1:22:30 were biased against count Ramon our best

1:22:33 saracen source IBN al-kalanisi offers a very different

1:22:37 account the Franks besieged Ashkelon until at length

1:22:40 the townsman agreed to pay them twenty

1:22:43 thousand dinars as protection money and to deliver

1:22:45 this some to them forthwith they therefore set

1:22:48 about collecting this amount from the inhabitants of the town but it befell

1:22:52 that a quarrel broke out between the Frankish

1:22:54 leaders and they retired without having received any

1:22:56 of the money IBN al-kalanisi unimpacted by the various

1:23:01 Regional loyalties of the Latin chroniclers is

1:23:03 probably our best source for this incident he

1:23:06 says nothing about a specific quarrel between Godfrey

1:23:08 and Ramon just that some sort of disagreement

1:23:11 resulted in a failure to collect tribute

1:23:13 from Ashkelon but not a missed opportunity

1:23:15 to actually possess the city itself an offer

1:23:18 of total surrender of Escalon at this stage

1:23:21 seems questionable at best as the city was

1:23:23 well fortified the disagreement may have been

1:23:26 as John and Lorita Hill point out that most

1:23:29 Crusaders considered their vows fulfilled and were not

1:23:32 interested in aiding the leaders in a full-on

1:23:34 Siege of the Egyptian City the Crusader

1:23:37 victory at Ashkelon meant that Jerusalem was Secure

1:23:40 as a Christian possession with the holy

1:23:43 city secured Godfrey bouillon ruled a tiny Latin

1:23:46 Outpost surrounded by hostile Muslim Neighbors over

1:23:50 the next two decades the kingdom of Jerusalem would

1:23:53 expand dramatically through Relentless conquests of the surrounding

1:23:56 territories for now Godfrey and only 300

1:24:00 Knights committed themselves to the defense of Jerusalem

1:24:03 while the bulk of the army returned home to Europe a similar process began

1:24:08 in the North in the newly founded principality

1:24:10 of Antioch and County of Odessa in December

1:24:13 of 1099 the rulers of these two states

1:24:15 Prince Bowman and count Baldwin traveled to Jerusalem

1:24:19 to celebrate Christmas with Godfrey and to worship

1:24:22 at the holy severger meanwhile Robert

1:24:24 of Flanders Robert of Normandy and Ramon IV

1:24:27 of Toulouse returned to Constantinople where Emperor

1:24:30 Alexius the first kamenus received them as Heroes

1:24:33 and hosted lavish feasts in their honor while

1:24:35 the two Roberts returned to Europe Ramon IV ultimately

1:24:38 returned to utramere to lay the groundwork

1:24:41 for the fourth Crusader State the county

1:24:43 of Tripoli which would exist between the principality

1:24:45 of Antioch and the kingdom of Jerusalem news

1:24:48 of Jerusalem's Liberation spread across Europe throughout the Latin

1:24:52 world people celebrated the restoration of the Holy

1:24:54 Sepulcher returning Crusaders were welcomed as Heroes

1:24:58 their stories immortalized in songs in the coming

1:25:01 decades Pilgrims from every corner of Europe

1:25:04 would make the long journey to the now

1:25:05 Christian rule Jerusalem where they could worship

1:25:08 safely at the Holy Sepulcher the first Crusades

1:25:12 Triumph solidified in the minds of Latins this new concept of the Crusade a war

1:25:17 waged with the blessing of the church not

1:25:20 for selfish Petty reasons but in the cause

1:25:22 of Christendom to expand and defend the domain

1:25:24 of Christ for the Christians of the medieval

1:25:27 West only God's blessing explained this victory

1:25:29 in the East and therefore the concept of crusading must be pleasing to him

1:25:34 for generations to come many Latins would flock

1:25:37 to the crusade in the Holy Land to fight for the Holy Sepulcher foreign [Music]

1:25:51 on November 10 1143 near the city of acre in the Crusader Latin kingdom

1:25:57 of Jerusalem King Falk and queen melisson were

1:26:01 enjoying an afternoon hunt as the Royal party

1:26:05 pursued a hair through the scenic Countryside

1:26:08 the king held his lands and urged his horse

1:26:11 to gallop faster suddenly the king's horse

1:26:14 stumbled and folk was thrown from his Steed

1:26:16 and struck his head on the ground the king's companions that once slept

1:26:22 from their horses to attend the injured Folk

1:26:25 Queen melissan too rushed to the king's side

1:26:29 as the queen held her husband's bloody body

1:26:32 it was clear to everyone the King was

1:26:34 dead melisand was inconsolable although she and the King

1:26:40 had butt heads early in their reign

1:26:41 they'd grown close over the years and together

1:26:44 they'd ruled the Crusader Kingdom well for over

1:26:47 a decade folk had been a wise ruler and a capable military commander he'd done

1:26:59 much to bolster the Kingdom's defenses many

1:27:02 important Frontier castles such as the famous trans

1:27:04 Jordan castle of karak were constructed during Folk's

1:27:08 reign however Queen melisson was a capable ruler

1:27:13 and her eldest son Baldwin was a healthy youth of 13 who'd been educated

1:27:18 to one day assume the throne on Christmas

1:27:21 Day 11 43 the Nobles Knights and clergy of the kingdom of Jerusalem gathered

1:27:27 in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher to witness

1:27:29 the crowning of melisand and her son Baldwin

1:27:32 III the queen was expected to wisely guide the kingdom until Baldwin III was old

1:27:38 enough to rule alone however for the Kingdom's

1:27:46 greatest enemy the death of folk was

1:27:49 a welcome event zengi ruler of mosul and Aleppo

1:27:55 had spent the past decade constructing a powerful

1:27:58 state already he'd captured most of the turkish-held

1:28:02 regions in Syria so rapidly and efficiently had

1:28:06 zengi expanded that the Emir unar of Damascus

1:28:10 forged an alliance with the Crusaders of Jerusalem

1:28:13 to protect his own domains now zengi felt ready to mount a major offensive

1:28:19 against the Crusaders zengey's reputation among his fellow

1:28:25 Muslims was mixed IBN al-kalanisi a chronicler

1:28:29 from Damascus understandably held a mostly negative opinion

1:28:32 of the Great atebeg famously IBN al-kalanisi recorded

1:28:37 zengi's treacherous dealings with the Garrison of balbeck

1:28:40 during the atebeg's long war with Damascus foreign

1:28:46 but when the Fortress was in his hands he violated his pledge and went back

1:28:51 on his guarantee of security owing to a personal

1:28:54 Grudge and irritation against its Defenders which

1:28:57 he nursed in secret he ordered all to be executed and none of them escaped

1:29:02 except those whose Destiny guarded them the people

1:29:06 were horrified at his action and at such an unheard of breach of oath

1:29:10 on his part but for many of the Turkish

1:29:18 Warrior Elite zengi offered the best chance

1:29:20 of driving the Crusaders from Syria and Palestine

1:29:24 as zengi's conquests increased he gained the Loyalty

1:29:28 of many Turkish emirs and commanders along

1:29:31 with their Warriors zengi was undeniably the most

1:29:35 powerful single opponent yet faced by the Crusaders

1:29:43 meanwhile the two northernmost Crusader States

1:29:45 the principality of Antioch and the county

1:29:48 of Odessa were near to war Raymond of Poitier

1:29:51 Prince of Antioch and Jocelyn II of Odessa

1:29:55 had long feuded over territorial disagreements and now

1:29:58 with no strong King in Jerusalem to impose an accord between them the two seemed

1:30:04 ready to settle their differences on the battlefield

1:30:08 the shrewd zengi was keenly aware of this [Music] in November 1144 Jocelyn II

1:30:21 was in the western part of his County

1:30:23 with his best troops zengi gathered a large

1:30:27 army of turcomons from the Jazeera between

1:30:30 the upper Euphrates and the upper Tigris

1:30:32 a region that the chronicler IBN al-atir tells us

1:30:35 had often been raided by Crusader forces

1:30:40 launched a surprise attack on the great city

1:30:43 of Odessa itself Odessa was strongly fortified

1:30:46 with a large curtain wall and 45 towers

1:30:50 as well as a citadel defended by an internal

1:30:52 wall however at the time odessa's Garrison

1:30:55 was lacking in troops and the citizens had

1:30:58 no leader around which to Rally the population

1:31:01 was made up primarily of Armenian Christians

1:31:07 [Music] from Turbo cell count Jocelyn II received

1:31:11 news that his Capital was Under Siege at once he appealed for Aid to his enemy

1:31:17 Raymond of Poitier Prince of Antioch but Raymond

1:31:21 refused to help meanwhile in Far Away

1:31:25 Jerusalem Queen melissan organized a relief expedition

1:31:29 to Odessa however Odessa was short of time

1:31:36 zengy's catapults hammered at the city and his miners dug tunnels at last a huge

1:31:41 section of the wall collapsed and zangi's

1:31:44 forces stormed into the city What followed was

1:31:50 a brutal sack thousands of the city's

1:31:54 inhabitants tried to get into the Citadel many

1:31:57 of them trampled to death in the Panic

1:31:59 crowd IBN al-kalanisi says that the atabag's forces set

1:32:06 to pillaging slaying capturing ravishing and looting

1:32:10 and their hands were filled with such quantities

1:32:12 of money Furnishings animals booty and captives

1:32:15 as rejoiced their spirits and gladdened their hearts

1:32:20 the chronicler Michael the Syrian describes the clergy

1:32:23 gathering in the churches clutching to Sacred

1:32:26 relics and sang Mass until they were cut

1:32:29 down by the invading forces at last zengi ordered an end to the sack he issued

1:32:42 a decree through the city commanding his men

1:32:44 to cease their plundering all those who

1:32:47 had survived the massacre were allowed to return

1:32:49 to their homes two days later zengi promised

1:32:53 The Defenders of the Citadel that their lives

1:32:55 would be protected if they surrendered The Defenders

1:32:59 agreed it was December 23rd 11 44.

