The battle of Sarmed went down in history as the "Bloody Field". Then out of almost four thousand troops of the crusaders, only two hundred were lucky to survive. And only they could then tell the whole truth about those terrible events.
And it all began like this … The troops of the First Crusade entered ancient Jerusalem in 1099 and successfully repelled the attempts of the faithful to dislodge the victors from the land they had seized. At the end of the campaign, those crusaders who remained in the Promised Land decided that, as masters of the situation, they could freely choose any place to live, and, if necessary, expand their possessions. Pope Urban II (c. 1042-1099), who initiated the crusade, died, apparently, much earlier than the day when the joyful news of the liberation of Jerusalem of the Holy Sepulcher came to Rome.
Louis VII and King Baudouin III of Jerusalem (left) fight the Saracens (right). Miniature from the manuscript of Guillaume de Tire "History of Outremer", XIV century. (National Library of France).
It was clear that the sacred task assigned to the army by Pope Urban II was certainly fulfilled by the army. The ancient city was in the hands of Christians, and the Muslims were unable to oust them from there.
At that time, the position of the Latins in the region was rather unstable. The troops of the next wave of crusaders sent to Jerusalem in 1100-1101. in order to replenish the army of the kingdom with fresh forces, they either died on the way or were confused at a very significant distance from the target. Moreover, the Byzantines, who at the initial stage provided all possible assistance to the crusaders, were disappointed in the movement of "pious pilgrims". The Crusaders, they were also called "Franks", under the agreement concluded with the Byzantines, pledged to return to the latter all the conquered territories. However, time passed, and the Franks were in no hurry to fulfill the treaty.
But the Latins themselves were not pleased with either the volume or the quality of the support they received, and they did not like the ways in which the Byzantines tried to get their territories historically. All these very unpleasant "little things" distracted Christians from their main task - the war with the infidels, or, more simply, from conducting continuous military campaigns to expand their sphere of domination in Lebanon.
Seal of King Richard I of England (1195). (Museum of the History of Vendée, Boulogne, Vendée).
Despite a number of setbacks, including one major defeat, which the Franks suffered at Harran in 1104, in 1100-1119. they managed to regain their positions and strengthen their own position both in Judea and in the territories adjacent to it and formerly belonging to Muslims.
Acre fell in 1104, Tripoli in 1109. Beirut and Saida capitulated in 1110, and Tire in 1124.
The military successes of the crusaders gave them the opportunity to reign supreme over large territories, especially given their extremely small number. A particularly important object, which was under the vigilant control of the Crusaders, was the coastline, which made it possible to freely receive unlimited military assistance from Europe. Attempts by the faithful to return the lost territories back were permanent in those days, and therefore the situation around the Promised Land was turbulent: the activity of troops on both sides suddenly intensified, then faded.
THE DEATH UNDER HARRAN
Initially, the army of the crusaders had the fame of invincible because it could defeat any troops that opposed it: few could resist the decisive onslaught of cavalry from horsemen dressed in strong armor, covered by mobile, well-armed infantry. The army also had light cavalry at its disposal, carrying out its strictly defined mission in the army. The Turcopuls (“sons of the Turks”), converted to Christianity, and taken into service directly in the region, served in it. Their armament consisted of bows or spears, armor, if any, was not at all. Equipped in such an uncomplicated way, they were very mobile. This allowed them to serve as an excellent cover for the clumsy heavy cavalry of the West.
Letter O: Knights of Outremer. Miniature 1231 British Library.
At first, such combinations worked successfully, while any attempts by the Mohammedans to repel a frontal attack of the knights, for example, to go hand-to-hand, ended in defeat. And yet, in spite of everything, the Muslim troops began to gain more and more victories over the crusaders. The Battle of Harran was the first lost battle for the Crusaders.
The battle was the result of a futile attempt by the Crusaders to storm the city walls of Harran, as well as because of the Seljuks' attempts to help the fearless garrison of the fortress, which flatly refused to surrender. A series of small clashes, in which the crusaders took the upper hand, resulted in a defeat for the latter. One of the units of the Crusader army took a too rash step: it began to pursue the enemy. The knights got carried away and forgot about caution. For the crusaders, it ended in tears: they were surrounded. Some of them were ruthlessly destroyed by the Muslims, while others were forced to retreat.
Knight's sword: XII - XIII centuries Length 95.9 cm, weight 1158 g. Metropolitan Museum.
The Battle of Harran revealed not only the strengths, but also the weaknesses of the crusader army, and the Muslims learned an important lesson for themselves: you can defeat the crusaders if you know all the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy, be able to analyze this information and make the only correct decision. In addition to the military, this battle also yielded certain political results. The Byzantines did not fail to take advantage of the situation to return the former territories.
And yet, in spite of everything, the crusaders slowly managed to expand their territories, despite the ongoing conflicts with their neighbors. With the death of Radvan Aleppsky in 1113, a period of relative calm began. At that time, the main provinces of the Crusaders were Edessa, where Baudouin II (1100 - 1118), Tripoli, Count Pontius (about 1112 - 1137) and Antioch ruled. Roger Salerno was the regent of Antioch from 1112 under the minor Boemon II (1108 - 1131).
