Why, Despite All the Odds Against It, Did the First Crusade Succeed?
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- Category: History
- Date Submitted: 01/26/2010 01:57 AM
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There were six main factors that made the First Crusade a success. These were Muslim division, religious fervour, Byzantine help, good leadership, military skills and luck. Above all the First Crusade succeeded because of these factors and the way they played a huge part in the Crusade.
The first main factor that helped towards the First Crusade being a success was Muslim division. When the Crusaders first came to attack Nicaea, the Sultan Kilij Arslan was away fighting fellow Muslims, the Danishmends. Throughout the Holy Land the Muslim race was fighting each other for land and power. The two races of the Muslims were enemies, the Seljuks and the Fatimids. They did not see the problem of the Crusades and so continued to fight among themselves, and against the Crusaders. I think that Muslim division was very important to the First Crusade succeeding as if the Muslims had joined together and fought against the Crusaders, they probably wouldn’t have gotten past Nicaea and would definitely have been outnumbered. This is shown by looking at maps of the time of 1096-1099 and seeing how much land the Muslims had. In Meyer page 46 it says how when the Crusaders attacked Nicaea, ‘The Sultan himself was away in the east fighting the Danishmends.’ Kilij Arslan probably knew about the Crusaders coming but didn’t think much of it and continued fighting the Danishmends, rather than going back to help against the Crusaders. When he finally did realise he needed to go, it was too late and was defeated. When the Crusaders besieged Antioch and finally entered, they were soon besieged themselves by Kerbogha, another Muslim leader. After the finding of the Holy Lance, the Crusaders were more willing to go out to battle, and as they marched towards the Muslims, the Turks deserted Kerbogha and the Fatimids, thinking if Kerbogha won, he would be too powerful for them. Also Kerbogha couldn’t organise the factions of the army, and so they lost to the Crusaders. Across the length...
The first main factor that helped towards the First Crusade being a success was Muslim division. When the Crusaders first came to attack Nicaea, the Sultan Kilij Arslan was away fighting fellow Muslims, the Danishmends. Throughout the Holy Land the Muslim race was fighting each other for land and power. The two races of the Muslims were enemies, the Seljuks and the Fatimids. They did not see the problem of the Crusades and so continued to fight among themselves, and against the Crusaders. I think that Muslim division was very important to the First Crusade succeeding as if the Muslims had joined together and fought against the Crusaders, they probably wouldn’t have gotten past Nicaea and would definitely have been outnumbered. This is shown by looking at maps of the time of 1096-1099 and seeing how much land the Muslims had. In Meyer page 46 it says how when the Crusaders attacked Nicaea, ‘The Sultan himself was away in the east fighting the Danishmends.’ Kilij Arslan probably knew about the Crusaders coming but didn’t think much of it and continued fighting the Danishmends, rather than going back to help against the Crusaders. When he finally did realise he needed to go, it was too late and was defeated. When the Crusaders besieged Antioch and finally entered, they were soon besieged themselves by Kerbogha, another Muslim leader. After the finding of the Holy Lance, the Crusaders were more willing to go out to battle, and as they marched towards the Muslims, the Turks deserted Kerbogha and the Fatimids, thinking if Kerbogha won, he would be too powerful for them. Also Kerbogha couldn’t organise the factions of the army, and so they lost to the Crusaders. Across the length...