The Man Who Took Jerusalem | Godfrey of Bouillon | The Defender of The Holy Sepulcher

This is Oli from History Profiles and this video will be about Godfrey of Bouillon. Born as the second son to the Count of Boulogne, he would have to forge his own fate in order to be recognised and remembered by history. This is his story. Godfrey was born in 1060. He was the second son of Eustace II and Aida of Lorraine. As a second son, it seemed his destiny would place him as a serving some lord or rich-landed nobleman. However, Godfrey had an uncle called Godfrey the Hunchback who had a good relationship with his nephew. He died childless and named Godfrey of Bouillon to be his heir. He would now inherit the Duchy of Lower Lorraine, which was a considerable amount of land in between France and Germany. The lands of Lower Lorraine were so important that Henry IV, the German King, decided in 1076, when Godfrey was just 16, that he would place the lands in the hands of his own son and give Godfrey only the lands of Bouillon as a test of Godfrey's This is no doubt how Godfrey earned his name, Godfrey of Bouillon. This was a test and Godfrey would not scheme or sulk. Instead, he served King Henry and loyally. He would have his first taste of battle alongside the King, where they would fight Rudolf of Swabia, famously known as the Anti-King. In the Battle of Elster, Rudolf the Anti-King would lose his right hand in battle and would later be stabbed in the abdomen creating a mortal wound. He died the very next day. The rebellion against King Henry IV was now evaporating and he was very content. Finally, in 1087, after a lot of struggle, Godfrey finally won back his titles and the Duchy of Lower Lorraine, now making him an influential and powerful man. He had been serving King Henry for ten long years as a knight and warrior and now his time had come. Godfrey was described as tall of stature, he was strong beyond compare, with solidly built limbs and a broad chest. His features were pleasing, his beard and hair of medium blonde. Now, the next portion of Godfrey's life would forge him into a legend. The saga began when Pope Urban II ordered the unthinkable. In 1095, he called for the armies of Europe to unite and go on a crusade to liberate Jerusalem from the Muslim forces which dominated the Holy Land. Upon hearing of this, Godfrey, having been a very pious man, took out loans on most of his lands and sold other parts of them in order to finance thousands of knights and mercenaries to journey with him to the Holy Land and fight for a dream of a Christian ruled Jerusalem. His army was known as the Army of Godfrey of Bouillon. He was joined by his older brother Eustace and also his younger brother Baldwin who held no lands. No kings would participate in the first crusade, it was just knights and nobles. Many armies were created on the call of Pope Urban II. The biggest was made by Raymond IV, the Count of Toulouse. Then there was Lord Bohemard's army and there was also Robert III's army who was the Count of Flanders. Each of these armies travelled separately to the Holy Land, however, Godfrey and his two brothers started their travels in August 1096 with an army said to be 40,000 strong. They made their way to the Holy Land starting on Charlemagne's Road and after a long time travelling, they finally arrived in Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire. Godfrey and his army now stood on the edge of the Christian world, ready to head into the land of miracles and also a land of danger. Godfrey and his troops were the second to arrive in Constantinople and soon enough the other Christian armies would arrive. A problem, however, would soon arise. The Byzantine Emperor wanted the Crusader armies to help him recapture lost lands but the Crusaders wanted to liberate the Holy Land in Palestine from the Muslims. The Emperor wanted the Crusaders to swear to him an oath of loyalty but Godfrey and his soldiers swore to a modified oath promising to help return some of his lands. By 1097, the Crusader armies were now ready for their mission. In May 1097, the Crusader armies made their way to Nicaea and would besiege the city. Godfrey and his men played a minor role but by June, the city had been taken and a Byzantine flag now flew high from the castle walls. However, the city was not taken by force, there were secret dealings between the Turks and the Byzantines and they had made a peace. The Crusaders could now move on and continue their journey to the Holy Land but many battles lied ahead. On the 1st of July, Bohemod's Crusader army was surrounded by the forces of Klij Arslan, a Turkish Muslim commander and the Sultan of Rum. He was a formidable foe, only being a teenager while commanding a vast army. The Turkish force attacked the Crusader army at dawn, taking them by surprise. This would be known as the Battle of Dorelium. The Turks would rush in on horseback and fire a volley of arrows and then quickly retreat back to their position. This would kill many horses and unarmoured foot