Godfrey of Bouillon
Defender of the Holy Sepulchre
Early Reign
As September 1099 approached the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and its ruling dynasty under Godfrey of Bouillon, had numerous issues to address. Firstly, the fledging kingdoms position in the Holy Lands was a precarious one at best, it was surrounded by Islamic states eager to remove the crusader state from Jerusalem as well as being isolated geopolitically from the rest of Europe, instead relying on even smaller crusader realms in Edessa and Antioch to provide potential allies although interpersonal rivalries garnered during the First Crusade played a divisive role in the political relationships of Godfrey of Bouillon and his fellow rulers. This position would force the Franks to seek greater relations with the Byzantine Emperor, out of necessity rather than any genuine desire to engage with the Orthodox Empire whose position in the region had become tenuous after Seljuq incursions forced them back towards Constantinople after the Battle of Manzikert in 1054.
Secondly, Godfrey himself was unmarried, instead relying on his brothers to provide potential heirs to Jerusalem, an issue that was unpalatable to many who relied on Godfrey for the maintenance of their position in court, his brothers possibly preferring their own men over the current incumbents. This issue was immediately address as Jersualemite envoys travelled to Europe to scout out potential matches in the courts of Denmark, the Holy Roman Empire and France before progressing with more intense negotiations with the latter. Eventually, after lengthy discussions with King Phillipe I, it was agreed that Constance Capet, the daughter of Phillipe, would be offered to Godfrey in exchange for an alliance with the French crown which not only strengthened ties with mainland Europe but also provided the desired marriage which Godfrey had been persuaded to seek after much deliberation.
Godfrey and Constance were married in a modest affair on September 16th 1099, the ever pious and humble ruler preferring a less lavish affair to increase his popularity amongst the local populace who had yet to fully accept their Frankish overlords. Their union opened Godfrey's first official state gathering which began on the following day which was attended by Godfrey's most important vassals to discuss the future of the realm as well as two honorary positions on Godfrey's council as the Defender of the Holy Sepulchre appointed Duke Tancred d'Hauteville of Galilee and Grandmaster Géraud Tenque of the Knights Hospitaller as Seneschal and High Almoner respectively, a move engineered to ensure their prolonged loyalty in the face of an uncertain future. The previous appointments of Hughes the Great, Baudouin de Rethel, Gilbert le Blount and Charles of Lydda were also confirmed officially as each was assigned to numerous roles in preserving the fragile stability of the realm and improving the local economy.
The main function of the gathering was to rally support for Godfrey's proposed invasion of Tyrus which lay north of the kingdom just below Beirut, the isolated Beylik was a convenient target for short term expansion which Godfrey had craved since his original disagreement with Raymond of Toulouse, who had ironically refused to attend, led to the failure to capture Ascalon. The Shia Caliphate in the South was an imposing proposition in 1099 and Tyrus provided Godfrey with the opportunity to increase his demesne in preparation for the inevitable clash with the Fatimids whilst avoiding direct conflict with any of his more powerful neighbours who would provide much sterner resistance to the Jersualemite armies. With his political foes absent, Godfrey easily managed to persuade his vassals to throw their support behind a campaign in Galilee to expand the realm which pandered to the prevalent religious fervour which had driven most of them to the Levant.
As Jerusalem secretly prepared for war, Hughes the Great was dispatched to Constantinople to pursue an audience with the Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos who had recently begun to press his own personal claim in Beirut. Improved relations with the Romans were paramount to the long term survival of Jerusalem and Hughes went to great lengths to impress the Emperor who reacted cordially to Godfrey's advances without throwing his weight behind the fledgling state. Whilst Hughes enjoyed success aboard, his fellow councillors were tasked with suppressing numerous revolts which has erupted firstly in Jaffa before spreading to Tiberias, Irbid and Hebron before later erupting in Tortosa under Taimur Yaruq who was determined to remove the Frankish invaders. Intermittent revolts became a regular feature of life in the kingdom throughout Godfrey's reign, although few were ever great enough in numbers to truly trouble any settlements themselves the presence of the rebels in the surrounding area caused great internal disruption. The revolts, however, swiftly became a secondary issue as Godfrey declared war on Bey Murad mn Scandalon of Tyrus.
Jerusalemite Holy War for Galilee
The Kingdom of Jerusalem on the eve of war with Beylik of Tyrus.
