Battle of Ascalon
Nicaea - Eskisehir - Antioch - Jerusalem - Ascalon
The Battle of Ascalon took place on August 12, 1099 and is often referred to as one of the last events of the First Crusade.
Background
The Crusaders had already done with the Fatimids of Egypt during their train to Jerusalem negotiations, but will not achieve a satisfactory result - the Fatimids were willing to abandon Syria but not Palestine, the Crusaders aimed to Jerusalem and the Holy Sepulchre from. The siege of Jerusalem led to the conquest of the city on July 15, 1099; immediately learned the Crusaders that a Fatimid army was on the march.
The Crusaders moved quickly. Godfrey of Bouillon was appointed on July 22, the defender of the Holy Sepulcher, Arnulf of Chocques, who had become Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem on August 1, took place on August 5, remnants of the Holy Cross. Fatimid envoy came to the city, demanding the Crusaders to withdraw, but were ignored. On August 10, Gottfried led the remaining Crusaders out of Jerusalem towards Ascalon, a day's march away, while Peter the Hermit both the Catholic and the Orthodox clergy in prayers and a procession of the Holy grave led to the temple. Robert II of Flanders and Arnulf accompanied Gottfried, while lagged Raymond IV of Toulouse, Robert of Normandy - either because of disputes with Gottfried, or because they wanted to wait for the news of the Egyptian army, which should bring their own scouts. As the Egyptian presence was sure they made the next day also on the way. In the near Ramlah they met Tancred and Godfrey's brother Eustace, who had earlier pulled out of the month to the conquest of Nablus. At the head of the army Arnulf was the rest of the Holy Cross, while Raymond of Aguilers wore the remains of the holy lance, which had been discovered in Antioch in the year before.
The Battle
The Fatimids were led by the vizier al - Afdal Shahanshah, probably led some 20,000 soldiers ( 30,000 others will appreciate, the Gesta Francorum exaggerates 200,000, Ekkehard of Aura even with 500,000 ). His army consisted of Seljuk Turks, Arabs, Persians, Armenians, Kurds, and Ethiopians. He intended to besiege the Crusaders in Jerusalem, though he mitführte no siege engines; but he had a fleet available that anchored in the port of Ashkelon. The exact number is unknown, the Crusaders, Raymond of Aguilers speaks of 1200 knights and 9000 foot soldiers. The highest estimate indicates 20,000 men, but that is certainly at this time of the Crusades not possible. Al- Afdal encamped in the plain of al - Majdal in a valley outside of Ashkelon and prepared for the march and the siege before. He expected at least not that the Crusaders were ready to meet him. On August 11, the Crusaders found oxen, sheep, camels and goats that grazed outside the city, and were intended as food for the Fatimid camp. Prisoners who Tancred had made in a skirmish at Ramlah, declared that the animals are thought to animate the Crusaders to loot, to facilitate the Fatimids the attack. The Crusaders took the animals with them and lined them in their army, which thus appeared much larger than it really was.
On the morning of August 12, the Crusaders were informed of the location of the Fatimid camp field. They were divided into nine divisions, Gottfried led the left wing, the right Raimund, Tancred, Eustace, Robert of Normandy and Gaston IV of Béarn the center; In addition, each group was divided into two smaller divisions, and a division of infantry marched in front.
According to most reports ( Christian and Muslim ), the Fatimids were caught unprepared and the battle was consequently short. Albert of Aachen, however, notes that the Fatimids were well prepared, and the battle lasted a long time. The two main lines fought with arrows until they were close enough for close combat with lances. The Ethiopians attacked the center of the Crusaders at the Fatimid vanguard could surpass the Crusaders and into the back of the rear guard until Gottfried appeared and rescued them. Despite their numerical superiority was al - Afdals army hardly as strong or as dangerous as the Seljuks, who had previously met the Crusaders. The battle seems to have been over before the Fatimid heavy cavalry was ready to intervene. Al- Afdal and his troops fled in panic into the safety of the heavily fortified city; Raimund chased some of them into the sea, others climbed trees and were killed with arrows, others were slain in the retreat in the city. Al- Afdal left behind his camp and his treasure, which were conquered by Robert and Tancred. The losses of the Crusaders are unknown, the Egyptians are given in some sources with 10-12,000.
Follow
The Crusaders spent the night in the deserted camp, preparing for a new attack before, but then saw in the morning that the Fatimids were on the retreat to Egypt. Al- Afdal fled across the sea. The Crusaders took so much with how they were burned the rest They returned on August 13 back to Jerusalem, where, after long celebrations Gottfried and Raimund Ashkelon claimed for themselves - with the result that the garrison refused to give up when they learned of the dispute. After the battle, most crusaders returned to Europe, as they looked at her crusade vow fulfilled. At the end of the year were probably only a few hundred knights in Jerusalem, but they were soon reinforced by the new crusaders, who had been encouraged by the success of the First Crusade.
Ascalon remained under Fatimid rule and soon became the base of operations for invasions in the kingdom of Jerusalem; Many battles were fought in the following years until the city was finally conquered after a long siege in 1153 by the Crusaders.
Swell
- Albert of Aachen, Historia Hierosolymitana
- Ekkehard of Aura, Hierosolymita
- Fulcher of Chartres, Historia Hierosolymitana
- Gesta Francorum
- Raymond of Aguilers: Historia francorum qui ceperunt Jerusalem.