The First Crusade: Motto and People Involved
In the First Crusade, Bohemond of Taranto, Raymond of Toulouse, Godfrey of Bouillon, Tancred of Hauteville, Baldwin of Boulogne, and Peter the Hermit were the key figures from the Western Roman Empire.
The First Crusade was a costly activity, and there were no visible rewards at the starting of the war. When Warfare is about to happen, the Kings and Armies involving it always look for the reward after winning the war. But this wasn’t the case for the First Crusade because there was no material award and not even Physical wealth. Still, the armies involved in it because of Spirituality.
This is not just about the first Crusade but also about the outcome of the upcoming crusades. It can be said that the Spiritual resolution proved to become more motivating than the political or geographical gain.
Crusade word comes from the French word Croisade. It means the Way of Cross, and the Crusader’s word refers to those involved for the way of the cross and defending the Christendom.
At first, this gathered army should go for Constantinople to help Alexios I Komnenos.
Because Alexios asked for help from the western side of the Roman Empire, he asked Pope Urban II for help. But Pope Urban II had other plans, too, including Helping Alexios. He also wanted to conquer the holy land that was under Muslim rule.
First Crusade key Figure: Peter the Hermit
It was an immensely more audience gathered for hearing the great speech of Pope Urban II. Peter the Hermit listened to his speech and was inspired to contribute to the First Crusade.
Image Source: Google | Image By: Wikipedia
He was born in poor areas of Amines, located in the Northern regions of France. France was already in the Latin part of the Roman Empire; you should know this as we have already discussed this in our previous blog.
But, even so, the Greeks of the Eastern side of the Empire called him the Man of God. His voice was divine, and there was a spark in his voice. Greeks have mentioned his angelic voice. According to Greeks, God sparked his own words in Peter the Hermit’s brain, and coming out of his mouth is all that God wants. Some called him Prophets, even though he wasn’t in any leading position on the cathedral. Yet, just because of his speech prowess, he was famous.
He had a unique way to convey people. In the Western side of the Roman Empire, Bread was the super-popular food, yet he didn’t eat bread, and he stayed alive only on the fish and wine. This also helped him to gain popularity.
So, it was an unusual eating habit and divine voice that made him famous.
The First Crusade’s First Wave: People’s Crusade
Six months later, Pope Urban II’s speech at Clermont city in France, Peter the Hermit gathered 15 thousand soldiers. Peter the Hermit was so excited for the Crusade. On this extinct, he gathered the army before any other army in the western Roman Empire. The first motto of the Crusade was to defend Constantinople and save the Byzantine empire from Turkish Muslims and later go for the holy land Jerusalem for freeing it from Muslims.
This First Wave of Crusade was Known as the People’s Crusade
Peter the Hermit gathered the army and marched to Constantinople before any other Army. He also thought about the eradication of Enemies of Christ before entering Constantinople.
In the middle of his way, he massacred the Jews of Rhineland. Rhineland was a German land on the Borders of France.
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After crossing the Rhineland, when he entered Muslim territory, a great slaughter by the Muslim army and the army of fifteen thousand soldiers was scattered or dead. But luckily, Peter the Hermit was alive.
The First Crusade: Second Wave
Now, this was the disciplined and massive army under Pope Urban II.
The number of this second wave that was marching for Constantinople was between 60K-100K (It is challenging to track on the 1000 years old data, but for the safe side, we can say there are 60K-100K soldiers involved).
In this army,
- 7K-10K: Knights.
- 35K-50K: Infantry.
- The remaining others were non-combatant, ordinary civilians of the Western Roman Empire.
After the Era of Augustus Caesar, nowhere in history, the army of this scale was recorded.
The fun fact with the First Crusade was that no king was interested in the first Crusade because there were no political gains, but the Dukes and Counts are ready to serve their faith.
Count means Earls, “Men with Noble rank or Birth” Or you can say, Sardar in the relative terms.
