Heaven On Earth
Emperor Alexios II: The Birth Of The Dragon
(Mood Music)
After the fall of Azerbaijan, the majority of the 15,000 troops there were free to help the other Orthodox armies invading Iraq. However, there was no need to, 125,000 troops were already joined and marching on Baghdad after securing their designated areas. So the Azerbaijani 15,000 marched into northern Persia and ravaged the countryside.
Meanwhile, the regions that the other 3 armies were assigned to conquer had been conquered by the end of the year 1200. So they joined up into one massive army commanded by none other than Emperor Alexios II himself. They marched on Baghdad in the spring of 1201. The battle would decide the war. Baghdad was the capital of the Seljuk Empire and its loss would cause their empire to collapse and grant certain victory to the Orthodox.
Alexios II, as part of his extensive education, knew the impact of fear and surprise on a battle. He kept his army far away from the city, so it was completely out of sight. Using his large numbers, he surrounded the city with his men, though still out of sight. He created an intelligence barrier that allowed no news in or out of the city. Every messenger sent out of the capital was killed by Orthodox troops once they reached them. And within the city itself, fear and panic erupted as supplies ran low and no one knew why. Some started to say that the entire empire had been destroyed and only Baghdad remained. Rioters held officials hostage, demanding answers. No one knew why this isolation had suddenly settled on the city.
After 2 months of supplies running out, riots, and the horror of no one ever reaching the gates of the center of the Muslim world, the city had reached the breaking point. And this is when Alexios II struck. As the sun set, thousands upon thousands of Orthodox soldiers charged over the horizon, coming from all directions. The horrifying silhouette converged on the city with fire and stone. Turkish guards on the towers jumped to their deaths in fear and panic. In less than an hour, the Orthodox were within the city, making it the fastest breach of walls ever. Their horrifying surprise had left the walls nearly defenseless, making it easy to simply break holes in the walls.
Orthodox troops converging on Baghdad
By the time the sun rose the morning after, the city was in Orthodox hands. Its defenders were slaughtered. And, in drunken revelry, Alexios II let his men run rampant throughout the city, destroying many of the mosques and important buildings. By the time the sun set once more the city was aflame. To bring even more scorn on himself, Alexios II ordered that the finest Baghdadi young women be brought to him, stripped, and forced to spend the night with him. In sober skill Baghdad was captured. In drunken debauchery it was ravaged. It was for this that the Turks nicknamed Alexios II "the Dragon."
A modern, slightly abstracted painting showing the fiery results of the Siege of Baghdad