Outremer from the field of blood to 1149 Flashcards
How successful was crusading between 1119 and 1149
✅ Venetian Crusade (1123–1124):
120-ship fleet intercepted & destroyed a Fatimid fleet (May 1123).
Played a major role in capturing Tyre (1124).
✅ Templars & Crusade Preparation:
Council of Troyes (Jan 1129): Pope Honorius II approved Templar Rule.
Damascus Campaign (1129): Led to the capture of Banias.
Fulk’s marriage to Melisende (1127/28): Strengthened Jerusalem’s leadership.
✅ Second Crusade (1147–1148):
Lisbon captured in Portugal.
Almería (1147) & Tortosa (Dec 1148) taken in Spain with crusader support.
How unsuccessful was crusading between 1119 and 1149
❌ Venetian Crusade (1122/23):
Failed to capture Corfu, worsening Byzantine relations.
❌ Damascus Campaign (1129):
Baldwin II secured Fulk’s marriage to Melisende (1127/28) to gain military support.
Fulk & Hugh de Payns raised a 60,000-man force, but no clear papal backing.
Attack on Damascus (Nov 1129) failed—military objectives not achieved.
❌ Second Crusade (1147–1148):
Conrad III:
Didn’t wait for the French at Constantinople.
Ignored Turkish tactics, leading to defeat at Dorylaeum.
Louis VII:
Abandoned troops at Attalia—massacred.
Failed to ally with Raymond of Antioch against Aleppo (Nureddin’s base).
Alienated Raymond II of Tripoli by ignoring his border disputes.
Siege of Damascus (July 1148) failed due to:
Poor leadership—bad move from well-watered west to barren east.
Divisions over who would rule amascus (Thierry of Flanders vs. Guy I Brisebarre).
Conflict between Crusaders & native Franks.
Conrad III planned to besiege Ascalon, but no support arrived, so he withdrew.
Why did Edessa fall in 1144 due to events
❌ Joscelin II’s Failures:
Spent too much time at Turbessel, far from Edessa.
Distracted by alliances & intrigues with the Artuqids (Kara Arslan).
Zengi exploited this, luring Joscelin away from Edessa with a false attack (1144).
✅ Zengi’s Strengths:
Ruler of Aleppo & Mosul—a major power.
1144: His Artuqid rival Da’ud died, leaving an inexperienced son, Kara Arslan.
December 1144: Used sappers to collapse Edessa’s walls & captured the city.
Gained support by framing attack as Jihad, though he likely aimed to dominate Damascus.
why did Edessa fall in 1144 due to Growing Muslim threat
✅ Factors Supporting Zengi’s Rise:
Growing desire for Jihad after the Field of Blood (Muslim morale boosted by preacher Ibn-al-Khashshab).
Zengi united Mosul (1127) & Aleppo (1128) under his rule.
1133: Invaded the County of Tripoli; Fulk had to assist Pons.
1135: Controlled most Muslim territory near Aleppo.
1137: Defeated Fulk at Ba’rin and temporarily captured Raymond II of Tripoli.
1144: Used Jihad rhetoric to gain support from Turcoman tribes, leading to the capture of Edessa.
❌ Limitations & Failures:
Internal Muslim Rivalries: Zengi fought Muslim rivals (e.g., Il-Ghazi, Balak) more than uniting them.
Absence from Syria: Often away in Iraq before 1144.
Disliked by many: The Artuqids allied with Joscelin II (1144) against Zengi.
Poor role model for Jihad: Known for drinking, oath-breaking (Baalbek), and being hated by the rulers of Damascus.
Limited success in uniting Muslims: Zengi’s harsh methods led to fear and hatred, undermining his leadership.
why did edessa fall due to weakness of the crusader states
✅ Challenges Facing Edessa:
Geographical vulnerability: Edessa was territorially large and wealthy but exposed to attack and separated from the more protected parts by the Euphrates River.
Lack of religious significance: Far from pilgrim routes and held little religious importance, unlike Jerusalem, so it did not attract much European support.
Local indifference: The Syrians and Jews were indifferent to Frankish rule, and support mainly came from the Armenians.
Raymond of Antioch’s conflict: Raymond was engaged in a losing conflict with Byzantine Emperor Manuel I over Cilicia.
✅ Deteriorating Situation in Jerusalem:
The death of King Fulk in 1143 left Baldwin III (13 years old) as heir, weakening Jerusalem’s military capacity.
Jerusalem was unable to launch swift military responses, and Melisende’s army (led by Manasses) arrived too late to help Edessa.
why did Edessa fall due to Christian divisions
✅ Internal Issues in Edessa:
Geographical weakness made Edessa reliant on the prince of Antioch for support, particularly 1100–1118.
By the 1140s, relations between Joscelin II and Raymond of Antioch had broken down:
Raymond refused to aid Joscelin II, seeking to impose Antioch’s overlordship over Edessa.
Joscelin quarreled with Raymond of Tripoli.
This left Edessa exposed to Muslim attacks.
✅ Poor Relations with Byzantines:
Joscelin II undermined the Byzantine emperor John II in 1138, sabotaging the siege of Shaizar and tricking John II into leaving Antioch—reducing Byzantine support.
The long-standing poor relations between Franks and Byzantines were not resolved.
Raymond of Antioch was involved in a war with Byzantines (1144), further diminishing potential support for Edessa.
