The Capture of Jerusalem, 1194
Kaiser Henry turned surprised to Chancellor Otto: “A relief army? I never expected this would be a real battle.”
Otto shrugged his shoulders: “A few regiments of spearmen and siege engines - they are no real threat to us, Sire.”
Henry nodded and studied the map thoughtfully. “Very well, I’ll take some crusader sergeants through the front gates and evict that ridiculous Egyptian governor. Chancellor, I would be indebted to you if you would command the bulk of our forces and see off the relief army. Your tactics were so exemplary at Acre, I see no reason why you should not demonstrate them again.”
The Chancellor bowed and then left, with Hans and Jonas following eagerly behind.
As the knights left, Dusan Kolar emerged from the shadow. Henry looked up fleetingly at the tall black cloaked figure and then returned to staring at the map.
“You did not tell them.” Dusan observed.
The Kaiser rolled up the map impatiently. “I have already advised the Chancellor of my intentions regarding Jerusalem. The fact that he chose me to command this assault suggests he can abide by them.”
Dusan snorted. “He could hardly deny you, the Kaiser, the right to be in at the end of this “glorious crusade””
Henry looked up angrily: “Now look here, I am becoming sick of your sarcasm and insinuations. We came here to return Jerusalem to the Pope and that is what we will do.”
Dusan nodded and raised an eyebrow. “But you are keeping the Chancellor, the other Counts and most of your “crusaders” away from the city, just in case they do not share your vision?”
“Jonas is a model of chivalry: even you with all your cynicism cannot fail to be impressed by that. I trust him completely. Otto too is a good man.” Henry paused, deliberately omitting to mention Hans. “But our men are tired and excited; I cannot vouch for how they will behave when they are finally in the holy city. I do not want it desecrated by the blood of innocents. I will take a few good men into the city. After we have turfed out the governor, Jonas will talk to the city council. We will arrange a bloodless occupation. But yes, you are right - by distracting our men, the relief army has made that job easier.”
“You are making a mistake.” said Dusan. Henry ignored him, so the pagan magician continued. “Jerusalem is a large city. If you sacked it, it could give you 20,000 florins. Will the Diet understand your abstemiousness? And if you show mercy now, will the local people respect you? Or see you as weak?”
Henry turned his back on Dusan, so the magician added after a pause:
“Weak, like your father always said you were.”
Henry spun round and advanced angrily on a smiling Dusan.
“Remember your position, Kolar! You are not indispensable.”
“Get rid of me, Kaiser? Would that be strictly legal? Is it not against your precious charter, or something?”
Henry looked at Dusan vindictively: “There are men in the Reich who would be glad to see you gone: Maximillan, for example, who you drove away to rot in Adana. If asked Maximillan or, maybe Hans, I am sure they would be happy to arrange for you to be removed.”
The smile was gone from Dusan’s face now: “Sire, you have lost your way again. You came here for a reason - to begin the transformation of the Reich into a power that dominates Europe and the Mediterranean as the Roman Empire did of old. But with your holier than thou attitude and squeamishness over shedding blood, you have forgotten how the old Romans subdued Jerusalem."
Dusan paused for effect, then said emphatically:
"You will learn.”
With that he left the room. The doleful eyes of Ernest, the Kaiser's dog followed Dusan out of the room. Henry looked down at Ernst sadly and muttered: “I’ve never understood what you see in that man.”
*****
Kurt Altman was proud to ride into battle with the Chancellor. Although Altman was a veteran warrior, this was his first day serving with the Chancellor's bodyguard. Disease and casualties were taking a toll amongst the crusaders. Those experienced soldiers like Kurt who survived the ordeals of the crusade often found opportunities for advancement.
Like most Germans on the crusade, after the departure of Dietrich, Kurt recognised Duke Otto as the finest general in the army. To face the spearmen and war machines of the Egyptian relief army, Duke Otto had arranged his army in a similar formation to that used outside Acre. Jonas and the remnants of the mailed knights were on the right flank; Hans and the Teutons on the left. The centre was held by the unhorsed and dismounted knights, flanked by fanatics and screened by a regiment of pavisse crossbowmen.
Kurt immediately understood his general’s battle plan: hit the siege engines at the rear with the cavalry while the heavy infantry engaged the Saracens frontally. Otto himself stood in reserve behind the front line, positioned to best control the course of the battle. Unlike the over-eager Kaiser, Kurt was sure, Otto was one general who would not go gallivanting off into the enemy line as soon as the battle opened.
