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Baldwin I's Siege of Arsuf

Type Event Region Levant Time 1101

In April 1101, Jerusalem's King Baldwin I allied with a Genoese fleet at Jaffa to besiege the Palestinian coastal fortress of Arsuf by land and sea;…

Timeline

  1. 1101Jaffa · PalestineOn April 15, 1101, a Genoese expeditionary fleet (about 26 galleys and 6 other vessels) arrived off Jaffa. Baldwin I and the Genoese agreed on the division of spoils and trading privileges, and selected Arsuf as the first target. The city had refused tribute since 1099, and Godfrey's earlier siege had also failed.
  2. 1101Arsuf · PalestineOn April 26 the crusader land and sea forces arrived at Arsuf and pressed a close siege. Baldwin's army blockaded from the land while the Genoese fleet controlled the sea. The garrison was a Muslim town under the Fatimids, which had stopped paying tribute to the kingdom on the pretext of escaped hostages. Even as siege engines were still being built, the garrison's morale had already visibly wavered.
  3. 1101Arsuf · PalestineNear the end of the third day of the siege, Arsuf's citizens requested peace negotiations. Baldwin allowed all inhabitants to withdraw safely to Ascalon with their portable possessions, and the Latin forces suffered no casualties. The crusaders then rebuilt the city and incorporated Arsuf into the kingdom's coastal defense system. Baldwin subsequently besieged Caesarea on May 17.

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