Chapter VIII: The First Crusade (for the Holy Land)
For two years did peace reign in the realm, with much news from the outside world. The First Crusade, having been called by the Pope in Rome more than thirty years prior, had been embarked upon by knights of Germany, France, Italy and even England. Yet there were no Hungarians partaking to fight in the Holy Crusades, until the Pope, angered thus with the shedding of Christian blood in the Second Croatian War, duly informed the King Kálmán that it was only fitting that Hungary should lead the way in the next phase of the attack to liberate the Holy Land from the infidel. Thereupon, to placate the Holy Father, the King of the Hungarians dispatched fifty loyal knights accompanied by his uncle, Lampert Árpád, to free the Holy Land in the name of the Crown. These knights, their number reduced by four on the sea voyage, did land at the infidel fortress of Benghazi, there to gradually force surrender upon the garrison.
The leader of the crusading force of 46 men
Though the fortress at Benghazi had recently fallen under seige, only initial progress could be made before those posted to keep watch duly reported the dust on the horizon, signalling the arrival of the enemy.
Enemy relief force
Thus the forty-six Hungarian knights and their commander, having abandoned their mounts to the desert for lack of water, did form themselves into the lines of battle to meet the onslaught of the infidels. The infidel did charge in a manner most direct towards the line of Hungarian knights, as the garrison inside the fortress poured out to join the combat. Those Christian knights, though outnumbered, slew the infidel by the dozens until finally succumbing themselves to the vastly larger foe. So it was that when the host of the Kingdom of Germany did arrive at the place, all that remained of the field around Benghazi was the blood of the Hungarians and the infidel. The fortress of Benghazi and the evil army of infidels, soon fell to the Germans instead of the Hungarians, yet this noble sacrifice restored the honour of the Kingdom in the eyes of God, so that hence, knights and men-at-arms from all regions of Hungary would flock to the Crusades.
The former commander of the Hungarian crusade contingent
Thereupon, the nobles of the realm did raise such an uproar over the dispatch of such a token number of knights, that the King hence had no choice but to allow any noble who so wished to partake in the Crusade. Thus to facilitate the movement of crusaders from Hungary to the Holy Land, the King bade the construction of vessels of all sizes, to undertake the journey from the Croatian coast. He further decreed that henceforth the fortress and surrounding area of Zadar, Crown land won from the Croats, would be granted a Crown Port charter, charged to provide shelter for the newly commissioned Royal Hungarian Navy.
The first of the volunteers for the Crusade embarked for the Holy Land
Though the reinforcements could not prevent disaster from falling upon the Hungarian knights at Benghazi, the relief force turned to the city of Alexandria with the intent of liberating it and the remainder of the Egyptian lands.
Seige of Alexandria
New Commander of Hungarian Crusader Forces in Holy Land
Within the span of a year, the city of Alexandria and the surrounding countryside lay in the hands of the Crusaders whose number had swelled greatly both with tales of the riches of the Holy Land and with the Battle of Benghazi. Yet still, the city of Jerusalem, the real prize of the Holy Land, remained occupied by the infidel. Thus it was that both the sizeable body of men then present in Egypt and a new host led by the Duke of Székesfehérvár embarked to capture Jerusalem.
Main body of crusading forces in Egypt
The forces of the Duchy prior to the voyage to the Holy Land
For two years did peace reign in the realm, with much news from the outside world. The First Crusade, having been called by the Pope in Rome more than thirty years prior, had been embarked upon by knights of Germany, France, Italy and even England. Yet there were no Hungarians partaking to fight in the Holy Crusades, until the Pope, angered thus with the shedding of Christian blood in the Second Croatian War, duly informed the King Kálmán that it was only fitting that Hungary should lead the way in the next phase of the attack to liberate the Holy Land from the infidel. Thereupon, to placate the Holy Father, the King of the Hungarians dispatched fifty loyal knights accompanied by his uncle, Lampert Árpád, to free the Holy Land in the name of the Crown. These knights, their number reduced by four on the sea voyage, did land at the infidel fortress of Benghazi, there to gradually force surrender upon the garrison.
The leader of the crusading force of 46 men
Though the fortress at Benghazi had recently fallen under seige, only initial progress could be made before those posted to keep watch duly reported the dust on the horizon, signalling the arrival of the enemy.
Enemy relief force
Thus the forty-six Hungarian knights and their commander, having abandoned their mounts to the desert for lack of water, did form themselves into the lines of battle to meet the onslaught of the infidels. The infidel did charge in a manner most direct towards the line of Hungarian knights, as the garrison inside the fortress poured out to join the combat. Those Christian knights, though outnumbered, slew the infidel by the dozens until finally succumbing themselves to the vastly larger foe. So it was that when the host of the Kingdom of Germany did arrive at the place, all that remained of the field around Benghazi was the blood of the Hungarians and the infidel. The fortress of Benghazi and the evil army of infidels, soon fell to the Germans instead of the Hungarians, yet this noble sacrifice restored the honour of the Kingdom in the eyes of God, so that hence, knights and men-at-arms from all regions of Hungary would flock to the Crusades.
The former commander of the Hungarian crusade contingent
Thereupon, the nobles of the realm did raise such an uproar over the dispatch of such a token number of knights, that the King hence had no choice but to allow any noble who so wished to partake in the Crusade. Thus to facilitate the movement of crusaders from Hungary to the Holy Land, the King bade the construction of vessels of all sizes, to undertake the journey from the Croatian coast. He further decreed that henceforth the fortress and surrounding area of Zadar, Crown land won from the Croats, would be granted a Crown Port charter, charged to provide shelter for the newly commissioned Royal Hungarian Navy.
The first of the volunteers for the Crusade embarked for the Holy Land
Though the reinforcements could not prevent disaster from falling upon the Hungarian knights at Benghazi, the relief force turned to the city of Alexandria with the intent of liberating it and the remainder of the Egyptian lands.
Seige of Alexandria
New Commander of Hungarian Crusader Forces in Holy Land
Within the span of a year, the city of Alexandria and the surrounding countryside lay in the hands of the Crusaders whose number had swelled greatly both with tales of the riches of the Holy Land and with the Battle of Benghazi. Yet still, the city of Jerusalem, the real prize of the Holy Land, remained occupied by the infidel. Thus it was that both the sizeable body of men then present in Egypt and a new host led by the Duke of Székesfehérvár embarked to capture Jerusalem.
Main body of crusading forces in Egypt
The forces of the Duchy prior to the voyage to the Holy Land
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