The First Crusade

By Sheema Syed Ahmed VII-G

The French word "croix" means cross and the word changed to "croisades" or crusades. The fight against the us!ims "ecame a #o!y $ar. The First Crusade %!ayed a &ery im%ortant %art in edie&a! 'ng!and It was an attem%t to re-ca%ture (erusa!em A!exius I) a Christian man)of Constantino%!e *Tur+ey, feared that his country might a!so fa!! to the us!ims as it was &ery c!ose to the territory ca%tured "y the us!ims. . A!exius ca!!ed on the %o%e - -r"an II - to gi&e him he!%. In ./01) -r"an s%o+e to a great crowd at C!ermont in France. . #e ca!!ed for a war against the us!ims so that (erusa!em was regained for the Christian faith.

2o%e -r"an II said in France 3

"Christians, hasten to help your brothers in the East, for they are being attacked. Arm for the rescue of Jerusalem under your captain Christ. Wear his cross as your badge. If you are killed your sins will be pardoned.

 Those who &o!unteered to go to fight the us!ims cut out red crosses and
sewed them on their tunics. There were those who +new they had committed sin and that "y going on the Crusade they might "e forgi&en "y God. They had a!so "een to!d "y the %o%e that if they were +i!!ed) they wou!d automatica!!y go to hea&en as they were fighting for God.

A Crusader knight

The (ourney
There was no one %erson in charge of the First Crusade. -r"an II had made Bisho% Ad"enar the
!eader "ut he %referred to !et others do the wor+ and ma+e decisions. The First Crusade had a &ery difficu!t 4ourney getting to the idd!e 'ast. They cou!d not use the editerranean Sea as the Crusaders did not contro! the %orts on the coast of the idd!e 'ast. They tra&e!!ed from France through Ita!y) then 'astern 'uro%e and then through what is now Tur+ey. The Crusaders ran out of fresh water and according to a sur&i&or of the First Crusade who wrote a"out his ex%eriences after his return) some were reduced to drin+ing their own urine or water that had "een in sewage.

 Food was "ought from !oca! %eo%!e "ut at &ery ex%ensi&e %rices. 5isease was common es%ecia!!y as men were wea+ened "y the 4ourney and drin+ing
dirty water. 5ysentery was common. #eat stro+e a!so wea+ened many Crusaders. By ./06) near!y ./)/// %eo%!e had gathered at Constantino%!e ready for the 4ourney to the #o!y 7and. The first target of the Crusaders was the im%ortant fortress city of 8icea. This city was ta+en "y the Crusaders without too much trou"!e as the man in charge of it was away fighting

 The next target for the Crusaders was Antioch - a strong!y %rotected
Tur+ish city. It too+ a se&en month siege "efore the city fe!!.

The Ca%ture 9f (erusa!em

The attac+ and ca%ture of (erusa!em started in the summer of ./00. (erusa!em was we!! defended with high wa!!s around it. The first attac+s on the city were not successfu! as the Crusaders were
short of materia!s for "ui!ding siege machines. 9nce !ogs had arri&ed) two siege machines were "ui!t. A mon+ ca!!ed Fu!cher was on the First Crusade. Fu!cher c!aimed that once the Crusaders had managed to get o&er the wa!!s of (erusa!em) the us!im defenders there ran away.

 Fu!cher a!so c!aimed that the Crusaders cut down any"ody they cou!d and that the
streets of (erusa!em were an+!e dee% in "!ood. The rest of the Crusaders got into the city when the gates were o%ened. The s!aughter continued Those us!ims who had their !i&es s%ared) had to go round and co!!ect the "odies "efore dum%ing them outside of the city "ecause they stan+ so much. us!ims c!aimed afterwards that 6/)/// %eo%!e were +i!!ed and that the Crusaders too+ whate&er treasure they cou!d from the 5ome of the :oc+.

The 'nd 9f The First Crusade

After the success of the Crusaders) the ;ingdom of (erusa!em was created
and its first +ing was Godfrey of Boui!!on #e died in ..// and was succeeded "y his "rother Ba!dwin of Bou!ogne.

htt%3<< www.history!earningsite.co.u+<first=crus * Source ,

 The ca%ture of (erusa!em did not end the Crusades as

the Crusaders wanted to get rid of the us!ims from the who!e region and not 4ust (erusa!em. This desire !ed to the other crusades.