On October 6th 1099 Godfrey raised his levies and marched north towards Tyrus to engage the forces of Bey Murad and press for the advantage, determined to end the war as quickly as possible and bring the Beylik of Tyrus into his own personal demesne before the Fatimids made their inevitable move to gain revenge for their defeat at the Battle of Ascalon in August. Bey Murad was furious, but his rage was for nought as none of the neighbouring Muslim Emirates responded to his pleas for aid against the invading Frankish armies leaving him to stand alone against the superior forces of Godfrey. His immediate tactic was to avoid conflict with the crusaders at all costs, preferring to raid their supply lines before disappearing into the wilderness, but this merely prolonged the inevitable conflict which finally occurred after he was forced to retreat back to Tyrus in February 1100.
After finally trapping Murad's small army near Scandalon the pair engaged in the Battle of Scandalon on February 22nd, although the Bey was powerless to avoid defeat as his force of roughly 750 men were beaten by Godfrey's superior personal army of around 1300, suffering an estimated loss of around 550 men, well over half of his army. Following his defeat at Scandalon Murad was forced to retreat into the mountains and from this point on his only real resistance was limited to raids on trade links in the north of the kingdom. As Murad engaged in guerrilla tactics Godfrey pressed on laying siege to Scandalon in the days following his victory over the Bey before finally overcoming the city nearly a year later on January 6th 1101 before moving onto the city of Sarafand which he captured on June 7th of the same year with little bloodshed on either side.
Shortly after the fall of Sarafand Godfrey received news that his wife had fallen pregnant after accompanying him on campaign, sparking her immediate return to Jerusalem to prepare for the birth of their first child as Godfrey return to Scandalon a few days later after reorganising his supply routes.
With Murad all but defeated, Godfrey set up court in Scandalon to prepare to officially end the conflict when he received troubling news from the Fatimid Caliphate on the southern border of the kingdom. Caliph al Mustali had officially declared war on Jerusalem for the return of the remaining provinces of the Ascalon, mostly notably the county of Jaffa, and had begun to march on the kingdom whilst Godfrey had remained engaged in Tyrus. Acting swiftly Godfrey issued peace terms to Murad who, despite wishes to the contrary, was in no position to reject and he formally ceded Tyrus to Jerusalem on September 3rd 1101. Immediately after Murad's defeat the Defender of the Holy Sepulchre began a forced march back to Jerusalem to set up council to prepare for the upcoming conflict with al Mustali whose forces grew day by day as he progressed closer to Ascalon in the final months of 1101.
Caliphal Holy War for Ascalon
The battle sites of the Caliphal Holy War for Ascalon at Nablus, Agelen and Darum.
An emergency meeting of Godfrey's council was convened on January 24th 1102 to address to the declaration of Holy War by the Caliph and was attended by all of Godfrey councillors, barring Hughes who remained in Constantinople at the time of the crisis, only personally learning of the conflict weeks later. It was decided that Godfrey would lead a combined army of his own personal levies and the forces of the Knights Hospitaller under Grandmaster Géraud as well as a volunteer force of Bulgarian mercenaries who offered to join the troops in their efforts to save Jerusalem from destruction a mere three years after its birth. This combined force would eventually number roughly 11500 men in comparison to the reported 11200 men under Caliph al Mustali's pay and was deemed fit to defend the forces of Christ against the threat of Fatimids who had longed for revenge for some year, consistently rejecting any diplomatic overtures the crusader state had attempted.
Caliph al Mustali began his march to Jerusalem in early February as the kingdom's forces continued to muster and despite the main bulk of the force being in and around Jerusalem at the time it begun to make its march to intercept the Caliph slightly outnumbered by their Islamic foe. The two forces met at the Battle of Nablus on the 7th February 1102 as both side looked to win the campaign early on with a decisive victor over the other, both sides fairly evenly balanced as Godfrey waited nervously for a sizeable reinforcement of 1000 men from the north that had been promised to him to make up the agreed 11500. The Caliph spotted this opening and pushed forward aggressively, choosing to press his minor size advantage whilst he was still able in an attempt to break the Jerusalemite army before extra troops were able to arrive.
Attacking Godfrey's left flank with a group of around 3000 men al Mustali fought vigorously to break the line but his attempts eventually came to nothing as Godfrey's men stood firm in the face of the Fatimid onslaught, buying their time whilst they awaited fresh troops. Godfrey himself remained in the centre of the formation, directing his troops from there whilst personally avoiding any part in the battle to prevent a drop in discipline. For a while it looked as though the Caliph would possibly make the decisive breakthrough as Godfrey continued to act cautiously but just before al Mustali was able to break Godfrey's centre the reinforcements arrived to the Jersualemite leader's right finally breaking al Mustali's flank which caused the eventual collapse of his entire army and the subsequent rout that ensued.