1:33:05 Odessa held by the Crusaders since 1098 was once more ruled by a Muslim

1:33:11 Prince after the Carnage had come to an end zengi found an old

1:33:20 man who'd been stripped beaten and dragged through the streets as it turned

1:33:24 out this was basil bar sramana the Jacobite Bishop of the city zengi

1:33:29 had the old man dressed and brought with honor into his tent there

1:33:33 zenge gave the Jacobite Bishop some authority

1:33:36 over the Christian population of the city

1:33:39 zengi knew to prevent the Franks from retaking Odessa he needed to win

1:33:43 the Goodwill of the Greek and Armenian Christians who made up the bulk

1:33:47 of the population Michael the Syrian tells us that after the sack zengey's

1:33:55 forces protected the Armenians and Greeks

1:33:57 of Odessa however any Franks found within

1:34:01 the city were immediately put to death news of the fall of Odessa

1:34:09 soon reached Antioch and Jerusalem many blamed

1:34:12 Prince Raymond for failing to carry Aid

1:34:15 to the odessans the force sent by Queen melissan arrived at Antioch where

1:34:19 they joined with Prince Raymond in an expedition

1:34:21 against the Turks but zenge drove

1:34:24 them back in February or March of 1145 there would be no reverse

1:34:30 zengi's conquest of Odessa [Music] the atabeg

1:34:38 quickly mopped up all of the frankish-held

1:34:40 castles on the Eastern Bank of the Euphrates in little time the county

1:34:44 of Odessa was cut in half zengey's capture of Odessa was a vital

1:34:52 strategic importance now the Crusader States

1:34:56 in Northern Syria were far more vulnerable

1:34:58 with Antioch itself more exposed however

1:35:02 zengi did not immediately press his advantage

1:35:05 against the Crusaders instead he renewed his most cherished project the conquest

1:35:10 of Damascus besieging the great Syrian City

1:35:13 again in 1145 but sengi's Siege failed [Music] with Odessa lost the Latins

1:35:24 of the Crusader States dispatched urgent requests

1:35:27 for Aid to the Christian kingdoms of the West news of odessa's Falls shocked

1:35:32 the Latin World Messengers arriving in Germany France and other regions reported

1:35:37 that Jerusalem itself was in peril what

1:35:42 was needed was another Crusade and immediately

1:35:48 not since the crusade of 1101 had a major Expedition been launched

1:35:52 by the kingdoms of the west but now

1:35:54 with Odessa Fallen Pope eugenius III prioritized

1:35:58 the calling of a new Crusade on December 1st 1145 the pope issued

1:36:04 the bull Quantum predecessoras the bull

1:36:07 recalled the victories of the First Crusade

1:36:10 and called on the Knights of Christendom

1:36:12 to emulate the Deeds of their forefathers

1:36:14 to take the cross and lead a relief Expedition for the reconquest of Odessa

1:36:22 the Bishops and Priests of the church spread the Pope's message across

1:36:27 Christendom the Second Crusade had begun

1:36:32 [Music] Pope eugenius's bull of crusade recalled

1:36:41 the First Crusade and the establishment of the Christian states in the Levant

1:36:45 it described the fall of Odessa as a threat to the Church of God

1:36:49 and all of Christianity the pope insisted that the defense of the holy places

1:36:55 in the East was the responsibility

1:36:57 of Europe's nightly Elite hailing from the austere

1:37:01 order of the cistercians Pope eugenius

1:37:04 urged Knights to shun finary fur-lined garments

1:37:07 gilded armor and hunting dogs and Hawks however even for Pope eugenius political

1:37:13 concerns at home slowed the mobilization

1:37:15 of the Crusade the pope wanted the Crusade

1:37:18 preached in France and Italy but he was reluctant to see the ruler

1:37:22 of Germany Conrad III take the cross for the pope needed the Germans

1:37:26 to support him in his disagreements with the Norman Kingdom of Sicily meanwhile

1:37:31 in France the 25 year old King Louis VII expressed a desire to join

1:37:36 the Crusade though his own nobles advised against it even the king's high

1:37:41 counselor Abbott suger of Saint Denis advised Louis not to get involved

1:37:45 in the risky overseas Expedition Jonathan Riley

1:37:49 Smith calls Louis VII one of the most attractive of the medieval French monarchs

1:37:54 and describes him as tender-hearted and courteous

1:37:56 Pious and Sirius a loyal son of the church but not weak however

1:38:02 his power was geographically limited and dependent

1:38:05 both ideologically and politically on the church

1:38:08 Louis is said to have been unconcerned by his poverty in comparison

1:38:12 to other kings he once remarked here in France we have nothing but bread

1:38:17 wine and joy before he committed to The Crusade Louis wanted the opinion

1:38:23 of Bernard of clairvaux whom the King was said to have often consulted

1:38:27 as though he were an oracle revered throughout Europe as a living Saint

1:38:32 Bernard of clairvaux was the most influential Churchman of the age Pope eugenius

1:38:38 himself had been one of Bernard's monks

1:38:40 and pupils Bernard was instrumental in defining

1:38:44 a new chivalry a Knighthood blended with spiritual vows in the form

1:38:48 of military orders like the Knights Templar

1:38:51 A Warrior's true calling according to Bernard

1:38:54 was to renounce pride and wealth and commit himself to the defense

1:38:58 of Christendom for Bernard of clairvaux

1:39:01 the Crusade represented the manifestation of this ideal

1:39:06 Saint Bernard and his cistercians fanned

1:39:09 across France preaching the cross Bernard's surviving

1:39:12 letters from the period contained some

1:39:14 of the most powerful examples of crusade ideology

1:39:18 Bernard's ideas would shape a Church's approach to the Crusades for centuries

1:39:23 to come this age is like no other that has gone before a new

1:39:30 abundance of Divine Mercy comes down from heaven blessed are those who are

1:39:36 alive in this year pleasing to the Lord this year of remission this year

1:39:40 of veritable Jubilee I tell you the Lord has not done this for any

1:39:46 other generation before nor has he lavished on your father's gifts so copious

1:39:52 [Music] Bernard cast The Crusade as a gift from God a showering of blessings

1:40:02 upon the Warriors of the age he emphasized the idea that those participating

1:40:07 were fortunate to be living in an era of unique blessings from God

1:40:11 also Bernard frequently referred to the Holy Land as Christ's lands emphasizing

1:40:17 the feudal obligation of a vassal to protect his Lord's domain if Christ's

1:40:22 domain was in Peril How could a Christian Warrior neglect to defend it Louis

1:40:28 VII took to heart Bernard's ideals and lived more like a monk than

1:40:33 a king shunning finery and dressing

1:40:35 in poor garments praying frequently and fasting

1:40:39 at a visit on March 31st 11 47 in a field outside the town

1:40:44 Saint Bernard preached The Crusade much as Pope Urban had preached at Claremont

1:40:49 half a century earlier attending Were King Louis VII and his Leading Men

1:40:54 in a dramatic ceremony Louis received the cross from Bernard most of the king's

1:41:00 leading vassals took the cross as well soon Saint Bernard ran out

1:41:04 of cloth crosses to affix to the cloaks

1:41:07 of newly avowed Crusaders the charismatic

1:41:10 Abbot tore his own habit into strips to make more crosses even Louis

1:41:15 Queen the beautiful Eleanor of Aquitaine took the Pilgrim's vow to travel east

1:41:20 with her husband in terms of Personality King Louis and queen Eleanor seemed

1:41:26 rather mismatched unlike Louis Eleanor was

1:41:29 extravagant and worldly a lover of poetry and song Rich garments and the finer

1:41:33 trappings of Court life however their marriage

1:41:36 had been a political win for Eleanor was the heiress to the vast

1:41:40 wealthy duchy of Aquitaine and her territories

1:41:42 greatly enhanced the kingdom of France

1:41:45 Louis seems to have been deeply devoted to its bright lovely Queen though

1:41:49 the experience of the Crusade would

1:41:51 strain their relationship to the breaking point

1:42:02 by November Saint Bernard was preaching

1:42:04 in Germany territory ruled by Conrad III Riley

1:42:07 Smith describes Conrad as shrewd sincere intelligent

1:42:11 Pious courageous and hard-working in the past

1:42:14 Conrad had expressed interest in crusading

1:42:17 although never formally crowned Emperor Conrad was

1:42:21 nevertheless ruler of the Holy Roman Empire

1:42:23 and styled himself King of the Romans

1:42:26 at Christmas Mass at Spire Cathedral Saint Bernard preached directly to Conrad

1:42:31 asking the ruler to imagine himself at the final judgment approaching the Throne

1:42:36 of Christ the Savior would name all the gifts he'd granted to Conrad wealth

1:42:41 power kingship wisdom courage strength then

1:42:45 recalling that Conrad had refused the Crusader's

1:42:49 vow Christ would ask son what more should I have done for you

1:42:53 Conrad the tall brawny King of the Germans wept openly kneeling he proclaimed

1:42:59 I am ready to serve him Bernard received the emperor's vow to Crusade along

