Add Bookmark | Recommend this book | Back to the book page | My bookshelf | Mobile Reading

Free Web Novel,Novel online - All in oicq.net -> Fantasy -> Empires are never sacred

Part 4: Anti-Norman Alliance Chapter 59: Sweeping Up

Previous page        Return to Catalog        Next page

    Long after the end of the Fourth Crusade.  This was the first time that the Norman Empire gained an advantage on the battlefield in the Near East.  And expand the territory.  Originally, before this, the empire was on the defensive in this place.

    They lost Mesopotamia.  Then Syria was lost.  In the end, not even the holy city of Jerusalem could be saved.  The army retreated again and again, and finally withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula and huddled in Lower Egypt.  Withstood attacks from three sides.

    Although elsewhere, on the European continent.  Wherever the Norman cavalry passed there was no grass.  Large tracts of territory were conquered.  But here it is.  The Norman Empire was an out-and-out loser.  Mesopotamia, Arabia, Syria and Palestine.  Eventually it fell into the hands of Ilhan Hulagu.

    He has absolute power in the region and the loyalty of his two hundred thousand troops.  His khanate became increasingly powerful through conquests in the north and south.  He himself converted to Sunni Islam.  Became a Muslim.  This made his rule even more stable

    However, all this changed completely after a landing battle in the Norman Empire.  The Norman army, which had controlled the entire Egyptian region and gained a solid rear, launched a powerful counterattack and then directly occupied the Sinai Peninsula.  The offensive and defensive momentum of both sides exchanged instantly.  Everything seems so simple.

    But the next battle may be a little more difficult.

    Indeed, just as those Mongolian nayans who persuaded Hulagu said.  Ilhan Hulagu is a flag.  As long as he is here, their hope will not disappear.  After suffering a defeat in the Sinai Peninsula.  quickly.  Hulagu regained his strength in Jerusalem.

    This city was originally planned by the Norman Emperor Egil to replace Damascus and become the political and cultural center of the Near East.  Only half of it was built before it was taken away by the Mongols.  And the Mongolians are not that particular.  Nor did he have the ability to complete Egil's plan and build a great city.  They only slightly repaired the walls of Jerusalem.  Let the city's defense function barely function.  Then a lot of chaos was built within the city walls.  A house barely big enough for people to live in.  This is considered complete.

    Although it was said that it was very different from the magnificent holy city that Egil had imagined.  However, the city's religious significance and its size still allow the city to barely exist as a regional administrative center.  In the past few years of the war with the Norman Empire, Hulagu used this city as his companion capital for the convenience of marching, and rarely returned to the real capital Damascus.  This also made the city more prosperous.

    After Hulagu fled to this city, he began to gather the defeated troops.  and organized the people of Jerusalem for defense.  Those Arabs who believe in Islam fare slightly better.  But those who practice Orthodoxy and Catholicism.  When I heard that the Norman army was going to fight again.  Not only did he not want to help defend, he actually became excited.

    "The Crusaders are coming back again! The era of pagans occupying Jerusalem is finally over!" Such thoughts.  The Christians living in Jerusalem were extremely excited.  But before they could do anything, the ruthless Ilhan acted first and put these people under strict supervision.

    Under the slaughter of the Mongols, the originally restless Christians fell silent again.  and had to be organized and distributed weapons to "defend their great khan."

    The gathered defeated troops, as well as his subordinates.  Coupled with the troops mobilized from other regions and the conscripted people of Jerusalemthese troops add up to a hundred thousand!  Seeing his troops growing stronger, the uneasiness in Hulagu's heart gradually dissipated.  He even started to take the initiative to attack.

    He sent Arab light cavalry to launch a surprise attack on the Normans who were approaching Jerusalem.  However, these poorly equipped Arab cavalry were no match for the elite Norman hussars.  Hussars roaming around the main Norman army.  Enough to deal with these Arabs.

    In fact, ten years ago, during the Fourth Crusade, the two sides were divided.  In that era when the Arabs were in their heyday, the Arab cavalry led by the legendary Desert King Saladin were also brutally killed by the Norman hussars.

    During this period, the empire's technological strength increased again.  The Norman hussars were equipped with better scimitars and armor, and were equipped with better Norman No. 5 horses.  It is also equipped with a light lance that is more conducive to charging.  As a result, this kind of cruelty and killing became even more obvious.

    Of course, these are all foreign objects, and what is more important is the cavalry drill code of the Norman Empire.  The combat effectiveness of the Norman hussars, which was completely trained in accordance with modern cavalry tactics, was qualitatively different from that of the Arab cavalry in the feudal era.  The hussar commanders boasted that even if they faced ten times moreof the Arab rabble.  They are also able to overwhelm their opponents in one go.