soldiers but did very little to heavily armoured knights. In any case, the casualties were beginning to pile up. Just after midday, Godfrey arrived with a force of knights. They would fight through the Turkish line to try and get to Bohemod in order to reinforce his army. Eventually, Adhemar of Lepuy and Raymond IV the Khan of Toulouse arrived on the battlefield. They attacked the Turks from the rear and set a fire to their camp. With more heavily armoured knights and with the Turks being sandwiched and surrounded on all sides, they abandoned their camp and fled from the battlefield. The Crusader armies now continued their march through Asia Minor, where at some point, Godfrey wrestled with a bear on the road, leaving him with serious wounds. He recovered and was becoming revered for his fighting spirit, piety and the way he treated fellow soldiers, whether it be from high or low birth. In 1098, the Crusader army were making their way to Jerusalem and encountered the city of Antioch on the way. The Crusader army besieged the city, but their food supply reached very low levels in December. Godfrey would fall ill during this time. But he gave a speech to his men who were losing the will to fight. He said, After a year of bitter and long fighting, the city finally fell. During the siege, many knights abandoned the crusade, thinking that the battle was hopeless and so many of their comrades would die of starvation or from a stray arrow coming from the castle walls. Godfrey had been mauled by a bear, had fallen dangerously ill and had now fought in countless battles on the way to Jerusalem. He wouldn't stop until his task had been completed. After the siege, the Crusaders broke their oath to the Byzantine Emperor, as when he heard of the Crusaders' desperate situation, he sent them no aid. Thus, they decided that their oaths were no longer in effect. The Crusader leaders were now in disagreement. Adhemar of Lepuy, the saviour of the battle of Dorylaeum, had been slain in the capture of Antioch. Bohemond and his army wanted to remain in Antioch, as he proclaimed himself as the Prince of Antioch. After months of waiting, the common soldiers were making their voices known. They cared not for the riches of which their leaders were taking and the lands they were claiming, but for the original mission which was taking Jerusalem. Raymond IV, the Count of Toulouse who commanded the biggest faction of the army, was forced by his own soldiers into action. He soon marched for Jerusalem and by his side was Godfrey. As they travelled south and made their way to Palestine, they faced a new enemy. They now faced the Fatimids, who were the North African Muslims who had taken command of Jerusalem. Godfrey reached Jerusalem in June of 1099. The Crusaders had now reached their final destination. All that was left was to take the city. Godfrey turned his attention to the northwest of the city. He personally stood on the top of a siege tower and fired his crossbow at defenders of the city. A projectile damaged the siege tower and it began to collapse. However, Godfrey with his immense strength held the corner of the tower up with one hand whilst continuing to fire his crossbow at the enemy. This gave time for the tower to be repaired and a bridge soon was lowered which connected the siege tower to the castle walls. Godfrey and his men were the first to storm into Jerusalem and enter the city. Unfortunately, when a man is in the heat of battle, he changes and becomes a beast with a sword. The Crusaders slaughtered all Muslims and Jews inhabiting Jerusalem. The Crusaders then assembled at the Holy Sepulchre to pray. Once the city was secured, the Crusaders needed to establish some sort of governing system. Godfrey being pious, brave and humble was chosen by the soldiers and leaders of the Crusade to become the King of Jerusalem. But he then said, how could I wear a crown of gold when the Saviour were a crown of thorns? Instead, he took the title of Defender of the Holy Sepulchre, instead of King. Godfrey was said to be a good ruler and he was just, however his reign only lasted one year. Whilst besieging the city of Acre, Godfrey was struck by an arrow. He would die shortly after from his injuries. Godfrey never married and it is unknown if he fathered children. His younger brother Baldwin was then crowned King of Jerusalem. The order made by Pope Urban II would cost tens of thousands of lives or more, all to claim a city. It forged men, such as Godfrey into legends due to their deeds for their God. But at what cost? The Crusades turned into a never-ending war as Muslims and Christians would try to take back Jerusalem and its surrounding lands. It was a cycle of death and war for an idea of a Christian utopia which could never last and could never be. Anyway guys, I hope you enjoyed the video on Godfrey and his deeds. Make sure to hit that like button and sub to the channel if you haven't already and make sure to leave a comment down below. Anyway guys, I'll see you next time for another video. Bye.