1:43:04 with many of the Great Men of the Holy Roman Empire now

1:43:08 the king of France and the Holy Roman Emperor two of the most important

1:43:12 rulers in Christendom had agreed to lead

1:43:14 the Second Crusade [Music] earlier on March

1:43:19 13 1147 a large group of Saxon Nobles and knights approached the cistercian

1:43:25 Abbott and asked him to extend the scope of the Crusade they wanted

1:43:29 to fulfill their Crusader's vow by Waging War against the Pagan winds who

1:43:34 dwelt east of the elbe river the Saxons explained to Bernard that these pagans

1:43:39 were a threat to the local

1:43:40 Christians raiding their territories and carrying God's

1:43:43 people into bondage where Christian Knights

1:43:46 not called to oppose God's enemies everywhere

1:43:49 not just in Palestine Bernard needed little convincing he agreed and at once

1:43:54 asked Pope eugenius to extend

1:43:56 the Crusade to Christendom central European Frontier

1:43:59 in the Northeast the pope who rarely

1:44:02 refused one of Bernard's requests approved the idea

1:44:05 formally the Second Crusade was extended to include a new Northeastern front

1:44:10 where dwelt the Pagan wins the Saxons who battled the winds would gain

1:44:15 the same spiritual merits as the knights who would travel to Syria as it

1:44:19 happened the territory of the Winds was the most logical point of expansion

1:44:23 for the Christian Saxons however Saint Bernard

1:44:26 insisted that the object of the wendish

1:44:28 Crusade must be spiritual he forbade the Saxon Crusaders from Making Peace

1:44:35 unless the winds agreed to be baptized we utterly forbid that for any

1:44:42 reason whatsoever a truth should be made with these people either for the sake

1:44:46 of money or for the sake of tribute until such a time as by God's

1:44:51 help they shall be either converted or wiped out this is a striking

1:44:56 condition imposed by Saint Bernard in effect

1:44:59 the Saxons were to offer their Windish

1:45:01 enemies the choice to convert or die this was the first time crusading

1:45:07 included such a ruthless Maxim Riley Smith points out that Bernard appears

1:45:12 to be contradicting his own words here for in the past the Abbot had

1:45:15 stated that conversion must never be

1:45:17 forced traditionally Crusaders in both the holy

1:45:21 land and Spain had not insisted on the conversion of their Muslim opponents

1:45:25 and had frequently made treaties with them indeed the Crusader States would have

1:45:29 been unable to function had they

1:45:31 not dealt diplomatically with neighboring Muslim states

1:45:35 this shows the Divide between an uncompromising vision and the realities of war

1:45:40 and politics as managed by those who

1:45:42 actually lived and governed on christendom's Frontiers

1:45:46 the Templars themselves would be masters

1:45:48 of diplomacy and would make many treaties

1:45:51 with their Muslim Neighbors The wendish

1:45:53 Crusade represented the start of yet another

1:45:55 thread in crusade's history the northern

1:45:58 Crusades and quickly the northern Crusaders would

1:46:01 learn to deal diplomatically with their Pagan

1:46:03 opponents as often as did other Crusaders

1:46:08 but the Second Crusade would not be limited to two fronts King

1:46:12 Alfonso VII of Leon Castile sent a request to Pope eugenius III asking

1:46:17 that the Crusade boom be extended to include Spain Alfonso had his eye

1:46:23 on Al Maria held by the alma Ravid Empire of North Africa and the king

1:46:27 of Portugal Alfonso the first was interested in crusading to conquer Lisbon held

1:46:32 by the Muslim taifa of bada holes for years now popes had been

1:46:37 issuing Crusade bulls for the wars against the Moors in Spain in keeping

1:46:42 with the tradition Pope eugenius extended

1:46:44 the Second Crusade to include the Iberian front

1:46:47 the pope went so far as to issue a separate Crusade bull

1:46:51 for Spain and Portugal specifically many genoese

1:46:55 sailors and men from Southern France opted

1:46:58 to join the crusade of King Alfonso VII those taking the Cross in 1147

1:47:03 had their choice Spain Central Europe or the Holy Land the Second Crusade

1:47:08 was in effect the first International project

1:47:11 of the Crusades but would this stretch

1:47:13 the forces of Latin Christendom too thin as the popes called to Crusade

1:47:26 spread across Western Christendom events began

1:47:29 to Trend more favorably for the Crusader

1:47:31 states in the Eastern Levant foreign 1146

1:47:37 zengi while sleeping was stabbed to death

1:47:40 by one of his own slaves news of zengey's death was welcome among

1:47:46 the Franks of the Latin East inevitably a period of instability arose within

1:47:51 zengy's domains as his two sons

1:47:57 Mahmoud clashed over their father's Empire established

1:48:03 a power base in mosul while Nur Adeen secured his hold over Aleppo hoping

1:48:11 to take advantage of the situation count

1:48:13 Jocelyn II assembled his troops and marched

1:48:16 on Odessa briefly the count managed to reoccupy the city though the Citadel

1:48:22 itself held out however when Nur Adeen arrived with a large Turkish Army

1:48:32 prospects for the Christians securing Odessa

1:48:35 evaporated Nur aden's forces overwhelmed count Jocelyn

1:48:39 and his Franks who were treated suffering heavy losses Nur Adeen then massacred

1:48:45 odessa's population and raised the city to the ground leaving behind a useless

1:48:49 husk of the once Splendid Town it was a tragic end to the city's

1:48:54 life no doubt Nur Adeen wanted to eliminate the possibility of the Franks

1:49:01 retaking Odessa while he dealt with the conflict with his brother this first

1:49:05 and decisive Act of nuradin foreshadowed

1:49:08 his profound significance in the history

1:49:10 of the 12th century East Nur Aden would in time become the most important

1:49:15 enemy of the Frankish Crusader States [Music]

1:49:22 in the Iberian Peninsula The Crusade was

1:49:25 underway by early 1147 led by local rulers long accustomed to crusading after

1:49:33 the proclamation of Pope eugenius's Crusade bull

1:49:36 King Alfonso the first of Portugal had

1:49:39 sent his brother Pedro to meet with Bernard of clairvaux personally to discuss

1:49:43 the recruitment of troops for the crusade

1:49:45 in Portugal Alfonso of Portugal was one

1:49:49 of medieval Europe's truly remarkable rulers

1:49:51 it was Alfonso who established Portugal

1:49:54 as an independent Kingdom indeed he was the first named king of Portugal foreign

1:50:04 early in his Reign Alfonso had Allied himself closely with the Knights Templar

1:50:09 the king even described himself as a brother in the fraternity of the Templars

1:50:14 indicating that he himself had become an associate of the order Alfonso granted

1:50:19 the Templars important Frontier castles in his kingdom

1:50:22 and from then on the Templars

1:50:24 would be key participants in the ongoing Portuguese Crusade [Music] in March

1:50:31 of 1147 King Alfonso assembled his troops at coimbra and made a rapid thrust

1:50:36 South surprising and capturing the Muslim

1:50:39 town of santarem with this rapid Victory

1:50:42 Alfonso now controlled the passage of the tagus river the great city of Lisbon

1:50:47 was now isolated Alfonso was poised to launch the greatest campaign of his reign

1:50:58 meanwhile in April 1147 a fleet of Crusaders departed cologne as they

1:51:04 passed through the North Sea and the English

1:51:06 Channel they were joined by Crusader

1:51:08 ships from Flanders and England this Coalition was no small Force but altogether

1:51:13 contained around 164 ships and 13 000

1:51:18 men cruising past northern France and along

1:51:23 the western coast of the Iberian Peninsula the Crusaders dropped anchor at Porto

1:51:28 where they met the local Bishop Pedro the bishop had been expecting

1:51:33 them indeed some men in this Fleet had already made arrangements to crusade

1:51:38 in Portugal with Bernard of clairvaux when the Great Abbott had toured

1:51:42 the low countries Bishop Pedro urged the Crusaders to join with his King Alfonso

1:51:48 in the Crusade to conquer Lisbon the bishop emphasized the meritorious nature

1:51:54 of the war act like good soldiers he told them for the sin is not

1:51:58 in fighting but in fighting for the sake of booty [Music] though the fleet

1:52:06 set out for Lisbon on June 28 there was still much debate among

1:52:10 their ranks about whether or not to join in Alfonso's Crusade some Crusaders

1:52:15 opposed halting for the Portuguese campaign

1:52:17 for their ultimate destination was the Holy

1:52:19 Land but many were attracted by Alfonso's

1:52:22 offer a treaty guaranteeing them a share in the city's plunder and trading

1:52:27 privileges throughout Portugal these privileges would be

1:52:30 generational and their sons would inherit them as well arriving at The Siege

1:52:35 Camp before Lisbon the Crusaders met with King Alfonso personally the leaders

1:52:40 of the Crusader Fleet were Harvey

1:52:42 of Glanville Christian of Giselle and count Arnold

1:52:45 of Airship the king appealed personally

1:52:47 for their help repeating his offer and insisting

1:52:50 on the sanctity of his cause Alfonso even promised to Grant lands

1:52:54 to any Crusaders wishing to settle

1:52:56 in his kingdom among the Crusaders Alfonso's greatest

1:53:00 advocate was Harvey of Glanville who appealed to his comrade sense of Honor

1:53:05 Harvey voiced his agreement that the king's cause was a holy one and reminded

1:53:09 his peers of the wealth waiting within Lisbon for the taking Harvey's advocacy

1:53:14 won out the Crusader Coalition agreed

1:53:18 to join with Alfonso's Army in the campaign

1:53:21 to capture Lisbon the king sent the bishop of Braga to formally request

1:53:30 the surrender of Lisbon's Muslim rulers you have held our cities and lands