    And in fact it is indeed true.  In small-scale encounters, the Norman hussars often dared to chase Arab cavalry in their 70s or 80s.  Although it is a bit exaggerated to say that one is against ten.  But it cannot be absolutely wrong.

    Of course, for the Arabs he conquered.  Ilhan Hulagu also didn¡¯t have high expectations.  He just wanted to buy himself some time with these cannon fodder.  So that he can gather all the 200,000 troops of the entire Ilkhanate.  Just to fight against the Normans.

    This 200,000-strong army includes the most elite Mongolian cavalry.  As well as elite Gulams derived from Persian heavy cavalry technology, Mamluk heavy cavalry, light cavalry from Arabia, tribal warriors from various Bedouin tribes, camel cavalry and mounted archers

    These troops are tough and brutal.  It was considered a powerful army even in the Middle Ages.  However, the opponent they had to face was the Normans who were stronger than them - two hundred and thirty thousand!

    Thirty thousand Norman regulars, as well as 200,000 elite cavalry, heavy infantry and crossbowmen from France, and heavy crossbowmen, heavy cavalry and elite shield spearmen from Italy.  These troops may not be as brave as the barbaric Mongols.  But their equipment, tactics and organizational form far exceeded their opponents.  Those sophisticated infantry artillery, repeating crossbows, heavy crossbows and heavy cavalry.  These are things that the Mongols do not have.  This is General Erth's greatest reliance.

    "A head-on confrontation? Very good. If this is what the Khan is looking forward to, I will give it to him. If we can defeat all the opponent's armies at once, then we will occupy Palestine and Syria next. I must  It will be much simpler.¡±

    At that time, after listening to the information from the Norman spies and based on my own analysis, I got the news that the other party wanted to have a decisive battle in Jerusalem.  Marshal Ers snorted coldly.  He said such confident words.  Indeed, the Norman Empire's army was superior to its opponent in both quantity and quality.  Marshal Ers asked himself that he could be considered a famous general of the generation.  Definitely no worse than Ilhan opposite.  Therefore, it is appropriate to be more confident in such situations.

    In this way, the Norman army also slowed down.  Wait for the opponent to concentrate their forces.  Then kill them all.

    March 4, 1015 AD.  In the north, after three or four months of marching and gathering.  The Norman Emperor's army gradually approached the Kazan area.  Both sides have as many as one million troops.  Seeing that an unprecedented war is about to begin.  And in the south.  A smaller one.  In a sense.  It can be seen as an extension of the battle in the north.  Or the battles between the two empires of Mongolia and Norman began in advance.

    The day before, Ilhan Hulagu, who had gathered an army of 200,000 men, wanted to make a last-ditch effort.  He sent envoys to the Norman army.  expressed his wishes.  He said.  He could abandon his intention to fight the Norman Empire.  You can even turn around and go north.  Helped the Normans in their battle against his brother Kublai Khan.

    Of course, all this is conditional.  Hulagu claimed that he wanted the Norman emperor to marry his sister Aurora to him.  As long as this was the case, he was willing to ally with the Norman Empire.

    At that time, when Ilhan¡¯s envoy stated such conditions.  There was silence in Marshal Erth's camp.  All the Norman generals looked at each other with expressions that didn't know whether to cry or laugh.  A few of them may be idiots who are very obsessed with the eldest princess.  It was so easy to forget this matter.  At this moment, someone mentioned it, and he couldn't help but burst into tears

    "Seeing General Norman, accompanied by a marshal, or winking and making strange expressions.  Or beat your chest and cry loudly.  That Ilhan's messenger was really a bit baffled.  Dang even wanted to state his conditions again.

    "Okay, no need to say more. You and I are already at war with each other. There is no possibility of reconciliation. There is no use saying anything now."

    "ThisMarshal, can you take charge of this matter? Don't you need to submit it to the Norman Emperor for a decision?" The envoy was a little surprised, according to his thoughts.  Such a big matter should not be decided by a marshal.

    "You still want to go to the emperor?" A rather ironic smile appeared on Marshal Erth's ugly and deformed face.  He laughed at this idiot and wanted to send the sheep into the tiger's mouth.  He waved.  He said this a little impatiently: "Even if you don't want to die. I don't want to be implicated by you - drag him out and throw him outside the military camp."

    After finishing speaking, the marshal's guards strode over and threw the envoy out.  The messenger didn't give up yet.  He took out the gem and bribed the guard.  I want to ask about the ugly Yin Mao.  The answer to this question was to make the messenger's heartVery good!  !  ~!

    {PiaoTian Literature www.PiaoTian.com thanks all book friends for their support. Your support is our greatest motivation}
Didn't finish reading? Add this book to your favoritesI'm a member and bookmarked this chapterCopy the address of this book and recommend it to your friends for pointsChapter error? Click here to report