On The First Crusade Army From The Perspective Of Military

In the end of1095, Pope Urban II firstly proclaimed to Christians at Clermontthat, they should go towards East for recovering Holy Land, aiding Byzantines, andseizing back the Holy Sepulture of the Lord. Immediately, there had a strong tendencyof eastern march in the Western Europe, of which all classes were inspired to join it.After the fail of people’s crusade, the Christian armies leaded by nobles converged atNicaea city through Constantinople. From there, they embarked on a long anddifficult military expedition. After a furious fight lasted three years, they finally seizedthe holy land of Jerusalem, and established themselves in the Near East. This war iscustomarily called the first crusade. Therefore, this huge army leaded by princes is thefirst crusade army.A complex series of military conflict and interaction between Christian groupand Seljuk Turks in Asia Minor from1097to1098, are the historical context of thispaper. Asia Minor or Anatolia, was the junction of geopolitics, and also of civilconfliction, intercourse and merge. The Seljuk Turks, who rose abruptly and headedwest since11thcentury, aroused a continued turbulence in Asian Minor, which sharplychanged the existed political landscape. Several powers and stations made a seriousstruggle in this area. Byzantines, as well as Armenians, desired to regain the lostterritory. In the other hand, Turks forcibly occupied the most part of it. The conflictbetween crusader army and its major rival, the Seljuk Turks mainly occurred at AsianMinor and North of Syria. Crusade army won the decisive victory that changed thecourse of the whole war at Nicaea, Dorylaeum, and especially, Antioch.The analysis of this paper rests on a series of historical sources. The first crusadeis the one of the most recorded historical events in Middle Age. Plentiful of existingsources make the minute observation and study of the first crusade be possible. Theprimary source is Historia Ierosolimitana written by Albert of Aix with Latin. Thiswork is detailed, lengthy, and abundant. Above all, it is good at military events. It isalso necessary to make a further study for this work. Besides, there are a lot ofimportant second sources translated into English, such as the works of Robert theMonk, Fulcher, Ralph, and Anna, the princess of Byzantine, Matthew of Armenia, andtwo other muslin chroniclers.The research object of this paper is the first crusader army, that is to say, theWestern European Christian army leaded by princes. The paper stressed the influenceand impact which this contemporaneity and external environment made on this army.The process of study is not isolated and stereotypical, but emphasized the connectionsbetween crusader army and other external factors in a broad historical background.Therefore, all the concerned factors, such as the Western Europe of11thcentury, theByzantine empire, the Armenians and Seljuk Turks, should be brought into therelevant special discussion.The study subject and focus of this paper, is the distinctive characteristics and meaning which the first crusade army was showed in different aspects, views andperspectives. All of the contents are concerned with or extended from military and war.This paper aimed to make a detailed and comprehensive analysis of this crusade army,in the expectation of a clear and in-depth understanding of the first crusade, and themilitary system of Western Europe in11thcentury. The first crusade army arose fromWestern European society, which reflected the common features of feudal military inWestern Europe. Meanwhile, in the course of the eastern march, especially the longwar, in an alien environment, faced with an extraordinary and strong rival, theChristian army also formed some new military styles and features, which establishedthe military tradition of Latin East in the future.There are some aspects and main sections. Firstly, a technical analysis of thebasic factors of which this army was consisted is made, that is, its scale, leadership,structure and organization; its weapons and equipment; its siege machines, means anddevices. Analyzing the scale and organizational system helps to make clear theorigination and nature of this army. The individual crusader’s weapons and equipmentnot only showed the common style and habits of Western European military, but alsoreflected the influence of the Orient, extended to the valuation of various weapons andthe military professionalization.The secondary chapter is about the strategy and tactics. Mainly, the victory ofcrusade army in Near East should be attributed to the grand strategy of Christendom,which projects the cooperation and mutual benefit between Byzantines, crusade army,and Armenians. Furthermore, on the field, the tactical style of this army wasdistinctive. Based on their arms, especially the concept of the war, and chivalry,fundamentally, they still followed the basic habit of West European feudal military.However, faced with the flexible Seljuk horse archers, to some extent they wereinfluenced by oriental military factors, from which some new tactical concept derived.These changes manifest the interaction between East and West in military. Castle wasparticularly vital for the first crusade, and especially, the crusader states in Latin East.castle-tactic grew more and more impotent in Latin East, finally, it was ascended tothe strategy-level position for the Syrian Franks.Beyond the battlefield, there are many wider fields to study and research.Logistics of warfare are of important for any army. The discussion about theprovisions,the march, transportation and means of supplying, is aimed at restoring theessential role of logistics, and revealing the close relation between Byzantine,Armenians and crusade army. The transmission of information, psychological warfare,and Intelligence-based warfare in crusade war were aroused little interest in thescholarly circles, though they are similarly significant. The contact, interaction andintercourse with Turks showed the diplomacy of crusade army. Those princes beaccustomed to seek means and way other than fight and battle to their intentions andobject of war. The association and intercourse between both sides from the end of11thcentury to the early days of12thcentury, made the real essence of crusade war beexposed to the light of day. It was merely a feudal war.Finally, there is an explanation as to the religious factor and spirit of the firstcrusade army. What a holy object and Christian ideal the crusade army had? How crusade army was covered with garb and halo of Catholic? How religion could beclosely connected with war and pilgrimage and put into practice? These issues areunavoidable. In addition, redemption and trial, religious rites, and vision also shouldbe noticed. As the participant of this crusade, priest not only was in a dominantposition in the religious affairs, but also played a positive role in management,organization, and even the leadership of battle. Finally, after stripped away all theperfect halo and sacred garb, there remained the spirit, mood and attitude of humanbeing, which restored the spiritual world which was complicated and various, andprojected the mental characteristics against a historical background of the medievalperiod.