1:53:36 already for 358 years said the bishop returned to the homeland of the Moors

1:53:42 once you came leaving to us what is ours not surprisingly Lisbon's

1:53:48 Muslim Governors saw things differently they accused

1:53:51 the Christians of acting out of greed

1:53:53 and declared their intention to resist with all their powers until Allah should

1:53:58 determine otherwise [Music] the Portuguese Crusader Coalition

1:54:06 formally laid Siege to Lisbon on July

1:54:09 1st 1147 Alfonso and his army blockaded the city from the land approaches

1:54:15 while the Crusader Fleet blockaded

1:54:17 from the sea Alfonso's men assembled their Siege

1:54:21 equipment and began to batter the walls

1:54:23 with catapults and trebuchets six weeks passed

1:54:33 the Muslims proved courageous in their defense of the city the Crusaders

1:54:37 began to grow frustrated but then

1:54:39 the Christians intercepted letters from Lisbon's rulers

1:54:42 the letters were desperate requests for help to Abu Muhammad the Emir of evara

1:54:47 and other Moorish rulers and described

1:54:50 the desperate conditions of hunger and disease

1:54:52 that prevailed within Lisbon encouraged the Christians pressed on with the siege

1:55:02 German and Flemish Crusaders continued digging

1:55:05 mines beneath the walls while the Normans

1:55:08 and the English constructed an enormous movable

1:55:10 Tower with which to assault the city

1:55:12 walls Lisbon's Defenders became so desperate

1:55:16 with Hunger that they began collecting refuse thrown

1:55:20 from the Christian ships as it was carried in by the waves below

1:55:23 the city's walls seeing this the Crusaders

1:55:27 began laying traps for their opponents

1:55:29 setting food out in front of the city and then capturing enemy troops

1:55:33 when they came out to collect it finally the Christian Siege engines and sappers

1:55:40 caused the collapse of a very large section of the wall one Christian

1:55:46 chronicler described hearing the Defenders cry

1:55:48 out in anguish after the wall fell

1:55:50 at last in October when The anglo-norman Siege Tower reached the city's walls

1:55:56 the Muslim Defender sent a messenger to King

1:55:59 Alfonso to ask for terms Lisbon surrendered

1:56:07 the Christian Army made its triumphal entry into the city on October 24

1:56:12 1147 although the king allowed the Muslim Defenders to leave with their lives

1:56:17 the city was sacked and many lives were lost in this violence the Crusaders

1:56:22 also captured the nearby Fortress of sintra to the west and the castle

1:56:26 pomela south of the tagus river many of the Crusaders decided to settle

1:56:33 in Lisbon and one of them an Englishman named Gilbert of Hastings was elected

1:56:37 Bishop of the city however most of the German Flemish and English Crusaders

1:56:42 would sail onto the Holy Land in February 1148 Alfonso next launched a campaign

1:56:53 to capture many of the nearby castles soon all of Portugal north

1:56:58 of the tagus river and south of coimbra was under the king's control thank

1:57:03 you as a result of the Lisbon

1:57:07 Crusade Portugal's Frontier was dramatically expanded

1:57:10 the episode represents a major development

1:57:13 in the ongoing Reconquista of the Iberian Peninsula

1:57:19 [Music] a conquest of Lisbon was King Alfonso's crowning Victory the 1140s were

1:57:28 a time when all of Christian

1:57:29 Iberia expanded Southward but Portugal's achievements were

1:57:33 the most important for this period

1:57:35 of the rayconquista the most Landmark development

1:57:38 since the fall of Zaragoza in 1118 or the fall of Toledo in 1085.

1:57:45 the fall of Lisbon would be one

1:57:47 of the second crusade's most enduring legacies surely

1:57:50 such a victory is exactly what saint

1:57:52 bernard envisioned for the whole of the international

1:57:55 multi-front campaign [Music] while Alfonso of Portugal

1:58:08 was engaged in the conquest of Lisbon

1:58:11 Alfonso VII the king of Leon Castile was waging his own crusade to capture

1:58:17 the great Port City of almaria Alfonso

1:58:25 the seventh is an important and intriguing figure

1:58:27 and his participation in the Second Crusade

1:58:29 merits some examination of his rise to prominence

1:58:33 he was the son of queen uraka of Leon and the grandson of King

1:58:38 Alfonso VI of Leon Castile the famed patron of el Sid Alfonso the seventh father

1:58:44 Raymond of burgundy was a Frenchman if that term could be used for this period

1:58:49 Raymond was one of those many knights from the land of the Franks who

1:58:53 traveled to Spain during the late 11th

1:58:55 and early 12th centuries such men found willing

1:58:59 sponsors in the Iberian Kings who employed

1:59:02 them in campaigns of Conquest in the Muslim

1:59:04 south or in the desperate Wars against

1:59:06 the almaravids thus Alfonso raimundes as he

1:59:11 was known sprang literally from that mingling

1:59:14 of the Frankish and Iberian legacies in part

1:59:17 generated by crusading and by the increasing

1:59:19 religious unity Western Christendom under the latin Church

1:59:27 Alfonso was born in a troubled period

1:59:30 for his mother's Kingdom when the Rival kingdoms

1:59:32 of Portugal and Aragon were on the rise and the almaravids of North Africa were

1:59:37 at the peak of their power however under Alfonso VII the great territory of Leon

1:59:43 Castile would once more be the dominant

1:59:45 power on the Iberian Peninsula and the ancient

1:59:48 Imperial dreams of Alfonso's forefathers seemed plausible

1:59:51 yet again the king played a key

1:59:59 role in reducing the power of the almaravids on the peninsula as he invested

2:00:04 their castles throughout the tagus valley steadily

2:00:07 defeating and replacing their garrisons indeed Alfonso styled

2:00:13 himself emperor of all Spain an ambitious

2:00:16 title never fully realized nevertheless we can see

2:00:19 in Alfonso VII the clear blending of crusading

2:00:22 ideals with the dreams of Spanish reconquest

2:00:26 Alfonso VII quite deliberately asked the pope

2:00:29 to extend the Second Crusade to Leon Castile

2:00:32 he also invited his vassals Ramon Behringer

2:00:36 IV of Aragon Barcelona and William of Montpellier

2:00:39 to join in the Crusade quote for the Redemption of their souls Alfonso is

2:00:47 both a crusader and a reconqueror a self-conscious

2:00:50 member of the greater project of Latin

2:00:52 Christendom spearheaded by the Pope in Rome as well as an heir to the ancient

2:00:56 dream of Alfonso the Great and the other

2:00:58 early monarchs of medieval Spain the house

2:01:02 of Leon Castile considered itself the authentic

2:01:04 continuation of the Throne of the visigothic king

2:01:07 Roderick Alfonso VII may have been one

2:01:14 of Latin christendom's first rulers to become aware

2:01:17 of Pope eugenius III's plans to launch

2:01:19 the Second Crusade in 1145 one of Alfonso's

2:01:24 most important counselors and magnates Archbishop Raymond

2:01:27 of Toledo was in Rome when news

2:01:30 arrived of the fall of Odessa it wasn't Spanish rulers alone who were interested

2:01:38 in extending the Second Crusade to Spain

2:01:40 the genoese asked the pope to allow them

2:01:43 to fulfill their crusading vows in the conquest

2:01:45 of al-maria the genoese viewed al-muria

2:01:48 as a nest of pirates and saw an opportunity to both destroy an enemy and gain

2:01:53 from one of the mediterranean's wealthiest ports Alfonso would need a naval Ally

2:01:58 in the Enterprise and so he welcomed cooperation

2:02:01 with Genoa [Music] now Alfonso VII's active participation

2:02:12 in the Second Crusade began in 1146 that April he assembled his army in Toledo

2:02:19 in may he attacked portoba captured a portion of the city and obliged the alma

2:02:24 Avid Governor IBN gania to acknowledge Him

2:02:27 as Overlord in August the king returned to Toledo where he met with his genoese

2:02:34 allies by September Alfonso and the genoese had

2:02:38 hammered out a formal pact Alfonso would

2:02:41 Supply land forces and contribute 30 000

2:02:45 maravatis Genoa would provide a fleet troops

2:02:48 and Siege equipment for the siege of Almeria

2:02:51 the genoese would receive a third of all

2:02:54 conquests and would have the right to establish

2:02:56 factories and markets in Almeria they would

2:03:00 also be exempt from all tolls in Alfonso's

2:03:03 dominions Ramon Behringer IV ruler of the kingdom

2:03:08 of Aragon and the county of Barcelona

2:03:10 agreed to participate in the Crusade as well the plan was to take Almeria

2:03:15 in 1147 and then when tortosa for Ramon

2:03:19 Barringer in 1148 the genoese would Supply

2:03:22 the naval power for both campaigns in November

2:03:30 of 1146 Alfonso VII met with count

2:03:33 Ramon Barringer and King Garcia Ramirez of Navarre

2:03:37 at San estebende gormas to coordinate plans for the campaign as in the Holy

2:03:45 Land the Iberian Crusade would be a multinational

2:03:48 affair [Music] but Alfonso did not rest that winter he launched an expedition

2:04:03 from his Southern frontier to capture the alma

2:04:05 rabbit-held Fortress of calatrava in January of 1147

2:04:10 the king had full control of that castle

2:04:12 which was crucial for his upcoming campaign he then returned to Toledo to take

2:04:19 up the Kingdom's normal business meanwhile the pope

2:04:24 eugenius III reissued his Crusade bull

2:04:27 this time specifically mentioning Spain as a front

2:04:31 in the Second Crusade the king of the Spains wrote the pope is strongly arming