The Caliph had suffered greatly, an estimated 8100 men of his 11200 had been killed or wounded and Mayor Ra’uf of Rafah and Usama mn Girge had been captured by the crusaders whilst his foe had suffered only 4200 in comparison, a sizable amount but nearly half as many as the Caliph. Licking his wounds al Mustali limped his decimated troops back into his own territory but he was swiftly pursued by Godfrey who was keen to capitalise on his crushing victory at Nablus to end the war before it ever really begun and it was during his pursuit that he learnt of the birth of his daughter Péronelle de Bouillon on February 21st 1102. Godfrey was reportedly delighted by the birth of his daughter and was keen to return to Jerusalem to meet her and celebrate with his wife Constance whom he had grown remarkably close to during their short marriage after she had accompanied on his campaign in Tyrus the previous year, though he knew that he would never get the chance if he did not defeat al Mustali whilst he was on the back foot.
On February 24th 1102 Godfrey's force finally caught up with the Caliph who was forced to make camp and dig in to defend himself against the crusaders at the Battle of Agelen. The Caliph offered little resistance but, disastrously, Godfrey was struck by a stray arrow in the throat during a cavalry charge on al Mustali's left flank and fell thunderously from his horse before being crushed by his own men who were powerless to avoid him. The crusaders ensured a further Jerusalemite victory but it was tainted by the death of their leader who had lead them so valiantly against the invaders and despite dealing a further blow to the Caliph, the victory was barely celebrated as the men mourned Godfrey's death. The Caliph was later claimed to have later lamented that "if only Allah had struck Godfrey down at Nablus, perhaps I wouldn't have to endure the shame of defeat".
Géraud assumed command of the army after the King's death and prepared for the swift return of his body to Jerusalem, though his funeral would have to wait as the Grandmaster of the Knights Hospitaller was all too aware that he needed to continue the pursuit of al Mustali to force the Caliph to agree to agreeable terms. Despite the loss of Godfrey, the Battle of Agelen had gone remarkably well for the Jerusalemites as they killed or wounded a further 3200 men from the Caliph's remaining army of 6000 men whilst suffering minimal causalities in return and the Emir al-Afdal Shahanshah of Alexandria and Wali Sabah of Burg El-Arab were both killed in the battle whilst Mullah Abu Bakr of Agelen and Captain Abdul-Salaam of Mamluks had been captured during the retreat.
As the crusaders continued to chase the now crippled force of al Mustali the Caliph himself quickly made his way back to Alexandria, leaving the army under the command of Mullah Alam of Durunka, instructing him to buy him time to escape by diverting the crusaders back towards Jerusalem. Géraud has little interest in wasting an opportunity to finally destroy the Caliph's armies once and for all and on the 19th of April the two armies met at the Battle of Darum which once again resulted in a decisive victory for the crusaders who killed a further 1000 men, including Mullah Alam of Durunka whilst they also captured Mullah Nasir of Saramsah and Mayor Nassib of Mersa Matruh before finally crushing the Caliph's troops at the Battle of Rafah on June 23rd which forced al Mustali to entertain negotiations to end the war.
Five days later on June 28th al Mustali officially agreed to a white peace, ending his war for Ascalon after only ten months. The turning point of the conflict was undoubtedly Godfrey's victory at the Battle of Nablus which saw the majority of al Mustali's troops die or receive wounds that removed them from combat indefinitely, though the lasting legacy of the war was the death of Godfrey himself which plunged the Kingdom of Jerusalem into a severe state of uncertainty as his daughter Péronelle de Bouillon was declared as his successor at just three days old.
Godfrey's Funeral
The Kingdom of Jerusalem upon the ascension of Peronelle de Bouillon following the end of the Caliphal Holy War for Ascalon.
Géraud and the rest of the army returned to Jerusalem in late July, taking time to disperse a few small bands of rebels en-route, and Godfrey's funeral was quickly scheduled. A humble man in life, his wishes were respected and he was laid to rest in a low key affair attended purely by close friends and family who openly wept for the 42 year old. As soon as Godfrey was buried the question of who would lead Jerusalem during Péronelle's infancy became a pertinent one as the Kingdom of Jerusalem was the target of a Jihad, forcing Géraud's swift exit from Jerusalem back to the army which had campaigned against al Mustali. In his absence the issue of Godfrey's temporary successor became a hotly debated topic which would have a unavoidable influence of the future of the kingdom which continued to remain uncertain, even more so after the untimely death of Godfrey. He left a infant daughter and no other issue and with the strong Géraud absent, it remained to be seen whether a capable regent would grasp power or not.