Godfrey of Bouillon
Godfrey of Bouillon was a preeminent leader of the First Crusade, and the first ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem from 1099 to 1100. Although initially reluctant to take the title of king, he agreed to rule as prince under the title Advocatus Sancti Sepulchri, or Advocate of the Holy Sepulchre.
He was the second son of Eustace II, Count of Boulogne in present day France. He received an inheritance from his mother's family in 1076 when he became Lord of Bouillon, which is now in Belgium. In 1087, Emperor Henry IV also confirmed him as Duke of Lower Lorraine, in reward for his support during the Great Saxon Revolt.
Along with his brothers Eustace III and Baldwin of Boulogne, Godfrey joined the First Crusade in 1096. He took part in actions at Nicaea, Dorylaeum, and Antioch, before playing a key role during the capture of Jerusalem in 1099. When Raymond IV, Count of Toulouse declined the offer to become ruler of the new kingdom, Godfrey accepted the role and secured his kingdom by defeating the Fatimids at Ascalon a month later, bringing the First Crusade to an end. He died in July 1100 and was succeeded by his brother Baldwin as King of Jerusalem.
Early life
Godfrey of Bouillon was born around 1060, probably in Boulogne-sur-Mer, although one 13th-century chronicler cites Baisy, a town in what is now Walloon Brabant, Belgium. He was the second son of Eustace II, Count of Boulogne, an important political figure at the time and a companion of William the Conqueror. Eustace was rewarded extensive lands in England after the Battle of Hastings, making him one of the wealthiest landowners in the country. Godfrey's mother, Ida of Lorraine, was the daughter of duke Godfrey III of Lower Lorraine and a sister of duke Godfrey the Hunchback.It is most likely that Godfrey started his military training before the age of ten, learning how to ride a horse and use a sword, shield, lance, and crossbow while mounted. His mother, Ida, was an educated woman who strongly influenced the upbringing of her sons. When his uncle, Godfrey the Hunchback, died in February of 1076 without issue, he designated his nephew as his heir. The younger Godfrey presumably had a bond with his uncle before this, and the contemporary chronicle of St Hubert suggests that he attended his uncle's burial in Verdun. Godfrey then spent several weeks at the monastery of St Hubert in the company and protection of his kinsman, Henry of Verdun, bishop of Liège. Lampert of Hersfeld records that at this time, Godfrey was "an energetic young man, very eager for military action".
Battle for inheritance
Godfrey's inheritance was challenged by several claimants in the years following his uncle's death. Henry IV, the future Holy Roman Emperor—wishing to strengthen his position—appointed his two-year-old son, Conrad, as the Duke of Lower Lorraine instead of Godfrey. Godfrey was given the Margraviate of Antwerp, a position held by his predecessors, and his appointment to this title implied that Henry was keeping him in mind for the future. Conrad's title was merely symbolic; Henry installed Albert III of Namur, a loyal supporter of his, to rule the duchy as 'vice-duke'.Almost immediately, Godfrey entered a conflict with Albert, who claimed Bouillon Castle from him; it is recorded that Albert left this dispute feeling unfulfilled. Albert proceeded to forge an alliance with Godfrey the Hunchback's widow, Matilda of Tuscany, and Theoderic, the bishop of Verdun, to deprive Godfrey of his influence. Matilda—who already had extensive lands in Northern Italy—sought her late husband's lands in Lotharingia, while Theoderic wished to strengthen his influence in the diocese at Godfrey's expense. Matilda enlisted support from Pope Gregory VII in this dispute, who sent archbishop Manasses I of Reims to arbitrate. The pope likely instructed Manasses to find in Matilda's favour instead of mediating neutrally, and he obliged in order to win papal favour. In 1081, however, Theoderic renounced his alliance with Matilda in favour of Henry IV, who accused Matilda of treason and stripped her of her lands and property on both sides of the alps shortly after.
In 1081-2, Godfrey entered a conflict with Count Theoderic of Veluwe, whom he captured and imprisoned in Bouillon Castle. Since Theoderic had a close relationship with Henry IV, Godfrey ordered that the former be treated well, but the count died after six months in captivity. Theoderic's death enabled Godfrey to extend his influence around Bouillon. In 1082, Godfrey entered another conflict with Albert of Namur, who wished to restore Mirwart Castle and use it to wage war against Godfrey. Henry of Verdun—who "favoured Godfrey in all ways"—purchased the castle in order to prevent this and transferred it to St Hubert.
Godfrey supported Henry even during his struggle with Pope Gregory VII during the Investiture Controversy. Godfrey fought alongside Henry and his forces against Rudolf of Swabia and in Italy when Henry captured Rome itself. A major test of Godfrey's leadership skills was shown in his battles to defend his inheritance against a significant array of enemies. In 1076, he had succeeded as designated heir to the Lotharingian lands of his uncle, Godfrey the Hunchback, and Godfrey was struggling to maintain control over the lands that Henry IV had not taken away from him. Claims were raised by his aunt Margravine Matilda of Tuscany, cousin Count Albert III of Namur, and Count Theoderic of Veluwe. This coalition was joined by Bishop Theoderic of Verdun, and two minor counts attempting to share in the spoils, Waleran I of Limburg and Arnold I of Chiny.