2:04:38 against the saracens here the pope affirmed

2:04:42 Alfonso's preferred title of Overlord of the entire

2:04:46 Iberian Peninsula in the summer of 1147

2:04:53 King Alfonso VII joined with his ally King

2:04:57 Garcia Ramirez of Navarre for an attack

2:04:59 on baiza an important Morris stronghold Al andaluz

2:05:03 on the guadal kavir the two kings

2:05:06 capture The Fortress in mid-august having secured baiza

2:05:11 as a critical Supply base Alfonso and Garcia

2:05:14 then LED their troops in the grueling

2:05:16 dangerous March over mountains and desert to reach

2:05:19 the Mediterranean Coast arriving at the Port

2:05:22 City of Almeria the two kings rendezvous with the genoese fleet and the forces

2:05:27 of count Ramon Barringer [Music] the genoese fleet

2:05:39 had already arrived back in July their Fleet

2:05:42 contained 63 galleys and 163 other ships

2:05:46 an impressive Force Alfonso had with him

2:05:51 a modest but effective Army of 400 nights and around 1 000 foot soldiers Ramon

2:05:57 behringer's Force included a single ship and 53

2:06:00 knights we must remember that armies weren't

2:06:03 particularly large in the mid-12th century Bishop

2:06:07 Arnaldo of astorga preached before the Crusaders proclaiming

2:06:11 now it is necessary that each one confess himself well and fully and know

2:06:16 that the gates of paradise are open in effect he was saying that those who

2:06:23 would fall in this battle would be martyrs at the time Al Maria was

2:06:28 a rich thriving Port the City's population numbered

2:06:31 around 28 000 with walls that contained some

2:06:35 79 hectares of land the almarian fleet

2:06:38 was considerable but faced with this imposing Crusader

2:06:42 Coalition withdrew before the city was fully

2:06:45 invested it looked as though no relief was

2:06:48 coming from other Muslim lands the governors

2:06:51 of Almeria offered Alfonso 100 000 maravadis if

2:06:55 he would withdraw he refused on October 17 11 47 a week before the fall

2:07:04 of Lisbon Al Maria surrendered [Music] Alfonso's

2:07:16 Crusade had triumphed it was the crowning

2:07:18 achievement of an already impressive career and not

2:07:21 surprisingly the king would tout this Victory widely the genoese two were proud

2:07:26 of their accomplishment which they considered both economically

2:07:29 and spiritually profitable [Music] in 1148 the momentum

2:07:36 of the crusade did not slow down that July the genoese rejoined count

2:07:41 Ramon Barringer along with the Knights Templar

2:07:44 and the Knights hospitaler for an assault

2:07:46 on the port city of tortoso at the head

2:07:48 of the Delta of the Ebro River to show the broad recruitment for these Iberian

2:07:54 campaigns William of Montpellier and Bertrand of Toulouse

2:07:57 both brought forces to this Siege and some

2:08:00 veterans from the Lisbon Crusade joined

2:08:02 as well tortosis surrendered in December and so

2:08:06 the count of arrogant Barcelona had his victory

2:08:09 from the Second Crusade as did the Kings

2:08:11 of Leon Castile and Portugal [Laughter] Ramon

2:08:18 Behringer continued his crusading into 1149 that year

2:08:22 he captured the important cities of Fraga

2:08:25 larida and mechinenza thus reversing the gains

2:08:29 of the almaravids after the battle of Fraga in 1134 the whole of the old

2:08:34 lands of the once magnificent taifa of Zaragoza

2:08:37 where el-sid had once served as a mercenary

2:08:40 to the Emir had now fallen to the Christians [Music] the Second Crusade had

2:08:49 been a resounding success throughout the Iberian

2:08:51 Peninsula it had expanded Christian territory from tortoza

2:08:55 in the East to Lisbon in the west

2:08:57 these were significant gains which placed important

2:09:00 cities in the hands of the Christians

2:09:03 although the alma ravids had been in Decline

2:09:06 throughout the previous decades the Second Crusade put a stamp on the collapse

2:09:10 of the alma Ravid Empire throughout the Crusade

2:09:14 the alma rabbits had failed to bring Aid

2:09:16 to Iberian castles technically under their Rule

2:09:19 and the remaining great cities of the Muslim

2:09:21 South began to operate once more as independent

2:09:24 taifa kingdoms by 1149 the Second Crusade was over in Spain and Portugal

2:09:33 the successes were unquestionably dramatic Bernard Riley summarizes

2:09:38 the territory gained the Portuguese border had been

2:09:41 carried permanently south from coimbra on the mondego

2:09:44 to santarem and Lisbon on the tagus the entire Basin of the Ebro had fallen

2:09:49 to arrogant Barcelona in the East Leon Castile had cleared the hole of the plane

2:09:54 of Castile La Nueva of the alma ravids and had established a strong position

2:09:58 in the upper Basin of the guadalupeer

2:10:01 and al-maria all three of the major Iberian

2:10:06 campaigns received assistance from the Crusaders from outside

2:10:09 of the Iberian Peninsula Germany Italy France

2:10:13 England and other regions and kingdoms all

2:10:15 sent assistance to the Iberian Crusade but how

2:10:19 would the Second Crusade fair in other theaters the Northeast and in the Holy

2:10:24 Land will continue with our look

2:10:26 at the Second Crusade by examining the Saxon campaign

2:10:30 in Central Europe the Windish Crusade [Music]

2:10:42 as part of the Second Crusade Bernard

2:10:45 of clairvo secured papal's sanction and Crusade

2:10:48 indulgences for the summer campaign of 1147 against

2:10:52 the Pagan Slavs or wens who dwelt

2:10:55 between the rivers elb and Odair historian Christopher

2:10:58 Tireman says that this decision set the tone

2:11:01 for perhaps the most radical and effective

2:11:04 Association of crusading and territorial expansion this was

2:11:09 the start of the northern Crusades which

2:11:12 would last for at least two centuries and impact every region east of the elbe

2:11:16 along the coast eastwards and northwards to Livonia

2:11:20 Estonia Finland and the Gulfs of Finland

2:11:23 and Bosnia these expansionist wars coincided

2:11:27 with the territorial interests of Christian Danish German

2:11:30 and polish princes looking to press East

2:11:33 or north spiritual gains went hand in hand with gains in land wealth and power

2:11:38 ultimately the northern Crusades would bring the Pagan

2:11:42 communities of the eastern and Northern Baltic

2:11:44 literal into the realm of Latin Christendom however

2:11:53 in 1147 all this lay in the future at the time it was a matter

2:11:58 of Saxon Christian nights seeking to sanctify

2:12:01 their war against the Eastern Slavs by the big

2:12:03 event of the year the Second Crusade the idea of crusading in this region

2:12:09 wasn't new though it hadn't yet taken

2:12:11 off back in 1108 the Archbishop of magdeborg

2:12:15 sought military assistance for the vulnerable Christian

2:12:17 lands along the elm Frontier urging Knights

2:12:20 to come and help in the liberation of quote our Jerusalem [Music] including

2:12:29 this region under the larger Crusades umbrella

2:12:32 was a natural development if Christians battling saracens

2:12:36 in Spain and the Holy Land received

2:12:38 the Pope's endorsement then why not the Saxons

2:12:40 who fought Pagan tribes for the Saxons

2:12:43 the prize wasn't spiritual alone but the wealth

2:12:46 of new conquests the magdeborg appeal demonstrates

2:12:50 this quite plainly their land is the best

2:12:54 rich in meat honey corn and birds and if it were well cultivated none could

2:13:00 be compared to it for the wealth of its produce and so most renowned Saxons

2:13:05 French lorainers and Flemings and conquerors

2:13:08 of the world this is an occasion for you

2:13:10 to save your souls and if you wish it acquire the best land in which

2:13:15 to live may He Who with the strength of his arm led the men

2:13:19 of Gaul on their March from the Far

2:13:21 West in Triumph against enemies in the farthest

2:13:24 east give you the will and power to conquer those enemies who are nearby

2:13:28 and to prosper well in all things note the direct reference to the First Crusade

2:13:35 no wonder that the northern Crusades quickly

2:13:38 evolved into one of the most active theaters

2:13:40 of crusading nevertheless historian Eric Christensen writes

2:13:44 when the Saxons demanded to be let loose on the Slavs they did so for good

2:13:49 old-fashioned reasons either to get submission and tribute

2:13:53 or to seize more land for the Danes it was an opportunity for revenge

2:13:57 and retaliation against the Pirates and slavers

2:14:00 and for the polls a chance of intimidating

2:14:03 the prussians but who were these tribes

2:14:11 that were to be battled across the Eastern

2:14:14 Frontiers and the Pagan lands that stretched along the Baltic Shore to the Gulf

2:14:18 of Finland the peoples were divided

2:14:20 into numerous principalities tribes or extended family groups

2:14:26 the most prominent division was linguistic between

2:14:29 the Keel and vestula dwelt the Western Slavs

2:14:32 or winds among the winds tribal and political

2:14:36 groups were sustained by a lively polytheistic

2:14:39 religion directed by a powerful Priestly class region

2:14:45 had its particular cult with its own temples

2:14:47 stocked with sacred images the rural areas

2:14:50 were dominated by territorial princes but markets

2:14:53 and trade existed in towns on the coast

2:14:55 farther East political life was less recognizable

2:14:58 to the Latin Christians more tribal and primordial

2:15:04 among the winds one Prince stood out as most capable of resisting the coming

