In the Middle Ages, Europe and the Middle East were divided between Christian states,

or Christendom, and Muslim states.

They were uneasy neighbours, and frequently at war.

On the frontline: the Eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire, the major Christian power in the eastern

Mediterranean.

But in the 11th century, a powerful new force emerged that threatened its very survival.

The Seljuk Turks, originally from Central Asia, migrated south, converted to Sunni Islam,

and carved out a great empire for themselves.

In 1071, at the Battle of Manzikert, the Seljuk Turks inflicted a crushing defeat on the Byzantine

Empire.

They went on to conquer most of Anatolia.

Cities such as Nicaea and Antioch, rich in Christian history, fell to the Seljuk Turks.

In 1092, the Great Seljuk Sultan Malik Shah died, and his empire began to fragment.

The Byzantine Empire came under renewed attack, as local warlords sought territory and plunder.

In 1095, Byzantine Emperor Alexius I Comnenus wrote to Pope Urban II, making a desperate

appeal for military aid from his fellow Christians in the west.

It wasn't the first such appeal by the Emperor, but this time, the results would be unlike

anything ever seen before.

Pope Urban saw the Emperor's appeal as a golden opportunity...

… a chance to heal the rift that had emerged between Western and Eastern churches in the

Great Schism...

… to assert his own, papal authority over the unruly barons and bishops of western Christendom...

And to drive back 'the infidel', and reclaim Christianity's most holy sites – most of

all, Jerusalem, lost to Muslim rule 400 years before.

At Clermont in France, Pope Urban preached a sermon to a gathering of clergy and nobles.

He called on Christian knights and foot-soldiers to go east, to aid their brother Christians,

and free Jerusalem from Muslim rule.

And he offered a unique spiritual incentive:

“Whoever for devotion alone, not to gain honour or money, goes to Jerusalem to liberate

the Church of God can substitute this journey for all penance.”

He was offering Europe's knights, who lived in fear of damnation because of the violent

lives they led, the chance to atone for their sins through holy war.

What's more, their objective - Jerusalem - was a city that captivated the medieval imagination

like no other - the most holy place on earth.

The Pope's offer exhilarated his audience – his words were met with cries of 'Deus

vult!

Deus vult!...

God wills it!

God wills it!'

The Pope's appeal was preached across Europe, sparking a wave of religious fervour.

Thousands of lords, knights and ordinary people vowed to travel to the Holy Land and fight

for Christ.

They identified themselves by wearing a cross, later becoming known as 'crucesignatus' - crusaders.

A few of these men saw opportunity in the east for fame and fortune.

But overwhelmingly, they went in search of spiritual salvation – willing to undertake

a long, expensive and perilous journey to save their souls from the fires of hell.

Pope Urban had intended the crusade to be led by nobles, and made up of knights and

experienced soldiers.

But the viral success of his appeal led thousands of ordinary townsfolk and peasants to take

the cross - many inspired by a French priest known as Peter the Hermit, who became leader

of this so-called People's Crusade.

In the Rhineland, some of these crusaders, fired up by old prejudices and talk of holy

war, attacked local Jewish communities, slaughtering around 5,000 men, women and children, and

extorting money from those they spared.

These massacres were condemned by the church, but to little effect.

In the summer of 1096, the People's Crusade, 20 to 40,000 strong, made its way east.

The main contingent, led by Peter the Hermit, travelled along the River Danube.

But they were ill-disciplined and poorly-prepared.

When they ran out of food in Hungary, they attacked and looted Christian settlements.

They continued to pillage the land of their supposed ally, the Byzantine Empire.

When they reached Constantinople, the Emperor quickly ferried them to Anatolia, to be rid

of them.

In enemy territory, lacking discipline or leadership, their main force was soon ambushed

and slaughtered by the Turks.

Meanwhile, some of Europe's most powerful feudal lords were departing for the Holy Land

at the head of their own contingents.

They were much better armed and organised than the disastrous People's Crusade.

They included, from Lorraine, Godfrey of Bouillon, with his brothers Eustace and Baldwin of Boulogne.

Hugh of Vermandois, younger brother of the French King.

