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Arrival and the Great Winter (1097–1098)

Imagine camping in freezing rain for months with nothing to eat but grass and seeds from horse manure. This was the brutal reality for the crusaders outside Antioch.
The crusaders arrived at the Iron Bridge on October 20, 1097, and reached the massive walls of Antioch the very next day. Bohemond of Taranto quickly established himself as the leading military strategist, setting up a vanguard and securing vital supply lines via a supportive fleet of ships.
The city was heavily defended by 400 towers and a citadel perched 1,000 feet up Mount Silpius. The crusaders could not completely surround these immense walls, leading to an exhausting eight-month blockade where some supplies still slipped into the city.
During the "Great Winter", the crusaders suffered terrible famine and freezing, muddy conditions that rotted their tents. By early 1098, one in seven soldiers was dying of starvation, causing high-profile figures like Stephen of Blois to desert the campaign entirely.

The Betrayal of Firouz

The impenetrable walls meant a direct assault was impossible, so Bohemond turned to bribery. He made a secret deal with Firouz, an Armenian Christian convert to Islam who worked as a tower commander inside the city.
Firouz held a grudge against the city's governor, Yaghi-Siyan, and was easily swayed by Bohemond's promises of wealth and safety for his family. In the dead of night on June 2, 1098, this internal betrayal was put into action when Firouz lowered a rope ladder from the Tower of the Two Sisters.
Bohemond and a small group of knights scaled the ladder, killed the guards, and opened the city gates. On June 3, the crusader army poured in and committed a brutal atrocity, massacring the city's inhabitants while the surviving Turkish garrison retreated to the safety of the citadel.

Kerbogha and the Holy Lance

Just two days after taking the city, the crusaders found themselves trapped inside when a massive Turkish relief army arrived on June 7, 1098. This army was commanded by , an who brought between 35,000 and 75,000 men to face a starving, exhausted crusader force of roughly 20,000.

Students often confuse the order of events. Remember that the crusaders besieged Antioch first (the 'Great Winter'), and then were immediately besieged themselves by Kerbogha's relief army.

For 'Describe' questions about the capture of the city, use the mnemonic 'Bohemond Brought Bribes' to remind yourself that the city was won through a secret deal with Firouz, not a military breach.

When explaining the crusaders' victory against Kerbogha, examiners expect you to mention three specific factors: the religious morale boost of the Holy Lance, Bohemond's tactical six-division formation, and the disunity among Kerbogha's Muslim allies.

If you mention the massacre on June 3, use the exact term 'atrocity' to demonstrate precise historical vocabulary that matches the OCR specification.

A strategic crossing over the Orontes River used by the crusaders to control access and supply lines to Antioch.

The most experienced military leader of the First Crusade who masterminded the capture of Antioch and kept the city for himself.

A strong fortress located at the highest point of a city, serving as the final defensive position for a garrison.

A tower commander inside Antioch who secretly betrayed the city to the crusaders in exchange for wealth and safety.

The act of someone inside a besieged location secretly helping the attackers to bypass the defences.

The specific defensive tower on the western wall of Antioch where the crusaders first breached the city using a rope ladder.

An extremely cruel and brutal act; used by OCR to describe the crusaders' massacre of Antioch's inhabitants upon entering the city.

The powerful atabeg of Mosul who led a massive relief army to besiege the crusaders inside Antioch.

A high-ranking Turkish title for a military governor or commander.

A sacred religious relic believed to be the spearhead that pierced Jesus' side, which massively boosted crusader morale when discovered.

The religious belief that God is directly intervening to help, guide, or protect people.

One of the new Crusader States established by Bohemond after he refused to hand the city back to the Byzantine Emperor.