2:15:09 Crusade niklot Prince of the wendish abbatrites niklot

2:15:14 presided over the substantial abatrite Confederation

2:15:17 which included various other tribes and amounted

2:15:20 to a considerable military power [Music] niklot was

2:15:25 aware of the preparations of the Crusaders [Music]

2:15:29 in April 1147 the pope appointed Bishop Anselm

2:15:34 of haverberg as his legate for the wendish campaign June 29 the Feast of Saints

2:15:40 Peter and Paul was designated for the muster

2:15:43 the Crusaders were to gather on that date

2:15:45 at Magda Borg [Music] however that June

2:15:52 niklot launched a preemptive campaign his wendish

2:15:55 army struck at the newly established German settlement

2:15:58 of lubic the Winds brutally devastated the Flemish

2:16:01 and Friesian villages in fact niklot's initial

2:16:07 attack only further bolstered the cause

2:16:09 of the Crusade but better proof that the winds

2:16:12 were an immediate threat to Christendom Eric

2:16:14 Christensen notes that niklot's attack stiffened the sinews

2:16:18 of the assembling armies for it made it plain that he meant to have

2:16:22 his own again [Music] the Coalition

2:16:27 of the wendish Crusade was composed of a Danish

2:16:30 Force Under The King's kanut V and Sven

2:16:32 III troops under Archbishop Albert of Bremen

2:16:36 and Duke Henry the lion Saxons Warrior Bishops would be a common feature over

2:16:43 the history of the northern Crusades in mid-july

2:16:52 the Archbishop and Duke Henry LED their armies

2:16:55 into abbatrite territory to besieged niklot's newly

2:16:58 built Fortress of Dobbin meanwhile from the north

2:17:02 a Danish Army and Fleet descended on the stronghold niklot and his Slavic forces

2:17:08 resisted fiercely surrounded by Marsh and Lake

2:17:11 Dobbin was well defended the Crusader armies

2:17:15 were stretched thin a crusader Force had to guard the Danish Fleet at Wismer Bay

2:17:23 early on nikolotes set his allies the rubians to attack the Danish Fleet by sea

2:17:28 while necloth's troops launched a Sally against

2:17:31 the Danish forces outside of daben the Danish

2:17:34 troops were isolated by the lake Outside The Fortress and so the winds managed

2:17:40 to devastate the Danes before the Saxons could

2:17:42 bring help this early malling of the Danish

2:17:47 contingent caused the two kings Knute the fifth and Sven the third to quickly

2:17:51 cut their losses and withdraw from The Crusade

2:17:54 thus the Christian Coalition was greatly reduced

2:17:58 undeterred Archbishop adelbert and Henry the lion

2:18:02 maintain their Siege of the Windish fort

2:18:04 as the Saxon troops ravaged the countryside

2:18:07 some of the Nobles objected one chronicler recorded

2:18:11 their dismay is not the land we are devastating our land and the people we

2:18:16 are fighting our people why are we

2:18:19 destroying our own incomes if they couldn't conquer

2:18:25 this region for the time being the Saxons

2:18:27 generally preferred to extract tribute from it rather than destroy it but didn't

2:18:33 this go against Bernard of clairvo's Maxim ultimately

2:18:41 The Siege devolved into a costly stalemate

2:18:44 soon the Saxons came to terms with Prince

2:18:47 Nick Lowe The Garrison of Dobbin accepted

2:18:49 baptism and freed their Danish prisoners niklot restored

2:18:53 his alliance with a count of Holstein

2:18:55 and agreed to pay tribute historian Christopher

2:18:59 Tireman describes this treaty as quote escanti

2:19:03 fig leave to allow the Danes and Saxons

2:19:06 to withdraw the Saxon chronicler helmet of bosau

2:19:14 mocked the Windish conversions as false niklot's

2:19:18 rule remains strong as well as his people's

2:19:21 Pagan religious system with its temples and priesthood

2:19:24 and the wendish slave markets continue

2:19:26 to circulate Danish prisoners but the wendish Crusade

2:19:32 wasn't over at magdeborg in early August

2:19:40 the main Army assembled under the papal legate

2:19:43 and selm of hoverboard as well as six other German Bishops Albert the bear led

2:19:50 the sacks and marcher Lords and an imperial

2:19:52 contingent under the Abbot vibald of corvi

2:19:55 was also present campaigning far from Dobbin

2:19:59 this essentially papal-led Army fought its way

2:20:01 some 100 miles deep into wendish territory

2:20:06 possibly preparing to assault the strategically significant island

2:20:09 of rugen the Crusaders attacked demin

2:20:12 on the river pineb the Crusaders managed to overrun

2:20:16 myshoff to the South where they destroyed

2:20:18 the Pagan Temple however at demon wendish resistance

2:20:22 was fierce once more a stalemate developed

2:20:25 once more the Crusaders ultimately withdrew persuaded

2:20:32 by some of the frontier margraves the bulk

2:20:34 of the German Army now moved on steten

2:20:37 in Pomerania however it soon became apparent

2:20:40 that this town had already accepted the Christian

2:20:42 religion for the inhabitants hung crosses

2:20:45 from the walls the town's Bishop came out to talk with the leaders of the German

2:20:49 Army chastened the Crusader Coalition Dooley withdrew

2:20:53 [Music] in his famous history God's War

2:21:01 Christopher Tireman notes that the wendish Crusade begun

2:21:05 with such Acclaim at Frankfurt and attracting

2:21:07 recruits from as far afield as Moravia Denmark

2:21:11 and the southern Rhineland petered out

2:21:13 in a failed Saxon land grab while the wendish

2:21:21 crusade of 1147 produced minimal results

2:21:24 in the immediate it set a precedent that it

2:21:27 would shape the history of the region it was only the beginning the northern

2:21:32 Crusades would continue the lands of the Winds

2:21:35 would be the first to fall ultimately

2:21:37 German polish and Scandinavian Crusaders would press

2:21:41 farther east and north deep into the Baltic

2:21:44 absorbing tribe after tribe into the fold

2:21:46 of Christendom niklot had had his victory but his descendants would one day be

2:21:54 Christians for the time being the wendish Crusade

2:22:01 was widely regarded as a disappointment

2:22:03 especially when compared to the sweeping victories

2:22:05 of the Second Crusade in Iberia we did what we were told but it didn't work

2:22:11 the Abbott vibald of corvi famously historian

2:22:18 Eric Christensen notes on the other hand

2:22:21 if this campaign had not been undertaken

2:22:24 as a crusade it would have seemed fairly

2:22:26 successful it rounded off the Saxon occupation

2:22:30 of wagria and palabia and made Prince niklot

2:22:33 a tributary and Ally of the Saxons It produced a certain amount of loot freed

2:22:38 a certain number of slaves and suffered

2:22:41 only one serious defeat when the Danes were

2:22:43 driven back at Dobbin it was only from the point of view of Saint Bernard

2:22:47 and the clergy of the slav missions that the campaign appeared a failure it was

2:22:52 they who had decided to make the permanent conversion of the Slavs the main aim

2:22:57 of the undertaking and it's worth asking

2:22:59 why they imagined that this could be achieved

2:23:02 through a military campaign interesting comments from Eric

2:23:07 Christensen which opened the door to further

2:23:10 discussion and contemplation [Music] this leaves us

2:23:17 with a final theater of the Second Crusade

2:23:19 the Holy Land itself what would happen when the king of France and the Emperor

2:23:23 of Germany LED their armies against the seljuk and zenged forces of the Eastern

2:23:28 Levant stay with us for the full

2:23:31 story [Music] the Pope's Norman Italian adversary King

2:23:42 Roger II of Sicily wanted to capitalize on the energy of the Second Crusade

2:23:47 Roger already maintained a close alliance with King

2:23:51 Louis VII of France and so he offered his own Fleet to transport the French

2:23:56 army to the Holy Land Roger proposed that along the way the Crusaders could

2:24:02 further the cause of Christendom by subduing once

2:24:05 and for all the Byzantine Empire which

2:24:08 Roger described as treacherous and unreliable since

2:24:11 the days of Robert giscard the Normans

2:24:14 of southern Italy had long cherished hopes of one

2:24:17 day conquering Byzantium over the course

2:24:21 of the history of the Crusades many Latin

2:24:23 Christians had developed a mistrust of the Eastern

2:24:26 Empire which seemed to them a nest

2:24:28 of double dealing snakes at best and unreliable

2:24:31 and cowardly Ally in the fight against

2:24:34 the saracens a robust anti-byzentine party existed

2:24:39 at the Royal Court of France and many of King Louie's advisors urged the Monarch

2:24:44 to accept Roger's offer Louis however felt

2:24:47 that he would need Byzantine support to prosecute

2:24:50 his Crusade he also preferred to travel over land like the heroes of the First

2:24:55 Crusade politely Louis declined King Rogers proposal

2:25:01 [Music] meanwhile in Constantinople Emperor Emmanuel kamninis

2:25:08 was not at all happy about the prospect

2:25:10 of a new Crusade he'd spent a great deal of energy cultivating an anti-saicilian

2:25:16 Coalition composed of Venice the pope

2:25:19 and the Holy Roman Empire he was also loathed to see his peace with the seljuk

2:25:24 Turkish Sultan of room disrupted like all Byzantine

2:25:29 emperors Manuel is concerned that the Crusade

2:25:31 would ultimately be turned against his own lands

2:25:34 to secure his Eastern flank Manuel reaffirmed

2:25:38 his peace with the seljuk Turks and prepared

2:25:40 himself to deal with the Western armies

2:25:42 that would soon descend upon his Empire foreign

2:25:50 the German Army under Conrad III departed

2:25:53 Regensburg in May 1147 and headed east accompanying

2:25:58 the knights and soldiers were a great

2:25:59 many civilian pilgrims hoping to visit the holy

2:26:02 places one veteran lamented this fact and stated

2:26:06 that Pope eugenius should have required civilians

2:26:08 to stay home quote for the weak

2:26:11 and helpless are always a burden to their comrades

2:26:14 and a source of prey to their enemies now the Germans marched along the Danube

2:26:23 to Vienna Hungary and finally reached

2:26:25 the Byzantine Frontier at brunitz around July 20.

