The First Crusade

A mass of men, numbering roughly 100,000, marched out of Europe and toward Jerusalem and were victorious against masses of Islamic armies. In July of 1099AD, Jerusalem would fall out of the hands of the Turks for the first time in centuries, and the First Crusade would also serve to frame the make-up of nobility across Europe and help shape the middle ages altogether.
The view of the Crusades, like many major events of history, are often known without being truly understood. In the modern era, the Crusades are seen almost as an afterthought, and used as a tool to rationalize and justify relativism in general. In fact, Islam had spread deep to the west, swallowing Spain and expanding into southern France.
Much of Europe was in a state of subtle chaos. The Normans held the British Isles, and what we know as Germany today was in a constant state of resistance against any crown that managed power. Spain was pushing against its Muslim occupiers bit by bit, but its struggles would span centuries before and after all of the major crusades would be undertaken. Each of these, along with other events of the era, put considerable pressure on the ability of the Byzantine Empire to govern its own borders, a task made all the more difficult when compounded by pressures from the Seljuk Turks to east.
It could be said then, that the call made by Alexius I Comnenus (or Alexios I Komnenos), the eastern emperor, for help from the Church, was all the more timely. This era was not easy for kings either. At some point up to the late 11th century, the Church had attempted to assert authority over the lands by excommunicating not only Alexius, but also King Henry IV of Germany, Philip I of France, and Norman duke Guiscard. This created schisms within the Church, which saw rival popes for a while, as well as amongst the nobility. By 1088AD, Blessed Pope Urban II would rise from the competition and recognize Alexius’ call for assistance to be more than a simple opportunity.
Alexius I Comnenus was not a pretentious emperor, he was a former general, and was straight forward with his faith, and took time to listen to the Pope’s ambassadors. It was through Alexis’ efforts that the Byzantine Empire would reach better relations with the Church. Constantinople and Rome would ultimately align politically, in matters of religion, but also militarily.
In the early years of Pope Urban II’s reign, before the Council of Clermont in 1095AD, the Byzantine Empire was finding itself being attacked and invaded by loose coalitions of nations organized by the Turks. One eyewitness account describes horrors which may be found in the fires burning in the middle east today:
Far and wide they ravaged cities and castles together with their settlements; churches were razed down to the ground. Of the clergymen and monks whom they captured, some were slaughtered while others were with unspeakable wickedness given up, priests and all, to their dire dominion and nuns – alas for the sorrow of it – were subjected to their lusts. Like ravening wolves, they preyed pitilessly on the Christian people whom God’s just judgment had handed over to them as they pleased (Frankopan, p. 59-60).
Alexius I Comnenus saw some of these horrors firsthand, and sought assistance from outside the empire at nearly every turn. These pleas did not go unnoticed by the nobilities of Western Europe. Daily reports of the terrible violence were distributed throughout the west, and they had the needed effect. The information was so widespread, and said to be so accurate that Pope Urban II did not even need to introduce the topic at the Council of Clermont, “You must hasten to carry aid to your brethren dwelling in the East.”
While the Pope rallied to whip up passion to build a movement of religious fervor, there was not much planning done in terms of how such an endeavor would be pursued, or how it would be led. To this day, it is remarkable to think that this expedition of tens of thousands of men had no single commander presiding over it. From one perspective, it was a biblical parallel to the children of Israel being led out of Egypt. From another, it was a groundswell of passion and adventure. In reality, there was papal influence, from Pope Urban II himself, as well as the Bishop of Le Puy, Adhémar. There were other designates appointed by the Pope as well, but he result was a movement of such magnitude that it become an unstoppable force, cutting through Asia Minor, and securing Jerusalem in less than three years.
In June 1099AD, the Crusaders would begin to lay siege on Jerusalem. The city would fall the following month. The passionate, and sometimes leaderless movement made such an endeavor dangerous in its own right. Not every soldier or knight fought the good fight throughout the campaign. Some turned and ran, others would die from illness.
During the siege, even the Christian soldiers found themselves without food. At one point for as long as ten days. When ships finally arrived with provisions at the port of Jaffa, not far from Jerusalem, nearly 100 knights broke siege to get the supplies, leaving 30 knights plus foot soldiers to maintain their position. As big as the Christian force was, it was small compared to the fact that at virtually every pass, they could be surrounded by Muslims. Such as what happened to the remaining Christians, who, upon finding themselves surrounded by as many as 600 Arabs and Turks, charged, only to be cut down.
According to that witness account, a messenger got word to other Crusaders that were in siege, “Why do you dally here…?” Calling that fellow soldiers were under attack, the knights ran to the battle. Outnumbered and facing two lines of Muslims, it is said that, “The Christians countered by calling upon the name of Christ and the Holy Sepulchre and hurled themselves so spiritedly against the foe that every individual knight overcame his adversary.” As the Muslims began to retreat, the Christian knights would chase them down for four more miles.
Jerusalem would ultimately fall into Christian hands through what is said to be a false surrender. An Emir that commanded the Tower of St. David surrendered, and opened the gates. As the Crusaders entered the city, they were challenged by Saracens in the city and a day-long battle would rage just outside the Temple of Solomon. The army scattered throughout the city, and so would being what would be an occupation that would last less than one hundred years. Jerusalem would fall in 1187 where it is said that Pope Urban III fell dead upon receiving the news. Jerusalem remains to this day, a hot point of religious worship and violence.

References
Craig, A., Graham, W., Kagen, Ozment, S., & Turner, F. (2011). The Heritage of World Civilizations (9th ed.) Volume 1: to 1700. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
Frankopan, P. (2012). The first crusade: the call from the east. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.
Kostick, C. (2013). Courage and cowardice on the first crusade, 1069-1099. War in History, 20(1), 32-49.
Kostick, C. (2008). The social structure of the first crusade. Leiden, Netherlands: Koninklijke Brill, NV.
Peters, E. (Ed.). (1998). The first crusade: the chronicle of Fulcher of Chartres and other source materials (2nd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press.