Battle of Artah (1105)
The Battle of Artah took place on April 20, 1105 between the Syrian troops under Radwan of Aleppo and the Crusader Principality of Antioch under the regent Tankred of Tiberias . The battle ended in a Crusader victory.
prehistory
After their heavy defeat at the Battle of Harran in 1104, the Crusaders had lost all their cities and castles east of the Orontes . Prince Bohemond I of Antioch had then embarked for Europe to recruit reinforcement troops, so that the reign in Antioch was entrusted to his nephew Tankred. The new regent began to recapture the lost bases.
Course of the battle
In 1105 Tankred besieged Artah Castle, which is 40 kilometers east-northeast of Antioch . When Radwan tried to cut off supplies with his army, Tankred put him in battle and defeated him. Tankred is said to have won the victory through "clever use of the area", for example through the tactic of a fake retreat and subsequent ambush. Otherwise little is known about the battle.
consequences
After his victory Tankred was able to win back numerous bases east of the Orontes. The next major counter-actions by the Muslims of northern Syria took place in 1111 and 1115 and were repulsed by the crusaders in the battles of Shaizar and Sarmin, respectively .
literature
- Raymond Charles Smail: Crusading Warfare 1097-1193. Cambridge University Press, New York 1995, ISBN 0-521-48029-9 .
- Thomas S. Asbridge: The creation of the principality of Antioch, 1098-1130. Boydell & Brewer Ltd, Woodbridge 2000, ISBN 0851156614 .