Editing Baldwin I of Jerusalem (section)

==First Crusade==
{{further|First Crusade}}

[[Pope Urban II]] proclaimed the [[First Crusade]] at the [[Council of Clermont]] on 27{{nbs}}November 1095.{{sfn|Lock|2006|p=20}}{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=4}} Godfrey of Bouillon decided to join the military campaign and sold or mortgaged his inherited domains to raise funds.{{sfn|Murray|2000|pp=38–40}}{{sfn|Edgington|2019|pp=4–5}} One of his domains, the [[County of Verdun]], was seized by [[Richer, Bishop of Verdun]], who soon granted it to Baldwin.{{sfn|Murray|2000|p=35}} The dissolution of Godfrey's [[allodial land]]s deprived all future dukes of the basis of their authority in [[Lower Lotharingia]], which facilitated Baldwin's decision to take the Cross.{{sfn|Murray|2000|p=35}}{{sfn|Edgington|2019|p=5}} Eustace III of Boulogne also joined the crusade.{{sfn|Tanner|2003|p=84}} According to a letter from Pope Urban, only the army that [[Peter the Hermit]] had mustered for the [[People's Crusade]] outnumbered the three brothers' force.{{sfn|Tanner|2003|p=85}}

Baldwin departed for the crusade with Godfrey's army on 15{{nbs}}August 1096.{{sfn|Lock|2006|p=20}} His wife and children accompanied him, suggesting that he had decided not to return to his homeland.{{sfn|Edgington|2019|p=5}}{{sfn|Runciman|1989a|p=147}} The crusaders stopped at [[Tulln an der Donau]] before reaching the frontier of Hungary in September.{{sfn|Murray|2000|p=52}}{{sfn|Edgington|2019|p=7}} Godfrey left Baldwin in charge of his troops during his conference with [[Coloman, King of Hungary|Coloman of Hungary]], to discuss the conditions of the crusaders' march across the country.{{sfn|Murray|2000|p=52}} He agreed to hand over Baldwin, along with Baldwin's wife and retainers, as hostages, to ensure their troops' good conduct.{{sfn|Tyerman|2006|p=109}}{{sfn|Asbridge|2004|p=95}}{{sfn|France|1994|p=106}} Baldwin and Godehilde were released soon after the crusaders left Hungary. They entered the [[Byzantine Empire]] near [[Belgrade]] in late November.{{sfn|Runciman|1989a|p=148}}{{sfn|Lilie|1993|p=63}}

[[File:Map to illustrate the First Crusade, H. G. Wells' Outline of History, page 342.jpg|thumb|left|The crusaders' route in Asia Minor, Syria and Palestine (from [[H. G. Wells]]' ''[[The Outline of History]]'')]]

The crusaders reached [[Constantinople]] on 23{{nbs}}December 1096.{{sfn|Asbridge|2004|p=104}}{{sfn|Tyerman|2006|p=110}} The [[Byzantine Emperor|Byzantine emperor]] [[Alexios I Komnenos]] demanded an oath of allegiance from their leaders and imposed a blockade on their camp to enforce it.{{sfn|Runciman|1989a|p=150}} Baldwin made raids against the districts outside the [[walls of Constantinople]], compelling Alexios to lift the blockade.{{sfn|Tyerman|2006|p=110}}{{sfn|Runciman|1989a|p=150}} The Emperor also agreed to hand over his son and heir, [[John II Comnenus]], as a hostage,{{sfn|Tyerman|2006|p=110}} who was entrusted to Baldwin's care.{{sfn|Murray|2000|p=53}}

Since the crusaders continued to resist the emperor's demand, the Byzantines reduced the fodder and food supplied to them.{{sfn|Runciman|1989a|p=150}} Baldwin again attacked the suburbs and killed or captured dozens of [[Pechengs|Pecheneg]] guards.{{sfn|Runciman|1989a|pp=150–151}} The crusaders realised that they could not defeat the imperial army and so yielded to the emperor's demand.{{sfn|Runciman|1989a|p=151}} Their commanders (including Godfrey and Baldwin) swore fealty to Alexios and pledged that they would cede all conquered lands that the Seljuk Turks had seized from the Byzantines to the emperor's representatives.{{sfn|Tyerman|2006|p=110}}{{sfn|Barber|2012|pp=7–8}}{{sfn|Murray|2000|p=63}} The crusaders were transferred to a camp established on the road between [[Chalcedon]] and [[Nicomedia]] in [[Asia Minor]], but Godfrey and Baldwin soon returned to Constantinople to be present when the commanders of a new crusader army did homage to Alexios.{{sfn|Runciman|1989a|p=152}} When a knight sat on the emperor's throne during the ceremony, Baldwin "took him by the hand and made him rise"<ref>''Anna Comnena: The Alexiad'' (10.10.), p. 325.</ref> and severely reprimanded him.{{sfn|Runciman|1989a|p=153}}{{sfn|Edgington|2019|p=13}}