2:26:34 the size of the German Army is unknown

2:26:36 but it must have been substantial for it moved

2:26:39 quite slowly a reasonable estimate would be between

2:26:43 seven thousand and thirteen thousand on the lower end

2:26:46 and between ten thousand and twenty thousand

2:26:48 on the higher end small by modern standards but substantial

2:26:52 for the mid-12th century hearing of the approaching Germans

2:26:58 Emperor Emmanuel negotiated an agreement with Conrad the Germans

2:27:03 would refrain from causing trouble in Imperial lands while

2:27:06 Manuel would provide supplies and markets for the Crusaders

2:27:10 as it marched from the Danube to Thrace

2:27:13 the German Army kept good order but once they

2:27:16 reached Thrace German discipline became lacks and there

2:27:19 were violent clashes between locals and Crusaders at philippopolis

2:27:23 there was another violent incident in Adrian opal

2:27:26 but at last Conrad's Army reached Constantinople on September 10.

2:27:31 here the Germans found the Byzantine capital on full military alert

2:27:38 despite the unruly March of the German Army Manuel was eager

2:27:42 to maintain good relations with Conrad the Byzantine emperor was worried

2:27:47 that the German ruler intended to attack

2:27:49 his capital torturous negotiations followed however

2:27:53 Manuel's wife Bertha of soulsbach was a relative of Conrad's

2:27:58 and the two rulers managed to maintain friendly terms on both sides there

2:28:03 was mistrust many in the Byzantine Camp believed the Germans harbored hostile

2:28:07 intentions while many of the Crusaders

2:28:10 were suspicious of the byzantines nevertheless

2:28:13 after a month camped outside the walls of Constantinople the German

2:28:16 Army traveled on ships provided by Manuel across the Bosphorus Manuel provided

2:28:25 guides and food to the Crusaders although some of the Army's commanders

2:28:29 wanted to remain encamped to await the arrival of the French under

2:28:33 Louis VII Conrad was eager to press on to Syria as hindsight

2:28:40 would prove Conrad should have waited the German Army divided one

2:28:47 contingent led by Conrad the other led by Conrad's half-brother Otto

2:28:51 of friesing Otto's contingent took the coastal

2:28:55 roads southwards through Byzantine territory while

2:28:58 Conrad's contingent proceeded Southeast toward Dory lamb and Iconium for 10

2:29:11 days Conrad's contingent made the grueling Trek across the treacherous interior

2:29:16 of Asia Minor food ran short and discipline began to break down

2:29:22 from the hills fans of Turkish horse archers stalked the exhausted Germans

2:29:27 picking off the weak or the stragglers unlike the army

2:29:30 of the First Crusade Conrad's troops lacked cohesion and proved ideal prey

2:29:35 to the harassment tactics of the seljuk Turks the Crusaders failed to adapt

2:29:40 to Turkish tactics despite the presence of Byzantine guides the famed historian

2:29:46 of the Latin East William of Tire would later accuse these Guides

2:29:50 of deliberately leading the Christian forces into Danger it was common

2:29:54 talk and probably quite true wrote William that these perilous wanderings were

2:30:00 devised with the knowledge of the Greek Emperor who has always envied

2:30:04 the successful advance of the Christians it's true that Manuel wasn't happy

2:30:11 about the Crusade taking place at all but would he have gone

2:30:15 so far as to have deliberately sabotaged its progress on October 25

2:30:23 near Dory lamb the site of a dramatic Crusader victory in 1097.

2:30:28 Conrad's Army was ambushed by a substantial

2:30:31 seljuk Turkish host led by the Sultan of room himself mesood the first the Turks

2:30:38 executed their trap brilliantly an advanced force

2:30:43 of Turks appeared and Drew the German

2:30:45 heavy Cavalry into an early charge pursuing

2:30:48 the retreating Turks the German Cavalry left

2:30:51 their infantry and ran right into an attack by a much larger Turkish Force

2:30:56 the German Cavalry was devastated and the Infantry

2:30:59 was subsequently mauled by the triumphant Turks

2:31:04 German casualties were atrocious desperate Conrad Otto

2:31:09 and the other commanders ordered a retreat

2:31:11 back to Byzantine territory as the Germans struggled

2:31:15 to withdraw they were continuously harassed by Turkish

2:31:18 skirmishers The Retreat turned into a total

2:31:22 route the German rear guard was utterly

2:31:24 wiped out William of Tire records the devastation

2:31:28 our army hemmed in on all sides was in Mortal Danger from the constant

2:31:33 Showers of darts and arrows they had no chance to retaliate or to engage

2:31:39 the foe At Close Quarters nor could they lay hold of the enemy

2:31:43 as often as they tried to make a counter-attack the Turks broke ranks eluded

2:31:48 all their attempts and galloped off in different

2:31:51 directions [Music] the Second Battle of Dory

2:32:04 lamb was in marked contrast to the first battle of Dory lamb in 1097

2:32:09 when Bowman and the other leaders

2:32:11 of the First Crusade had held their forces together

2:32:13 with tight discipline and dealt effectively

2:32:16 with his seljunk Turks leadership seems to have

2:32:20 been a major factor in the German

2:32:22 failure Conrad proved unable to maintain discipline

2:32:26 or to demonstrate the imagination necessary to achieve

2:32:29 victory in the most trying of circumstances

2:32:33 Conrad himself was wounded in the head by an arrow during the desperate retreat

2:32:38 a starving shattered remnant of the German Army limped back into nicaea in early

2:32:44 November many survivors immediately abandoned the Expedition

2:32:48 taking the first ships Bound for the West

2:32:51 the German contingent of the Second Crusade even before it had reached the Holy

2:32:56 Land had effectively ceased to exist the bankrupt

2:32:59 hungry and wounded rump of the German Army could do nothing but accept

2:33:03 the hospitality of the byzantines and the French

2:33:06 who were now encamped around nicaea [Music] for Louis VII and the French army

2:33:15 the appearance of the defeated badly depleted

2:33:17 German host was an ominous event some of the French blamed the Byzantine guides

2:33:22 for misleading their German allies Conrad however placed

2:33:26 the blame on himself feeling that his own leadership had failed at the most

2:33:30 critical hour historian Christopher Tireman writes in truth

2:33:37 the German Crusade founded on poor intelligence

2:33:40 fallible Logistics inappropriate tactics and over-optimistic strategy

2:33:44 as much as by lack of Greek support or the skill of the Turkish archers

2:33:50 from the rebellious despised foot slogers and pilgrims

2:33:53 to the mounted Elite for all their numbers

2:33:55 and weaponry the Germans proved in all

2:33:58 respects except courage singularly ill-equipped for Anatolian

2:34:01 Warfare or the needs of a contested March [Music] at nicaea Louis and Conrad

2:34:11 discussed their next move after the Turkish

2:34:14 victory at Dory lamb Conrad commanded only a tiny Force Louis was now the main

2:34:19 commander of the Crusade for if it were to succeed it would be up

2:34:23 to the French both Conrad and Louis

2:34:27 agreed not to attempt another Crossing of central

2:34:30 Anatolia instead they prepared to March along

2:34:34 the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts of Asia

2:34:36 Minor thus keeping within Byzantine territory

2:34:40 as long as possible departing nicaea the Crusaders

2:34:44 marched to Smyrna and then Ephesus where

2:34:46 Conrad became dangerously ill at Manuel's suggestion

2:34:51 the German Emperor sailed to Constantinople where

2:34:54 he was personally cared for by the Byzantine

2:34:56 emperor and empress A Renewed Alliance was

2:35:03 established between Manuel and Conrad when he

2:35:06 was healthy enough Conrad sailed directly

2:35:08 from the Byzantine Capital to the Crusader kingdom

2:35:11 of Jerusalem thus the German effort in the Second Crusade concluded in a dismal

2:35:20 and costly failure [Laughter] [Music] um Christopher

2:35:37 Tireman points out that the Second Crusade was

2:35:40 the first occasion for a Frankish King

2:35:42 to lead a foreign Conquest since Charlemagne

2:35:46 The Crusade emphasized Louis VII sovereignty by associating

2:35:50 the great magnates of France in a specifically

2:35:53 Royal policy the Frankish contingent was

2:35:56 the royal Army Louis VII's Army The Crusade

2:36:00 was one of the most important projects

2:36:02 of the King's career Louis established relationships

2:36:06 with Leading Men that in later years solidified the Royal Court as once again

2:36:10 Central to French politics his chaplain recalls

2:36:14 how at Verdun and Mets where the king

2:36:16 gathered his army in June of 1147 although the king found nothing there which

2:36:22 belonged to him by right of lordship

2:36:24 he nevertheless found all subject to him voluntarily

2:36:30 enthusiasm for the Crusade was strong throughout

2:36:33 France especially after the preaching tours of Bernard

2:36:36 of clairvaux considered a living Saint Bernard

2:36:40 was a striking figure years of hard

2:36:43 pennants had made his body lean and almost frail but there was a severe

2:36:47 strength about him his vigorous powerful intellect

2:36:50 was matched by a profound Charisma and eloquence

2:36:53 he was both the most influential royal advisor of the time and the most

2:36:58 effective public orator the cistercian Otto

2:37:01 of rising described Bernard as endowed with wisdom

2:37:05 and a knowledge of letters renowned for signs and wonders and as being like

2:37:10 a Divine Oracle the great assembly at vesley on Easter Day in 1146 where

2:37:19 Louis presided as king and Bernard spoke

2:37:21 as advocate of the Crusade provides an obvious

2:37:24 parallel to Pope Urban II's preaching of the First Crusade at Claremont in 1095.