Kurt looked confidently over at his general, but was alarmed to see Otto peering anxiously at the approaching Egyptian relief army.
“Sire?” asked Kurt, wondering what on earth could unnerve his general at this early stage of the battle.
The Chancellor looked sharply at Kurt, taking in his white hairs and gnarled skin: “You, man, are your eyes still good?”
Kurt smiled: “Sire, the captain of your guard does not let in blind men to be your bodyguards.”
Despite his evident anxiety, Otto smiled: “Very well. Tell me, what do you see there, in the Egyptian lines? Right at the back, behind the archers, behind the spear line, behind the siege engines.”
Kurt squinted. “It looks like … looks like a regiment of Saracens, Sire; on foot, with lances.”
Otto asked intensely: “Is it moving?”
“No, Sire, they are just standing there while the war engines prepare to fire. I think they are guarding them, Sire.”
The Chancellor shook his head admiringly: “They are learning, by God, they are learning.”
One of his aides stepped up: “Shall I call off the cavalry, Sire?”
Otto held up his hand. “No, by God, we cannot stand here under their fire and slug it out with them frontally. The cavalry go in. The Egyptians have got another thing coming if they think one regiment of foot can stop our knights.”
*****
Kurt watched the cavalry move in, riding hard. He could see Jonas detach the regiment of mailed knights to take a small group of Saracens in the flank…
…while along the front line, the German infantry moved to intercept the Egyptians marching to relieve Jerusalem:
In the distance, Kurt could see Jonas’s bodyguard crash into the Egyptian war machines.
The veteran warrior watched in admiration as Jonas artfully disengaged his men but then plunged them back into the fray:
Kurt’s eyes returned to the struggle nearer at hand. Otto was signalling to a band of fanatics to move up alongside Jonas’s mailed knights and begin to turn the enemy’s left flank:
In the distance, Kurt could make out Hans charging into the right flank of the enemy artillery park. A double envelopment, Kurt thought admiringly, why couldn’t the Kaiser try something like this outside Adana?
Just as Kurt was getting comfortable, admiring the way the battle was unfolding in such an ordered, favourable manner, he heard the Chancellor call out:
“Charge!”
What?! The Chancellor was directing his bodyguard towards some enemy archers skirmishing in the Egyptian front lines! This was just like what the Kaiser did at Adana - what was it about noblemen and archers? They only have to see one to want to run them down! Must be something “unchivalrous” about a peasant shooting down a knight.
Kurt spurred his horse to follow the Chancellor. One thing Kurt knew from long experience was that a cavalry charge seldom stops at its intended target, especially when led by a high lord such as Duke Otto. The discipline the Lords expected of their underlings seldom seemed to be applicable to themselves. Soon, Otto’s bodyguard were fighting in the middle of the enemy front line, amid the lances of the Saracen foot. Kurt looked in alarm as he spotted Otto surrounded by a sea of enemy spears…
Oh my God, thought Kurt, oh my God - my first day on his bodyguard and I am going to see the Chancellor get himself killed. Christ Almighty, the Kaiser will never forgive me! The veteran warrior spurred his horse into the mass of the Egyptian foot, hacking and slashing, desperately trying to reach the isolated Chancellor.
But when Kurt finally reached the Chancellor, he saw him laughing, casually striking blows left and right. Then Kurt looked at the Egyptians milling around them - the fight had gone out of them. While the many enemy infantry could have easily unhorsed the two German knights, the only thought of the Egyptians was to get away from them, from the battle. It was over.
*****
Kurt later learnt that the Kaiser’s entry into Jerusalem had been uneventful. The Egyptian governor had attempted to stop the crusaders in the narrow city streets. But the Germans had simply formed schiltron and the governor’s mounted bodyguard was quickly despatched.
After the battle, the Chancellor warmly thanked Kurt for his keen eyes and for his coming to his master’s assistance, even if it was not required.
“I have a special assignment for you.” The Chancellor said to Kurt. “The Kaiser has ordered a Teutonic knight to join the retinue of every crusading general here in Jerusalem. I want to return the favour - I want you to join the Kaiser’s bodyguard.”
Kurt bowed deeply, rendered speechless by the honour. As the pair approached the Kaiser, sitting in the main hall of the palace of Jerusalem, the Chancellor discretely pointed out one of the courtiers, a tall commanding figure with a long black cloak:
“There is one man in particular I want you to keep an eye on….”
*****
The butcher's bill:
OOC: For OK:
Re: Battle reports thread - King of the Romans PBM
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