Europe: The First Crusade - Peter the Hermit - Extra History - Part 2

📜 Europe's First Crusade - Part 2 - Extra History
Emicho of Leiningen and Walters sans Avoir certainly made a mark, but the largest group in the People's Crusade was led by Peter the Hermit. To gain passage through Hungary, they swore an oath not to destroy anything, but the lack of real leadership for their group became clear when they very quickly started a market brawl, stormed the local citadel, then fled to Belgrade and immediately repeated their aggression by turning on the Byzantine troops sent to keep them in line. At the city of Niŝ, the Byzantine troops pinned them down and slaughtered a quarter of the entire crusading "army." The remainder fled to Constantinople and secured passage into Turkey, but the group fractured from within and became two separate factions, with Peter leading one and a man named Reinald leading the other. Both factions competed for bragging rights, committing horrible atrocities to outdo each other. One group actually managed to siege a castle, but it had no water supply, so they were easily starved out by the Turks. The Turks, however, spread a rumor that this group had actually gone on to capture the capitol city, and the remaining crusaders set out to join what they thought would be a loot extravaganza. Instead, they ran into a Turkish ambush that left only 3,000 of their 20,000 soldiers alive. Now led by Geoffrey Burel, they retreated to Constantinople.
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Part 2 - • Europe: The First Crus...
Part 3 - • Europe: The First Crus...
Part 4 - • Europe: The First Crus...
Part 5 - • Europe: The First Crus...
Part 6 - • Europe: The First Crus...
Series Wrap-up & Lies Episode - • Europe: The First Crus...
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[@FoxEatingBamboo]

Reminder that the First Crusade is generally remembered by historians as the only successful crusade, the only one to fulfill its objective. This is the one that all future crusaders looked back on as the one example of a crusade that worked. Let that sink in for a moment.

[@iiiiitsmagreta1240]

I could see this being made into a dark, dark comedy.

[@essidus]

"The faction for looting won out, because of course they did"

[@WoobooRidesAgain]

The sheer ineptitude would be hysterical if not for all that atrocity along the way.

[@mightymoeish]

Pillaged? Check. Looted? Check. Burned? Check.

[@sophieward7225]

Leading Crusaders is like herding cats. Murderous, armed, dumb cats.

[@TheNetherlandDwarf]

All this historical looting makes me feel slightly better about how I play in Medieval total war.

[@ElementalDAR]

"Looting won out, because of course it did." I will quote this someday, not sure how but it's gunna happen.

[@Neonnotecards]

*tosses children on fire*

[@evilbarrels2506]

I love the way that this crusade is disorganized to the point that it looks less like a historical landmark, and more like a dark comedy.

[@FeCyrineu]

2 episodes of massacre and blood...

[@Wraithninja1]

To the Eastern Romans, these guys must have just seemed like just another barbarous horde like they'd been dealing with for the past thousand years.

[@LeftyConspirator]

"Which they pillaged, looted

[@GrandGunman]

And God looked twards his children on the earth... and face palmed.

[@minecraftcito5979]

This entire thing feels like a Monty Python movie.

[@Jikkuryuu]

The sheer numbers involved just are just boggling my mind. These peasant mobs are larger than some of the armies in other Extra Histories. Yet they still act like mobs! It's terrifying.

[@gratuitouslurking8610]

The Orks of 40k has better logistics, strategy, and common sense than the Peasant Crusaders...

[@possiblyapeanut]

Could these guys stop pillaging for 3 seconds?

[@firemasterx23]

Riot over a pair of shoes ??

[@Hrothmeir]

"Because of course they did."