Battle of Montgey
| Battle of Montgey (1211) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Albigensian Crusade | |||||||
 Plaque in Montgey commemorating the battle | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Crusaders |
County of Foix County of Toulouse | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Nicholas of Bazoches † |
Raymond-Roger of Foix Roger-Bernard II Giraud of Pepieux | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| ~1500 | Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Almost total | Negligible | ||||||
The Battle of Montgey was a military engagement which took place in April 1211 and is considered the first field battle of the Albigensian Crusade.[1] The battle took place in the Occitania region of Southern France near the town of Montgey. A southern force led by Raymond-Roger, Count of Foix ambushed and defeated an army of German and Frisian crusaders on their way to the Siege of Lavaur.
Background
[edit]In the Spring of 1211 the leader of the Albigensian Crusade, Simon de Montfort besieged the cathar stronghold of Lavaur. A large force of German and Frisian[2][3] reinforcements had left the crusader headquarters at Carcassonne and was making its way to the siege at Lavaur. Meanwhile, the Count of Foix, had gathered a raiding party to oppose the crusaders.[4] Aware of the approaching crusader army, Foix prepared an ambush in the forest near the town of Montgey.[5]
Opposing forces
[edit]The crusader army was primarily composed of Germans and Frisians led by a knight named Nicholas of Bazoches.[1] William of Tudela writes that the crusaders numbered at least 5,000[2] but this is considered an exaggeration by modern historians.[1][5] Marvin considers the figure of 1,500 given by Alberic of Trois-Fontaines to be realistic number.[1] Sumption gives an estimate of "several hundred".[5]
The southern raiding party was led by Raymond-Roger of Foix, his son Roger-Bernard II, and Giraud of Pepieux.[6][7][5] While numbers for the southern army are not known, it was composed of knights, mounted sergeants, and a large number of mercenaries.[6][7] Raymond VI, Count of Toulouse also sent men with the Count of Foix despite ostensibly being an ally to the crusade.[6][7][2]
Battle
[edit]In the forest near Montgey, Foix ambushed the crusader army, catching them by surprise. Peter of Vaux-de-Cernay writes that the crusaders were not wearing their armor[7], which Marvin says may indicate that the crusaders were resting or camping at the time.[6] Peter of Vaux-de-Cernay and William of Puylaurens both write that the crusaders were slaughtered[7][8], while William of Tudela writes that the crusaders had put on their armor and fought "hard and long".[2] All sources indicate that the crusaders were eventually overwhelmed and almost entirely killed[6][9][5][2][8][7] while the southern forces suffered negligible casualties.[10]
After the battle had concluded, the southern army looted the defeated army[10][11] before quickly riding to Montgisard.[10][5] Anything that wasn't taken by the southern army was taken by the people of Montgey[5][10] who also killed some of the remaining survivors.[10] A survivor was able to escape and make his way to Lavaur, where Simon de Montfort was informed of the ambush.[10][2]
Aftermath
[edit]Despite the complete victory achieved by the Count of Foix, the battle had little strategic impact.[1] Montfort led a large mounted force in pursuit of Foix but failed to catch him.[10] While the defeat was a setback, the crusaders were still able to maintain the Siege of Lavaur and take it on the 3rd of May. The defeat at Montgey was likely a contributing factor to the massacres committed against the garrison and people of Lavaur.[1][9][5] After Lavaur was taken, Montfort destroyed Montgey in revenge for the ambush.[12][13]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Marvin 2008, p. 105.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 William of Tudela & Anonymous 2000, p. 42.
- ↑ Marvin 2008, p. 101.
- ↑ Marvin 2008, p. 102.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Sumption 1999, p. 131.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Marvin 2008, p. 106.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Peter of les Vaux de Cernay 1998, p. 112.
- 1 2 William of Puylaurens 2003, p. 39.
- 1 2 Evans 1962, p. 293.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Marvin 2008, p. 107.
- ↑ Peter of les Vaux de Cernay 1998, p. 113.
- ↑ Sumption 1999, p. 133.
- ↑ Peter of les Vaux de Cernay 1998, p. 119.
Bibliography
[edit]Secondary Sources
[edit]- Marvin, Laurence W. (2008). The Occitan War: A Military and Political History of the Albigensian Crusade, 1209-1218. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0521123655.
- Evans, Austin P (1962). "VIII THE ALBIGENSIAN CRUSADE". In Wolff, Robert Lee; Hazard, Harry W. (eds.). A History of the Crusades, Volume 2: The Later Crusades. University of Pennsylvania Press. pp. 277–324. ISBN 978-1-5128-2023-2. JSTOR j.ctv4s7mwv.17.
{{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help) - Sumption, Jonathan (1999). The Albigensian Crusade. London, UK: Faber. ISBN 978-0571200023.
Primary Sources
[edit]- Peter of les Vaux de Cernay (1998) [1212-1218]. The History of the Albigensian Crusade: Peter of les Vaux-de-Cernay's Historia Albigensis. Translated by Silby, W.A.; Silby, M.D. Suffolk, UK: Boydell & Brewer. ISBN 0-85115-807-2.
- William of Tudela; Anonymous (2000) [1213]. The Song of the Cathar Wars: A History of the Albigensian Crusade. Translated by Shirley, Janet. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing Company. ISBN 9780754603887.
- William of Puylaurens (2003) [1200s]. The Chronicle of William of Puylaurens: The Albigensian Crusade and its Aftermath. Translated by Silby, W.A.; Silby, M.D. Suffolk, UK: Boydell & Brewer. ISBN 978-1-84615-043-2.
