This blog discusses the siege of Nicaea how Kilij Arslan ignored the strength of the First Crusade. What happened during the siege? Who were the Franks? How the Disappointment of Siege turned into the Luck for Crusaders. It also discusses how the Combined Strategy worked and Kilij Arslan accepted his defeat.
Importance of siege of Nicaea
In the Previous blog, we saw how politics was involved in the First Crusade.
Alexios showed his dominance over the dukes and counts involved in the army of the First Crusade. He asked for the help of Pope Urban II because he was facing threats from the Seljuq Turks.
Even for the crusader’s army, it was not possible to directly infiltrate Jerusalem. It was the motto of Crusade – To take back the holy land. But the threats Byzantine empire were also real, and for that purpose, one common target was necessary. That common target was Nicaea.
Nicaea was large and massive, A prosperous city located in the Bosporus. Nicaea was essential geographically. It was perfect to rule because it cannot be perfectly sieged. It had no land from the Westside, and it is challenging to hold the siege from Seawater. Kilij Arslan declared this City as the capital of his kingdom.
Simplifying your confusions
Franks, Latins, and Byzantines attacked together on the Turks. “Franks” is different, and “Latins” are totally different. They belong to the part of the Western Roman Empire, but they were not Latins. Because Franks spoke the German language. I have explained this very carefully in this Blog. Read it for better understanding. Franks and Latin were both parts of the Western Roman Empire. It was the language that differentiated them. Franks + Latins + Byzantine = First Crusade
Kilij Arslan
Kilij became the Sultan of Rum in the middle of 1092. Rum Sultanate was a Sunni Muslim state who ruled the state in the Turkish-Persian Region.
When Peter the Hermit started the People’s Crusade, Kilij Arslan slaughtered all the 15000 men gathered in the First Crusade. He was in his twenties when this Crusade was happening, yet his strategical and political prowess was unparalleled. He was not expecting the powerful impact from the second wave of the Crusade, so he went to the far East of Asia minor. This created a sweet victory expectation for the Christians. This assumption made by Kilij offered them a chance to breach Asia Minor.
Who were the Franks? – Their Role in Siege of Nicaea
You can say that they were Barbarians who spoke the German language. Franks was indeed Barbarians at the start, and During the 5th CE period, they invaded the Western Roman Empire. But later on, they get influenced by the Roman Empire, and most of them joined and served the Roman Emperors. They successfully dominated Western Europe in the Medieval era. The regions in which they dominated were – Today’s Belgium, Northern France, and western Germany.
In 406 CE, these Frankish people settled on the land, and France is named after them. They were the strong pillars of the Christian Kingdoms.
Kilij was unaware of Franks, which was his biggest mistake. These Franks were the big weapon of Byzantine Emperor Alexios. Their strength and war tactics were barbaric and not known to the world outside Roman Empire, and that is how Franks played the role of Trojan horse.
How to Siege a city?
According to great war strategists like Sun Tzu, you might have heard his name many times. 3 months for preparing the Machines and 3 months for the siege engineering. Then it is essential to analyze the strong and weak zones and the doors of the City to implement the perfect Military Blockade.
Siege is a low-intensity conflict in which one party creates the Blockade while holding the city gates and providing an intimidation display to the enemy to negotiate the terms or give up the position. Otherwise, the party that is holding the siege continues to block the supplies of the enemy city.
It creates physical and psychological isolation for the people living in the City which is under siege.
For City like Nicaea, there is a geographical advantage. The western edge of the City was built against the shores of Oskanian Lake. It allowed Turkish garrisons to receive the supply and enforcement even if the land is totally under siege. Even though the garrison was not more than 1000 men.
Siege of Nicaea begins
Alexios gave the lead command to barbarian Franks, and their strategy and tactics were new for the Turks. Byzantine Emperor Alexios treated them as the best weapons against the Turks.
Franks arrived on 6th May 1097 on the lands of Asian Minor, and they started building the lofty walls around the Nicaea city. They created siege towers more than 40 meters high and 20 meters wide. They also covered the battlements that are 30 feet high and 3 miles long in circumference. It seems that this tactic was failing because the Western shore was open for Nicaea. That is why the siege was unable to impact the people because the citizens and rulers inside the Nicaea city were successfully getting the supplies from the outside Muslim world.
At first, they tried to storm the City using the ladders, but they failed terribly because it was not that easy to infiltrate the land siege.
Though the Franks were unable to get into the City, they assaulted many Turkish Muslims inside the Nicaea city.
At this moment, Kilij realized that he should leave Eastern Asia Minor and go back to his Capital city – Nicaea.
Because at first, he underestimated the threats posed by Crusaders but later on, he felt that they are posing a threat to his kingdom.
Disappoint and Luck in the Siege of Nicaea
When Kilij came back to the Nicaea, he changed the strategy of Attack. He started pouring the Hot oil on the franks and he started destroying the Siege towers. Whatever the Franks harmed the City, he began rebuilding it.
Historians mention that the speed of this rebuilding construction was so fast. Whenever Franks was trying to breach the walls, Turks build it over the night, which is why there was no meaning in breaching.
Luckily, on one night, they found the Turkish Spy in their Camp, and after torturing him, he spoke the secret plans of Turks, and from this moment, the Franks and Crusaders were in the Luck.
The Pro side for the Crusaders was that they had the numbers, and at that moment, Kilij lacked soldiers and motives to defend his City. So, history witnessed a Great Slaughter at that time. Latins started killing the Muslims.
Combined Strategy for the Siege of Nicaea
Byzantine Army did not show prowess in this war, and Latins and Franks were frustrated with their presentation. It was complicated to siege the Nicaea city. That is why all three of them started creating a combined strategy that can defeat the Kilij Arslan.
Byzantines held North, Franks made their stronghold to south, and Latins looked at the East of the Nicaea. Still, this strategy would fail soon after the time because the West side of Nicaea was still not encircled by any military. Nicaea was not going to surrender unless the Westside is not sieged.
Franks, Byzantine, and Latins tried to create a Blockade and attempted to make the City isolate from the rest Muslim world.
The strategy of using ladders was failed, and Franks already tried it. So, the only way left to enter the City was to breach the walls once again with the fullest potential.
By mid-June, there was no significant progress, and it was only because Byzantines were not using their full strength.
Winning the siege of Nicaea
After the middle of June, Alexios started making significant contributions from the northern side. They sent the Greek fleet from the west side of Nicaea city. Franks and Latins started killings, and the Southern and Eastern sides were on the brink of fall. And as the assault from the north side began, there was a whole checkmate situation for the Kilij Arslan. He accepted his defeat.
This was the first win for the army of Crusade. This winning ensured the hopes for their claim for Jerusalem and reduced the threats that were Posing by Turks to Byzantine Empire.
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