GEORGIA AND CRUSADERS: POLITICAL AND MILITARY ALLIANCE

Abstract

Between the Crusaders and the Georgians, there were political, military, diplomatic, religious and social ties. They were reasonably
bound by anti-Muslim and (sometimes, anti-Byzantine) solidarity. For instance, the Georgian chronicler associates the success of the First Crusade in Palestine with the strengthening of Georgia. According to Latin and Armenian chroniclers, during one of the prominent wars (at Didgori), where Christian Georgians fought against Muslims, a small Crusader detachment assisted the Georgian warriors. The insignia sent to the Latin King Baldwin I by the King David the Builder should be seen not only as a gesture of diplomatic etiquette, but also as a military cooperation. It is also recognised that King David participated in the liberation of the crusader leaders who were captured by Muslims. It is crucial to note that this kind of military cooperation was not one-sided, as Georgians also assisted the crusaders during the First Crusade, according to Georgian and foreign sources. Other Georgian kings also expressed a strong desire to help the crusaders. For instance, the King Lasha-Giorgi even sent his ambassadors from Georgia to Damietta to negotiate with Cardinal Pelagius. Unfortunately, the Mongols attacked Georgia soon after, which is the reason this military cooperation with the crusaders could not come to fruition. In short, based on the review of the appropriate sources,
it can be said with certainty that there was a great willingness from the Georgians to form a military alliance with the crusaders. This alliance was implemented occasionally, although naturally, in all cases, the fulfillment of this desire seemed impractical due to the scarcity of available (naval or nautical) routes. Precisely because of this fact, joint and coordinated systematic military operations were impossible. However, it is evident that there were close ties between the crusaders and the Georgians, and there was an intense rate of information exchange between them.