As these enemies tried to take away portions of his land, Godfrey's brothers, Eustace and Baldwin, both came to his aid. Following these long struggles and proving that he was a loyal vassal to Henry IV, Godfrey finally gained Lower Lorraine in 1087.
First Crusade
In 1095, Pope Urban II called for military action in order to liberate Jerusalem and aid the Byzantine Empire, which in the years since 1071 had lost large swathes of territory to the Seljuk Empire. Godfrey either sold or mortgaged most of his estates to the bishops of Liège and Verdun and used the money to recruit an army of Crusaders. He was joined by his older brother, Eustace, and his younger brother, Baldwin, who had no lands in Europe and was seeking them in the Holy Land. Others did the same, the largest being that raised by Raymond IV, Count of Toulouse, who at 55 was the oldest and most experienced of the Crusader nobles. As a result, he expected to lead the expedition, a claim boosted by the presence of Adhemar of Le Puy, the papal legate who travelled with him. Significant forces also accompanied Bohemond of Taranto, a Norman knight from southern Italy, and Robert II, Count of Flanders.File:Godefroy_de_Bouillon.jpg|thumb|Godfrey with his brothers Eustace and Baldwin meeting with Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos
Following advice provided by Pope Urban, most of these armies set out in mid-summer and headed for Constantinople where they could expect assistance from Emperor Alexios I Komnenos. Each travelled separately, since it was impossible for one region to feed and supply such large numbers on their own; the first to leave in spring 1096 was what became known as the People's Crusade, an army of 20,000 low ranking knights and peasants which journeyed through the Rhineland, then headed for Hungary. Most of those from southern and northern France sailed from Brindisi across the Adriatic Sea, while Godfrey and his two brothers, leading an army from Lorraine reportedly 40,000 strong, set out in August 1096 following the route taken by the People's Crusade.
Pope Urban II's call for the crusade spurred a wave of violence against Jews across Europe, beginning with Rouen in December 1095. In the spring and early summer of 1096, members of the People's Crusade plundered and massacred Jewish communities during the Rhineland massacres.
After the People's Crusade entered Hungary in June, a series of incidents had culminated in a full-scale battle with their hosts and the deaths of over 10,000 Crusaders; as a result, when Godfrey and his troops approached the border in September, it took several days of negotiations before they were allowed in. He finally reached Constantinople in November, shortly after those led by Hugh of Vermandois while others arrived over the next few months. Unlike the limited numbers he had anticipated, by May 1097, Alexios found himself with over 4,000 to 8,000 mounted knights and 25,000 to 55,000 infantry camped on his doorstep. This mattered because the two sides had different goals; Alexios simply wanted help in retaking Byzantine lands lost to the Seljuk Turks, while the Crusaders sought to liberate the Holy Land from the Muslims. When Alexios demanded an oath of loyalty, Godfrey and most of the Crusaders agreed to a modified version in which they promised to restore some lands to the Emperor, Raymond of Toulouse being a notable exception: he would just promise to do the Emperor no harm.
Capture of Nicaea and Antioch
In February 1097, Godfrey and his army crossed the Bosporus Straits, where he was joined by Bohemund, Robert of Flanders and Hugh of Vermandois. Accompanied by Byzantine soldiers, in early May the Crusaders invested Nicaea, a city close to Constantinople captured by the Turks in 1085. Godfrey and his troops played a minor role, with Bohemond successfully commanding much of the action but as the Crusaders were about to storm the city, they noticed the Byzantine flag flying from the top of the walls. Wanting to minimise damage to what was an important Byzantine city and suspecting the Crusaders would demand a heavy ransom for handing it over, Alexios had made a separate peace with the Turkish garrison. Although the majority of the Crusader leaders accepted Alexios' right to do so, it was an illustration of the level of mutual suspicion between the two sides.Godfrey continued to play a minor, yet significant, role in the battles against the Seljuks until the Crusaders finally reached Jerusalem in 1099. At Dorylaeum in July 1097, he helped relieve the vanguard at Dorylaeum which had been pinned down by a Turkish force under Kilij Arslan I, then sacked their camp. After this battle and during the trek through Asia Minor, some sources suggest that Godfrey was attacked by a bear and received a serious wound which incapacitated him for a time.
Godfrey also took part in the Siege of Antioch, which began in October 1097 and did not surrender until June 1098 after long and bitter fighting. During the winter, the crusading army came close to starvation and many returned to Europe, while Alexios assumed all was lost at Antioch and failed to provide them with supplies as promised. When the city finally fell, Bohemond claimed it for himself and refused to hand it over to the Emperor citing the Emperor's failure to help the crusaders at Antioch as breaking the oath; after repulsing a Muslim force from Mosul led by Kerbogha, Antioch was secured.