After the crusaders defeated [[Kilij Arslan I|Kilij Arslan]], the [[Sultanate of Rum|Seljuk Sultan of Rûm]], in the [[Battle of Dorylaeum (1097)|Battle of Dorylaeum]] on 1{{nbs}}July 1097, Baldwin and the Italo-Norman leader [[Tancred, Prince of Galilee|Tancred]] broke away from the main body of the army.{{sfn|Tyerman|2006|pp=130–131}} They marched as far as [[Ereğli, Konya|Heraclea]], where they again joined their fellows around 15 August.{{sfn|Tyerman|2006|p=131}} The crusaders became exhausted during their long march across Asia Minor and most of their horses died.{{sfn|Phillips|2010|p=16}} To secure a supply of food and forage, Baldwin and Tancred were sent to the fertile plains of [[Cilicia]].{{sfn|Tyerman|2006|p=131}}{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=75}} There they could count on the support of the local Armenians, especially as Baldwin had already been befriended by an Armenian nobleman, [[Bagrat Pakrad|Bagrat]].{{sfn|Barber|2012|p=75}}{{sfn|Runciman|1989a|p=197}}

Baldwin and Tancred led two separate contingents.{{sfn|Tyerman|2006|p=131}} Tancred was the first to leave Heraclea, accompanied by 100–200 troops; Baldwin and his 300 knights departed around 15{{nbs}}September.{{sfn|Runciman|1989a|pp=197–198}}{{sfn|Asbridge|2004|p=142}} Tancred arrived at [[Tarsus, Mersin|Tarsus]]—an important center of commerce in Cilicia—on 21{{nbs}}September.{{sfn|Asbridge|2004|p=142}} He persuaded the Seljuk garrison of Tarsus to raise his flag on the citadel, even before his troops were granted access to the town.{{sfn|Asbridge|2004|p=143}} Baldwin reached Tarsus on the following day.{{sfn|Asbridge|2004|p=144}} The Turks replaced Tancred's banner with Baldwin's flag and allowed Baldwin to take possession of two towers.{{sfn|Asbridge|2004|p=144}} Heavily outnumbered by Baldwin's troops, Tancred decided not to fight for the town and rode off.{{sfn|Asbridge|2004|p=144}} Shortly thereafter, about 300 Norman knights arrived, but Baldwin denied entry to them, which enabled the Turks to attack and murder the Normans during the night.{{sfn|Runciman|1989a|pp=198–199}}{{sfn|Tyerman|2006|p=132}}{{sfn|Asbridge|2004|p=145}} Baldwin's own men blamed him for their fate and massacred the remnants of the Seljuk garrison.{{sfn|Asbridge|2004|p=145}}{{sfn|Edgington|2019|p=29}} Fearful of vengeance, Baldwin took shelter in a tower, but finally convinced his soldiers of his innocence.{{sfn|Asbridge|2004|p=145}}{{sfn|Edgington|2019|p=29}} A pirate captain, [[Guynemer of Boulogne]], sailed up the [[Berdan River]] to Tarsus and swore fealty to Baldwin.{{sfn|Runciman|1989a|p=199}} He hired Guynemer's men to garrison Tarsus and continued his campaign.{{sfn|Runciman|1989a|p=199}}{{sfn|France|1994|p=217}}

Tancred had meanwhile seized the prosperous town of [[Mamistra]].{{sfn|Asbridge|2004|p=146}}{{sfn|Edgington|2019|pp=30–31}} Baldwin reached the town on around 30{{nbs}}September.{{sfn|Asbridge|2004|p=146}} One of the most prominent Italian Norman crusaders, [[Richard of Salerno]], wanted to take revenge for the Normans who had perished at Tarsus, which caused a skirmish between the soldiers of Baldwin and Tancred.{{sfn|Asbridge|2004|p=146}}{{sfn|MacEvitt|2010|p=57}} This was the first occasion when crusaders fought against each other.{{sfn|Asbridge|2004|p=147}} After one or two men were killed and many more were injured or captured on both sides, Baldwin and Tancred made peace and Baldwin left Mamistra.{{sfn|MacEvitt|2010|p=57}}{{sfn|Asbridge|2004|p=147}} He joined the main army at [[Marash]], but Bagrat persuaded him to launch a campaign towards the River [[Euphrates]] across a region densely populated by Armenians.{{sfn|Tyerman|2006|p=132}}{{sfn|Asbridge|2004|p=147}} About 80–100 knights accompanied him when he again left the main army on 17{{nbs}}October.{{sfn|Asbridge|2004|p=147}}{{sfn|Lock|2006|p=22}}{{sfn|Runciman|1989a|pp=200–201}}