2:37:29 like Urban Bernard delivered a powerful speech but more

2:37:33 important was the symbolism of the moment the king

2:37:36 made his public pledge to the Crusade and appeared

2:37:39 as its leader with Bernard representing the church's full endorsement

2:37:43 of the Expedition here Latin Christian Society stood United

2:37:49 for centuries commentators have criticized Louis VII for electing

2:37:53 to lead his army via the land root across Asia

2:37:56 Minor and into the Holy Land however at the time

2:37:59 this was a reasonable option the First Crusade had

2:38:03 taken this route and quite successfully the power offering

2:38:06 to transport Louie's Army by sea was the Norman

2:38:10 Kingdom of Sicily a bitter enemy of the byzantines

2:38:13 king Roger of Sicily had already asked Louis

2:38:16 to join him in a campaign to conquer the Byzantine

2:38:19 Empire Louis had declined but he may have been

2:38:22 concerned that ultimately Roger wouldn't take no for an answer

2:38:27 if Louis placed the whole of his army

2:38:29 in Rogers care Roger may have used that leverage

2:38:32 to compel the king of France to attack Constantinople

2:38:35 in addition Louie's Army of Frankish knights was more suited

2:38:39 to an Overland Journey unlike modern commentators Louis

2:38:42 VII didn't know the future his decision to travel

2:38:46 by land made sense at the time [Music] in another

2:38:53 dramatic ceremony King Louis VII and his court gathered

2:38:57 at the great Cathedral of Saint Denis on June

2:38:59 1146 here surrounded by stained glass windows depicting the great

2:39:06 Heroes of the first crusade king Louis prostrated himself

2:39:09 before the altar kissed a relic of the church's

2:39:12 patron saint and received the oriflam the Crimson Banner

2:39:15 mounted on a gold Lance from abatsugar and finally

2:39:18 the Pilgrim's script from the pope all three symbolize

2:39:22 the initiation of the Crusade Louie's Army included many of France's

2:39:30 great Lords and magnates flandersong Barr pointu Neville toenail

2:39:37 the Alvernia champagne and Southern burgundy all sent contingents

2:39:42 among the greatest contingents was the force led by tiri

2:39:46 count of Flanders as well as Southern French vassals

2:39:49 to the king's wife Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine including

2:39:52 Joffrey Ronson the king's brother count Robert of Drew

2:39:57 head of the king's core party Eleanor herself was

2:40:00 attended by a considerable party of ladies and later poets

2:40:03 would imagine them fantastically dressed as Amazon Warrior maidens

2:40:09 the king's personal chaplain the monk Odo of doya

2:40:12 accompanied his master and his Chronicle is today one

2:40:15 of the most important sources for the Second Crusade

2:40:18 in the Holy Land one notable feature of the Second

2:40:26 Crusade is the virtual Universal approval it elicited

2:40:29 from the powerful institutions of Latin Christendom only Roger II

2:40:34 of Sicily the Pope's enemy refused to participate this is

2:40:39 in contrast to the first crusade in which Pope

2:40:41 Urban had to rely primarily on his own allies

2:40:44 the northern French the provencals and the Normans the First

2:40:49 Crusade had been called amid a bitter feud between

2:40:51 Pope and Holy Roman Emperor now half a century

2:40:55 later the Crusades had become an institution firmly accepted

2:40:59 as the business of God the Pope's Prestige and Authority

2:41:03 had been greatly bolstered by the success of the First

2:41:05 Crusade and helped the papacy win the investiture contest

2:41:09 with the German emperors Bernard of clairvaux emphasized that God

2:41:17 would secure victory in the Second Crusade the first

2:41:20 Crusades Triumph had been a miracle said the saint

2:41:23 and the second would be another miracle of God

2:41:27 however Bernard also emphasized practical aspects of the campaign

2:41:31 in his letters he recalled the disasters of the people's

2:41:34 Crusade led by Peter The Hermit in 1096.

2:41:37 Bernard wanted his crusade to be led

2:41:40 by competent military men to ensure a success similar

2:41:44 to the First Crusade the cost involved in mobilizing

2:41:51 Louis VII's Army is difficult to overstate many

2:41:55 Nobles bankrupted themselves financing

2:41:58 their participation wealthy Church institutions

2:42:01 especially Abbeys made considerable contributions meanwhile in the Holy

2:42:07 Land the Knights Templar prepared for the arrival

2:42:10 of the Crusaders and sent representatives to meet

2:42:12 the French at Constantinople after mustering at Mets

2:42:23 in June 11 47 Louis VII and the French

2:42:26 army numbering tens of thousands crossed the Rhineland

2:42:29 reached the Danube in early July and Then

2:42:32 followed the root of the Germans through Hungary

2:42:34 historian Jonathan Riley Smith writes that Louie's Army was

2:42:38 amply supplied by the hungarians with whose King

2:42:41 Louis was on good terms thus far we were

2:42:45 engaged in play recalled Odo because we neither

2:42:48 suffered injuries from Men's ill will nor feared dangers

2:42:52 arising from the cunning of crafty men however

2:42:55 from the time when we entered Bulgaria a land

2:42:58 belonging to the Greeks our Valor was put

2:43:00 to the test and our emotions were aroused

2:43:05 Odo notes that an agreement had been formalized

2:43:09 between King Louis and Emperor Emanuel of the Byzantine

2:43:11 Empire ahead of time but he insists

2:43:14 that as soon as the Franks entered Byzantine territory

2:43:17 the Greeks quote stained themselves with perjury Odo writes

2:43:24 Here For the First Time wrongs began to arise

2:43:27 and to be noticed for the other countries

2:43:29 which sold us supplies properly found us entirely

2:43:33 peaceful the Greeks however closed their cities and fortresses

2:43:36 and offered their Wares by letting them down

2:43:39 from the walls on ropes but food furnished

2:43:42 in such measure did not suffice our throng therefore

2:43:46 the pilgrims unwilling to endure want in the midst

2:43:50 of Plenty procured supplies for themselves by plunder

2:43:53 and pillage however Odo doesn't entirely blame

2:43:58 the Greeks called the byzantines today for this situation

2:44:02 he writes some thought that the State of Affairs

2:44:05 was the fault of the Germans who preceded

2:44:07 us since they had been plundering everything

2:44:09 and that the Greeks therefore fled our peaceful King unlike

2:44:15 Richard the lionheart and Frederick Barbarossa during the Third

2:44:18 Crusade both of whom would impose universal codes

2:44:21 of conduct on their armies and meticulously keep

2:44:24 all their men supplied Louis proved unable to assert

2:44:28 Universal discipline over all of his contingents Greek

2:44:32 ambassadors kept Louis and the Royal party well supplied

2:44:34 throughout this portion of the March but many

2:44:37 divisions of the army were left to forage

2:44:39 on their own resulting in clashes with locals after

2:44:50 this ominous start the French Crusaders finally reached Constantinople

2:44:54 between September and October of 1147 Manuel had

2:44:58 shown suspicion toward Conrad but now he showered King

2:45:01 Louis with favors the emperor held a lavish

2:45:04 banquet in the French King's honor and personally accompanied

2:45:08 King Louis and queen Eleanor on a tour

2:45:10 of constantinople's churches and holy sites Manuel provided

2:45:15 abundant markets and Provisions for the French forces

2:45:18 but Louie's ability to enforce Universal discipline remained lacking

2:45:21 and some elements of the Crusader host continued

2:45:24 their unruly conduct the emperor even arranged a joint

2:45:28 Mass celebrated by both Frankish and Greek clergy

2:45:31 to honor Louie's Patron Saint Saint Denis on October 9.

2:45:36 clearly Manuel wanted to maintain positive relations with the French and went

2:45:40 out of his way to avoid any rupture with the Franks

2:45:44 Louis for his part was entirely in agreement with Manuel's

2:45:47 policy foreign however within the Frankish

2:45:55 encampment outside of Constantinople not

2:45:57 all of the French Nobles and Bishops agreed with their King

2:46:01 by now it was common knowledge that Manuel had forged a peace

2:46:05 with the seljuk Sultan of room and this appeared as treachery

2:46:08 to many of the Crusaders many of the French felt certain

2:46:12 that Manuel intended to betray them and tried to persuade

2:46:15 King Louis VII to launch an attack on Constantinople itself arguing

2:46:20 that the capture of the Byzantine Empire would position the Crusaders

2:46:24 to better Aid the Holy Land however historian Thomas Madden notes that Louis

2:46:30 absolutely refused to entertain the idea of turning his Army against

2:46:34 a Christian Empire Manuel's spies kept him informed of the debate

2:46:43 among the French and so the emperor exerted pressure on the Crusaders

2:46:47 to cross the Bosphorus squeezing the flow of supplies spreading

2:46:51 false rumors that the Germans were scoring great victories in Asia

2:46:54 Minor and quickly assembling a fleet to provide transport Louis agreed

2:47:00 with the emperor and between October 16 and 17 the French

2:47:03 army was ferried over to Asia safely away from the Byzantine