The Crusades was largely a response to the encroachment of Islamic Empires in continental Europe.
Over the centuries, Christian-majority regions in the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe had been steadily annexed.
By the end of the seventh century, every major Christian territory outside of Europe had been annexed, and by the turn of the eighth century, even Europe itself came under attack
Here is a following brief history of the conquest of Europe by Muslim-majority nations up until 1095:
- In 711, the Moors invaded the Iberian Peninsula and quickly annexed practically all of modern-day Portugal, Spain, Andorra de la Vella and southern France — the push to the Rhine was prevented after a decisive defeat by Charles Martel at the Battle of Tours in 732
- Starting in 827, the invasion of Sicily was carried out, and by 902, it was completely under Islamic control
- The Island of Malta is sacked and conquered on August 29, 870 following a brutal naval siege similar to the one carried out by the Ottomans nearly seven centuries later — only on the first occasion, they were successful
- By 784, Rome itself was starting to come under siege following an unsuccessful attack, which was then later followed by a much larger event in 846 when Rome was sacked and Pope Sergius II forced to flee within the inner walls of the city and watch as his subjects were pillaged — a follow-up assault intended to bring about a more permanent settlement, was defeated just three years later by Pope Leo IV, mos notably at the Battle of Ostia
- The Battle of Manzikert in 1071 in which an Islamic Army renewed their war against the Byzantines, captured its emperor Romanos IV, and nearly brought Constantinople — capital of the last remaining superpower European nation — to its knees
Green highlights areas that were primarily conquered before 1095, while red highlights areas that were conquered after 1299 — note that in some cases, territories were seized in areas that are either green or red, most notably those in the Mediterranean region (also note that it does not include areas that were attacked but never annexed
Though it is true that the Islamic nations rarely worked in unison, and were known to quarrel with one another as much as the Soviet Bloc did during the Cold War era, the same was no less true of the largely divided Christian states.
By the eleventh century, the Carolingian Empire — then the Byzantine of Western Europe, which was credited for keeping the region Christian under its rulers, including Charles Martel and Charlemagne — had crumbled, leaving only the Byzantine Empire present to stave off the otherwise inevitable Islamisation of Europe.
Of course, Pope Urban II had no intention of allowing this to happen quietly, and so he convened a gathering at what is known as the Council of Clermont on November 28, 1095, and called for people to put their differences aside and come to the aid of the Byzantines, despite the recent schism that had effectively separated Constantinople from Rome.
This was largely greeted with applause, and so tens of thousands of people acros Europe answered the call and marched on Constantinople to help bolster the Byzantine Empire’s defences.
Interestingly, the very army that was to be responsible for the conquest of the Holy Lands was practically laughed out of sight by the Byzantine Emperor Alexios Komnenos, who felt insulted that the Vatican had sent him these poorly equipped, trained, and fed troops to his doorstep, and had almost refused to acknowledge their presence.
Eventually they were ordered to an outpost region, but even local Byzantine officials soon grew tired of having them in them around and ordered them home immediately.
Not wanting to return to their homelands without feeling as though they had contributed to the “Christian cause” the Crusaders declined to head west, and instead moved south towards their ultimate objective: Jerusalem.
A series of battles were fought between 1097–1099 including the Siege of Nicaea in May-June 1097, the Battle of Dorylaeum on July 1, 1097, the Battle of Antioch on June 28, 1098, and finally the Siege of Jerusalem itself from July 13–15, 1099 — as well as the Battle of Ascalon on August 12, 1099, in which an Islamic relief army heading to Jerusalem was likewise routed.
Following the news of Jerusalem’s capture, Western Europe erupted into applause, and according to legend, Pope Urban II died from excitement at the news.
Meanwhile, Emperor Alexios Komnenos was completely dumbfounded by the end results, and he demanded that these territories be ceded at once to the Byzantines, due to their historical claims on the land.
The Crusaders got the last laugh.
In conclusion, the Crusades were very much justified.
What is particularly ironic is that the men who initiated one of the most successful military campaigns in Medieval history had not been expected to be anything other than a defensive garrison on behalf of the ungrateful Byzantines.
That the conquest of the Holy Lands was not premeditated does not minimise the reason as to why the army that would consist of the “First Crusade” was created in the first place — to prevent the rest of Europe from being annexed by non-Christian empires.
No comments:
Post a Comment