Saladin's army is opposing Christians. Miniature from the manuscript of Guillaume de Tire "History of Outremer", XIV century. (National Library of France). As you can see, even centuries after Sarmeda, European miniaturists did not care too much about the accurate depiction of their opponents.
The capture of Azaz allowed the crusaders to move freely on to Aleppo. Of course, the reaction of the Muslims was adequate to the actions of the crusaders. In 1119, the ruler of Aleppo Ilgazi brought his troops into the principality of Antioch. Roger of Salerno was strongly advised not to rush and wait for help from Count Pontius and from Baudouin II, who had recently become king of Jerusalem. But the prince, for some unknown reason, did not wait for help, but decided to act independently. Apparently, the situation in which "delay is like death" developed in such a way that forced the prince to act quickly and decisively.
POWER SETTING
Roger with an army took up a position near Arta, near Antioch, where Patriarch Bernard of Valance (de Valence) served God, who advised the prince not to take any action until help arrived. Ilgazi, before the start of the campaign against Antioch, was forced to strengthen his army from the side of the fortress of Arta, otherwise the army would have been threatened with a blow to the rear from the side of Roger's army.
Patriarch Bernard continued to insist on a wait-and-see attitude, was categorically against the offensive and demanded that Roger "sit still" and wait for help outside the walls of the fortress.
Roger did not like this state of affairs. Unfortunately, he overestimated his own capabilities and did not take into account the alignment of enemy forces. Such short-sightedness turned into defeat for the crusaders, who won "not in numbers, but in skill", gaining the upper hand in battles with much superior enemy forces, showing all their skills in battle and applying in practice their brilliant knowledge of military affairs. If we turn to history, then on the basis of historical documents, we can find several examples showing how approximately the same British troops fought in India in their time. There, too, everything was about the same: the army, which was in the minority, gained the upper hand over the enemy with just one decisive throw.
Two factors played into the hands of the British: firstly, they had excellent weapons, and secondly, their military training was much higher than that of the Indians. Moreover, the fame of the invincibility of their army went far ahead of the army itself. But Roger in the current situation had nothing to brag about. Apparently, his army was not equipped enough, and besides, it was not as desperate as the army of the Muslims. Moreover, the defeat at Harran helped the faithful to finally establish themselves in the opinion that the crusaders could and should be beaten.
"ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BARRICADE …"
Roger Salerno commanded an army of almost 3,700 men, of which 700 were horse knights and "gendarmes", the remaining three thousand were turkopuls and infantry. The crusaders and "gendarmes" were armed with long spears and swords, and their bodies were protected by heavy and durable chain mail.
"Castle of the Knights" - Krak des Chevaliers.
The infantry and turkopuls supported the main strike forces of the troops, and also served as reliable cover for the knights, both in the camp and on the march. They did not have high combat training, and this allowed the military elite to look at them with contempt, considering them the second class in the military hierarchy. However, they could be understood, because in the battle it was the knights and their ignoble mounted "squires" from the detachments of the heavy cavalry that were precisely the force on which the most difficult and responsible part of the battle fell. The infantry in the army was generally considered a burden, an unnecessary element, and they kept it only as a movable obstacle, a human shield, behind which the cavalry could group up before going on the attack again.
The Muslim cavalry was equipped with simpler equipment than the cavalry of the knights, but its advantage was in excellent combat training. There was desperate determination, experience, and excellent control of their own weapons (if necessary, the riders could use both spears and bows). The cavalry used various tactical tricks in the conduct of the battle: without incurring losses, it exhausted the enemy army so much that further combat operations became simply impossible.
Ring of the oriental archer of the 16th - 17th centuries Metropolitan Museum. Jade, gold. Of course, the time is different, but the difference is very small. Rather, it simply does not exist.
The combat successes of the Muslim army were the result of the coordinated actions of the entire army, the strict observance of the orders of the command, and iron military discipline. The exact quantitative composition of the Mohammedan army is unknown, but there is an assumption that the superiority over the Christians was calculated several times. Thus, the opposing troops were significantly different from each other.
Ambush at Al-Atarib
So, Roger of Salerno set out on a campaign to meet the Muslim army. Having reached a pass called Sarmed, Roger learned that one of the Christian forts, al-Atariba, was under siege. And Roger decided to help those in trouble. He equipped a small detachment under the command of Robert (Robert) du Vieux-Pont to lift the siege. The prudent Ilgazi, sensing how the meeting with the crusaders could end, ordered to withdraw. Du Vieux-Pont, having liberated the fortress, together with the garrison began to pursue the enemy.
RETREATING IS NOT YET DEFEATED
It should be noted that the retreat of the Muslims was not forced, it was a cunning trick, which was often used by Muslim armies, in order to exhaust the enemy and then destroy him. In the old days, the word "caution" was synonymous with the word "cowardice." And if the commander did not go in the front ranks to the assault, he rather quickly lost their trust, because he was considered a coward. It turns out that Robert had no choice but to chase the enemy, although, perhaps, he knew about Ilgazi's cunning tactics.