Count Robert of Flanders, and Duke Robert of Normandy, son of William the Conqueror.

The wealthy Stephen of Blois.

From Provence, Count Raymond of Toulouse, accompanied by the Crusade's spiritual leader,

papal legate Adhémar of Le Puy.

And from southern Italy, Norman lords Bohemond of Taranto, and his nephew Tancred.

The various contingents converged for their agreed rendezvous at Constantinople.

Together, they formed a huge army, perhaps 60,000 strong - probably the largest seen

in Europe since the fall of the Western Roman Empire.

The Byzantine Emperor, Alexius, had expected to welcome a small force of Western mercenaries,

who'd serve under Byzantine command.

But the giant Crusader force that began arriving in December 1096 made him nervous and distrustful

– particularly the presence of Bohemond of Taranto, who'd spent much of his life attacking

the Byzantine Empire.

Alexius gave the Crusaders money, supplies and guides, but only after their leaders swore

oaths of fealty, and promised to return all Byzantine territory to the emperor - not keep

it for themselves.

Only then were they ferried across the Bosphorus, into Anatolia.

The Crusaders were a mighty military force, particularly the armoured knights, who made

up about a sixth of their strength.

But they'd have to adapt rapidly to the heat, terrain, and hit-and-run tactics of their

Turkish enemy.

In their favour – the Islamic world, and the Great Seljuk Empire itself, was badly

divided – its Turkish governors, or atabegs, were busy fighting each other, as well as

the Shia Fatimids of Egypt.

None of them was prepared for the First Crusade, or had any real understanding of its strength

or aims.

The Crusaders' first success came at Nicaea, which fell after a six week siege.

But the city surrendered to the Byzantine forces, cheating the Crusaders, as they saw

it, of their rightful plunder.

It was a further strain on the delicate relations between Crusaders and Byzantines.

They began marching inland, through intense summer heat, in two columns - a vanguard under

Bohemond of Taranto, and rearguard under Godfrey of Bouillon.

Then near Dorylaeum, Bohemond's vanguard was ambushed by the main Turkish army.

Based on Crusader chronicles, this is our best understanding of how the confused fighting

unfolded...

Bohemond, seeing he was about to be attacked by a large force of enemy cavalry, sent an

urgent message to the rearguard, asking for assistance.

Then he formed up his knights, and ordered his infantry into a defensive formation behind

them, protecting the camp followers.

The Crusaders came under attack from all sides – facing a hail of arrows from Turkish horse

archers, as well as javelins, and hit-and-run strikes from their faster light cavalry.

The knights were driven back onto their own infantry.

Over several hours, losses mounted, but the Crusader line held.

Meanwhile, Godfrey was racing up with the rearguard to join the battle.

Troops were fed into the fighting as soon as they arrived.

On the Turks' left flank, the Crusader advance was hidden by the terrain, so that they appeared

suddenly, threatening the Turks with encirclement.

When the Christian knights all charged together, the Turks panicked, turned and fled.

It was a major victory for the Crusaders, and allowed them to continue their advance

across Anatolia without serious opposition.

At Heraclea, they defeated a small Turkish force, then split up.

The main force struggled through the mountains of Cappadocia, losing many of their baggage

animals, and running dangerously low on supplies.

Meanwhile Baldwin of Boulogne and Tancred, probably out to seize land and plunder for

themselves, travelled south into Cilicia, capturing the city of Tarsus and other settlements.

Tancred later rejoined the main army, but Baldwin was invited by local Armenian Christians

to travel to Edessa, where he was soon installed as Count Baldwin of Edessa – ruler of the

first 'Crusader state'.

In October 1097, the rest of the Crusaders reached Antioch, the next stepping-stone on

the road to Jerusalem.

But outside its walls, the First Crusade would come to the brink of disaster, decimated by

disease and starvation, and encircled by their enemies.

It would take a miracle to save them from annihilation.

Research and artwork for this video comes from Osprey Publishing's extensive range of

books on medieval history.

Every Osprey book examines a particular battle, campaign or combat unit in authoritative,

meticulous detail.

And with more than 3,000 titles, they cover everything from ancient warfare to modern

conflict.

Visit their website to see their online catalogue.

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