why was the first crusade successful? Flashcards
(46 cards)
what are 4 reasons for why the first crusade was successful?
- Unity, Leadership, & Military Skill
- Religious Zeal
- Aid of Byzantium
- Disunity of Muslims
what is a limitation to the theory that it was the unity and leadership of the crusaders that meant they were successful?
leaders were determined to head their own armies and do jointly only what was agreed jointly
give an example of how the unity of the crusaders did not mean they were successful
- it was luck only that when the leaders were at their most divided, after the fall of antioch, the islamic world was demoralised and unable to exploit their problems, so they were able to press on to jerusalem
- August 1098-Jan 1099 Raymond vs. Bohemond following the death of Adhemar argued over possession of Antioch
- Tancred and Baldwin’s rivalry over Cilicia
- Disunity and rivalry over the rulership of Jerusalem
give an example of how the leadership and militaery skill of the crusaders did not mean they were successful
- It was luck only that when attempted co-operation was at its newest and their troops rawest, they confronted the weakest of their enemies (Turks of Asia Minor). The nomads were not numerous and Kilij Arslan’s tactics depended too heavily on the morale affect of sudden onslaughts; he allowed his men to be caught in matches where numbers counted
- The failure of the crusaders to capture Arqah (1099)
give examples of the Role of individual leaders & Military skill of the unified Crusader force in the first crusade
- Battle of Dorylaeum
- Siege of Antioch
- siege of Jerusalem
- Battle of Ascalon
how did the battle of dorylaeum show the Role of individual leaders & Military skill of the unified Crusader force in the first crusade?
- Arslan had gathered a much larger army than previously and surrounded crusaders with fast moving archers
- Normans deployed in a tight-knit defensive formation to surround their equipment and non-combatants who had followed them
- Robert of Normandy and Bohemond rallied the troops at a crucial moment (kept vanguard together whist awaiting reinforcements)
- when the French arrived, Godfrey broke through Turkish lines and Adhemar outflanked Turks from rear
- Turks fled as they did not expect the quick arrival of the French
how did the siege of antioch show the Role of individual leaders & Military skill of the unified Crusader force in the first crusade?
- Unified efforts against divided Muslim foes during the Crusader siege (ridwan, duqaq, kerbogha)
- Bohemond, an general, used aggressive tactics to win against Ridwan and kerbogha (used unwieldy numbers of Kerbogha’s forces against him at Antioch (28 June 1098))
what tactics and skills made bohemond such a successful general?
- Bohemond made the crusaders use rear-guards which required discipline and control
- Bohemond was determined to unsettle the enemy and take them unawares
- Bohemond’s importance lay in his appointment as sole commander in moments of crisis; he was not a tactical innovator as the real innovation was the use of infantry which arose from circumstances as they became better armed and more experienced
how did the siege of jerusalem show the Role of individual leaders & Military skill of the unified Crusader force in the first crusade?
- Robert of Flanders organised the foraging and gathering of materials,
- Godfrey was in the thick of the fighting (leading by example in this age, mattered) with Baldwin to the North
- Co-operation between North and South attack
- Construction and use of siege engines
how did the battle of ascalon show the Role of individual leaders in the first crusade?
Robert of Normandy was at the heart of a charge which swept all before it
describe the differences and similarites in equipment and weaponry between crusaders and Turks
- Franks had no technical advantage over their enemies, as their western horses soon died
- the Turks had the short bow which dictated their tactics and which the Franks found difficult to counter
- Franks probably had better armour, but in general similar weaponry
give examples of how the Crusaders were able to work together despite differences
- siege of nicaea
- siege of antioch
- seige of jerusalem
- battle of ascalon
how does the siege of nicaea show that Crusaders were able to work together despite differences ?
it helped to settle a raw army
how does the siege of antioch show that Crusaders were able to work together despite differences ?
tackled problems (e.g. Antioch able to stay partially supplied as crusaders did not have enough troops to surround it, crusaders forced to defeat 2 large relief armies under Duqaq and Ridwan) with enormous persistence and eventual success. The 8-month siege of Antioch would have been impossible without co-operation, e.g. shared war chest
how does the siege of jerusalem show that Crusaders were able to work together despite differences ?
exemplifies skills of highly experienced and coherent grouping of armies e.g. -Robert of Flanders organised the foraging and gathering of materials, Godfrey was in the thick of the fighting with Baldwin to the North
how does the battle of ascalon show that Crusaders were able to work together despite differences ?
Crusaders resolved differences (over ruling Jerusalem) to fight the Fatimids at Ascalon (August 1099) after capturing Jerusalem.
what are some limitations to the theory that it was the religious zeal of the first crusaders that allowed them to succeed?
- The People’s Crusade failed even though its participants were highly religiously motivated.
- There was a growing suspicion among the crusaders that the ‘Holy Lance’ was a fraud and was ‘discovered’ by one of Raymond of Toulouse’s followers (Peter Bartholomew) to enhance his authority.
- Bohemond and many of his Norman followers did not complete their pilgrimage.
what are some limitations to the theory that it was muslim disunity that allowed the first crusade to succeed?
- Misunderstood religious nature of crusade
- Kilij Arslan and Danishmends allied together against the crusaders at Dorylaeum but were still defeated.
- Jotischky claims that both Ridwan’s army at Antioch (1098) and the Fatimid army at Ascalon (1099) should have been able to defeat the crusaders on their own, so unity should not have been necessary
how does the muslim misunderstanding of the crusade undermine the theory that muslim disunity led to the first crusade’s success?
- there was no possibility of a unified muslim response because the various muslim powers did not see the crusade as a religious threat to islam until it was too late - this is not due to muslim disunity but misperceptions
- did not see it as a force intent on colonising the Levant in the name of christianity but at another mercenary raiding party which had come and gone regularly in the past
what are some limitations to the theory that it was the aid of byzantium that allowed the first crusade to succeed?
- Crusaders remained suspicious of Byzantines after disputes at Constantinople and betrayal at Nicaea and Antioch
- The crusaders ignored the advice of the Byzantines to form an alliance or understanding with the Fatimids.
why were the crusaders suspicious of byzantines after the siege of nicaea?
Taticius secretly worked with Boutoumites to negotiate surrender of Nicaea without Crusaders’ knowledge - caused a deep rift between the Latins and Greeks
why were the crusaders suspicious of byzantines after the siege of antioch?
- Taticius left the siege of Antioch (February 1098) and did not return
- Alexius had marched an army to assist at Antioch but turned back hearing that the crusade was doomed; crusaders regarded this as a betrayal
- Alexius I largely refused further aid to the crusade after they failed to return Antioch to him (Autumn 1098).
give an example of how Religious conviction allowed the Crusaders to maintain morale in battle even in desperate situations during the first crusade
- Religious zeal had an important impact on morale at Dorylaeum
- The discovery of the ‘Holy Lance’ (June 1098) restored the morale of the army at Antioch despite starvation and overwhelming Muslim numerical advantage.
how did religious zeal aid the first crusade?
- Religious conviction allowed the Crusaders to maintain morale in battle even in desperate situations
- Religious zeal drove the crusaders on to Jerusalem & kept them fixed on their goal