Duke is the leading position after King, the highest possible rank achieved in the Nobility.
The First Crusade: Dukes and Kings
During the medieval era, kings relied on Dukes and Counts, and they were more potent than some kings; sometimes, they can eclipse the powers of Kings.
Dukes and Counts included in Crusade were referred to as the Prince because they are devoting themselves to the kingdom of Christ. As they are the children of Christ, they are referred to as the Prince.
First Prince of the First Crusade: Count Raymond of Toulouse
He was the Secular lord from South-Eastern France.
It wasn’t the first time for him. Raymond took arms against Muslims before Pope Urban II’s speech. Muslims broke and pulled his eye because he tried to build the Christian pilgrimage in Jerusalem and refused tax.
A warmonger with an insanely crazy approach towards war, he preserved his pulled-off eye. He kept it in his pocket as a talisman for his hatred towards the Muslims.
Image source: Google | Image By: Wikipedia
He was the elder statesman. Pope Urban II primed his position by keeping him behind even during the first speech at Clermont in France. Pope Urban II delivered the speech that incited the first Crusade.
He was the first Count (Earl) to be involved in the Crusade and received the title of Prince for the first time.
Physically so strong that when he yells, it might create fear in the enemy’s heart. His front-line position was beneficial for the Christian soldiers, and Pope Urban II knew this, so he primed his position even more.
His personality was inspiring. Even when he was more than forty years old during First Crusade, his existence was fearsome.
Norman-Bohemond of Taranto
He was the son of Robert ‘Guiscard’, Robert ‘the Wiley’
His father was a great adventurer, and Norman Bohemond was from the Hauteville family. Hauteville’s family was in an excellent position in Italy.
Bohemond has excellent military knowledge and strategical intellect about winning the war using different forms of army arrangements. He was the Prime rival for the position of Count Raymond. Performing siege was not an easy task in the medieval era. Still, Bohemond had excellent knowledge of it. In the upcoming days when the siege of Jerusalem happened, his intellectual superiority and knowledge about the army and siege helped Christians.
It is said that no one can compete with the prowess he has achieved in the knowledge of art and war.
His physical strength was unique, and he was massive in Physique. His presence was none less than an intimidation display for the Enemy soldiers.
Despite his political and Warfare achievements, he was so poor and lacked in wealth.
Tancred of Hauteville
He was just a 20 years old boy when the Crusade was started but one of the most critical figures in the history of the Crusades. His tales inspired many others for the upcoming battles in Crusade.
Don’t focus on his age. He was none less than a genius, he was fluently bilingual, and he was very fluent in Arabic.
He was the second in command for the Normans of South Italy (Normans were the descendants of Norse Vikings).
He was a Princeling; a small area was under his control, but what more can you expect from a twenty years old boy at that time? But in the upcoming days, he became powerful.
He was the nephew of Bohemond, and he convinced his uncle Bohemond for the Crusade. He accompanied him with the Normans of South Italy.
Godfrey of Bouillon
For the Jerusalem expedition, as I already explained, there was no political or wealth gain. Yet, some people went into Crusade just for the mercy of God. Godfrey of Bouillon was one of them.
Like every other else Count and Duke, he also was formidable with Physique. After King Alfred, the King of Saxons, no one from the Roman Empire was weak in Physique. You must have seen King Alfred in Vikings and Last kingdom TV series.
In his early days, he performed many sinful acts, and plundering the churches was one of them. Godfrey, the Duke of Lower Lorraine, wanted to seek a new life in the Holy land. He thought, fighting the war for his true God, Christ will wash away his Sinn.
He was the second son of Count of Boulogne,
Godfrey had more prowess than his father.
Baldwin of Boulogne
Brother of Godfrey, and it has been said about him that he charged like a bull on the battlefield. He had an aggressive appetite. The most important person in the First Crusade, as he became the First King of Jerusalem.
He died in 1118 CE.
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