The reverse part of the pommel of the sword of the crusader De Dre. Metropolitan Museum.
As you can see, Robert's detachment, pursuing Muslims, went further and further from the fort, every minute losing more and more chances of being able to return to the fortress in case of mortal danger. At the same time, Ilgazi, watching him all this time, decided to move from retreat to attack. As it was said, the discipline in the Muslim army was an order of magnitude higher than that of the crusaders, so Ilgazi's order to advance was carried out unquestioningly, and his army launched a decisive offensive and quickly gained the upper hand over Robert's army. Robert's unblocking detachment was neutralized, and this became a kind of prelude to the battle with the main army of the crusaders.
EVER …
On the night of June 27-28, the Muslim army reached new positions and surrounded the camp of the Crusader troops. Roger, realizing that the battle was inevitable, began to prepare for the start of the battle. First of all, he split his army into three "battles" (batailles, "battles"), taking such a division of the army from Western Christians. Two regiments were led by Geoffroy Monk and Guy Fresnel, and one was led by himself.
The Muslim camp had its own training. Before the battle, the learned man, Abu-al-Fadl ibn-al-Hashshab, turned to the brave warriors, who also wished to participate in such a noble and worthy business of any man. For battle, he dressed in a military law, although he always wore the turban of the qadi. The orator spoke ardently and sincerely, emphasized the importance of the upcoming battle and talked a lot about the historical mission of the soldiers in this battle. Calling them to feats of arms, Abu-al-Fadl ibn-al-Hashshab expressed his confidence in the imminent victory over the crusaders, which was to bring glory and honor to the soldiers of their glorious army. The speech of the great husband was so heartfelt and piercing that at the end of it, tears came to many in their eyes.
AND THE BATTLE STARTED …
Inspired by such fervent speeches, the Muslims rushed to the attack. But luck so far was on the side of Roger Salerno. The crusaders fought desperately, this brought them success at first. For Muslims, betting on a quick victory after one attack was unacceptable. Therefore, thanks to excellent discipline and faith in the success of the battle, the Muslim warriors endured failures in the army easily and did not succumb to despondency.
Meanwhile, the crusaders, although confidently advancing, began to fizzle out. The riders were tired, the horses too, no help came: all this taken together began to play its fatal role. Robert de Saint-Lo, who led the Turcopouls, was thrown back by the enemy, to the rear of his army. Panic broke out among the crusaders. The Muslims, meanwhile, acted quite calmly and harmoniously. The current situation was only in their hands. The army of the crusaders was divided into parts, which were quickly encircled, and then easily dealt with them.
Roger Salernsky was in despair. Something had to be done with the army … In order to somehow raise the morale of the soldiers, he decided to gather them around a huge cross decorated with diamonds, a crusader shrine, but it was too late. There was no one to put up: the army was melting before our eyes, and the commander fell, struck by a blow to the face.
There was nowhere to retreat. The crusaders fought desperately, already surrounded and scattered in small forces across the field. Muslims, having a significant superiority in forces, meanwhile, methodically destroyed the Christian army: first one group of troops, then another, and so on until nothing was left of it.
The praying crusader depicted in the "Big Chronicle" by Matthew Paris. OK. 1250. Miniature from the British Library manuscript. All his military equipment is very clearly visible. This means that during the Battle of Sarmed, European soldiers had even lighter weapons!
The battle was over … The Crusader army was completely defeated. Only two knights of Roger managed to escape. One of them, the lucky Renault Mazoir, was able to reach Fort Sarmed, but, alas, was captured. Several other Christians were also taken prisoner. Only a small handful of Franks were able to escape and escape massacre and captivity. Summing up the results of the battle, we note that almost 3,500 of the 3,700 crusaders died on that fateful day for them. Adegsanguinis, or "Bloody Field" - this is how historians later called the events of that day.
WHAT WAS NEXT?
And then, in the light of the events that had taken place, the frightened patriarch of Antioch Bernard began to hastily take measures to strengthen and defend the city walls. The measures were somewhat belated and, most likely, would have done nothing if not for the slowness of the winner. If Ilgazi had been a little quicker, Antioch would have been taken with one swift thrust of the army. But … History does not like the subjunctive mood. The army of the faithful did not go out on the campaign, apparently considering that the victory over Sarmeda was enough.
The situation was in favor of the crusaders, and they did not fail to take advantage of this. King Baudouin II of Jerusalem and Count Pontius managed to send reinforcements, drove Ilgazi's army from the walls of Antioch, and took it under their protection.
The complete defeat of Roger's army so undermined the forces of Antioch that she was never able to recover from it in full. And although later there was still the Battle of Azaz in 1125, which ended in a complete victory for the crusaders and allowed them to partially restore their prestige, the myth of their invincibility was dispelled forever.
Chapel in the castle of Krak de Chevalier.
The Muslims, on the other hand, were strengthened in their own ability to defeat the crusaders in battles. Self-confidence now helped them to win battles and beyond …
QUANTITATIVE RATIO OF THE PARTIES
CRUSADERS (approximately)
Knights / Gendarmes: 700
Infantry: 3000
Total: 3700
MUSLIMS (approximately)
Total: 10,000
