Chapter 254 Army Gathering
The Knights of the Order are indeed good at everything, with year-round combat readiness, elite cavalry, infantry support, and artillery shooting.
It can be said that this is an almost perfect answer in the late Middle Ages.
But after a little calculation, the annual maintenance cost of such a group of edict knights will not be less than 20,000 gold dinars.
The maintenance fee alone can be so high, even for Western European countries, it is a sky-high expense.
But that doesn’t mean that the Second Kingdom really can’t afford it.
It is not very appropriate to describe these cities as a pearl. It may be more appropriate to say that they are hens that lay golden eggs.
The Mediterranean economic circle can be roughly divided into the Christian world and the Muslim world. These two worlds are separated from each other and show completely different conditions in terms of economic behavior.
As mentioned before, the income in Acre is better than that in England. In terms of productivity, it is difficult to compare.
But Acre's ability to extract precious metal physical currency is almost certainly better than that of England at the same time.
In Europe, even powerful feudal lords had extremely limited means of obtaining currency.
In medieval Europe, there was a lack of money on the one hand, and a lack of goods that could be purchased with money on the other.
We are in a predicament with no money and no goods on the market.
In this case, currency cannot be efficiently converted into resources. Instead, it can be manor real estate and the like, which can steadily provide soldiers, supplies, and levies.
Many people tried to hold wealth in other ways. Nobles and kings would accumulate gold and silver vessels and precious stones in chests, and churches would accumulate gold and silver communion vessels.
When there was an unexpected need to pay for currency, the crown, wine bottle or cross would be sold or pawned; or they would be sent to the local mint for melting.
This habit was also spread in the Kingdom of Jerusalem. When Jerusalem was besieged, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher donated its silverware.
The fact that the speed of exchanging money is extremely slow makes it necessary to sell property at critical moments, but it is not easy to sell property in this way, and it is not always profitable; the value of the treasures stored is actually not too high, a gem How many days of military expenditure can its value be worth?
However, the productivity and currency circulation situation in the Levant are relatively less difficult than in Western Europe.
Take the head tax levied by Leonard as an example. A Saracen farmer had to pay more than one gold dinar (a woman was half a man, and a child was half a woman). For a family of four, that was about two dinars. gold dinar coin. If there were one hundred households in a village, that would be a full 200 gold dinars.
Just by plundering the hands of farmers, you can get such abundant currency, so it can serve as a trade hub and commercial bridge between the Arab world and the Christian world.
After the rise of the handicraft industry in Northern Italy, just customs tax collection in this commercial activity was an astronomical amount of physical currency for Europe at that time.
In a sense, Tire, Antioch, Tripoli... these cities are equivalent to Europe's customs borders.
Most goods heading to Europe via the Silk Road will be severely taxed in the Levant.
Although the kingdom has exempted itself from the poll tax, it actually collects customs and commercial taxes more vigorously.
However, even so, the situation in the kingdom is still extremely militaristic.
It can be said that all the taxes collected by the kingdom last year were essentially invested in military construction.
The construction of new cities or the restructuring of the royal government relied on borrowing.
The difference is that the construction of the new city was based on bonds mortgaged on the land, while the borrowings required for the reconstruction of the royal government came from the Knights Templar.
I have to say.
The Knights Templar were undoubtedly a pioneering presence in this era.
As a military order, its combat effectiveness may not be that impressive, but as a multinational financial institution, its large number of branches in Europe naturally form a huge financial network.
This allowed them to gather a large amount of funds in Europe and transport them to the Holy Land in a relatively short period of time.
There was also a large amount of loans obtained from Venice to form the kingdom's army to deal with Saladin's possible counterattack.
After all, the German Crusaders are now leaderless, and Saladin, who has clearly failed on the battlefield, is beginning to have the upper hand again.
They also dispatched a large number of nomadic light cavalry and began to harass the construction sites near Tire City, causing a large amount of economic losses and slowing down the construction of the new city.
Faced with this situation, Garris has determined to start pushing the front southward, organize the legion personally, and improve the predicament of Tire City as both a frontline and an economic center.
No matter what, the city of Acre must be taken back, otherwise the scale of the Order Knights will really not be able to be built too big.
……
Two weeks later, Eden returned to Garris's simple cabin and saw Garris again.
"There are six thousand people in the army my father left behind who are willing to stay, including a thousand knights."
Hearing Eden's words, Garris nodded. This number was actually more than he thought.
If you include the troops he is gathering and convening, then at least 9,000 of the originally huge German Crusaders stayed in Tire, willing to continue participating in the battle to regain Jerusalem.
"Now, what should we do? Prophet, even if we include other reinforcements, our total number will not reach 20,000, but Saladin's army will become more and more terrifying as time goes by."
Facing the current predicament, even Eden, who had witnessed Garris's "miracle", was actually not so confident.
The previously prosperous German Crusade was completely defeated, and now only 60% of its troops were left. It felt less certain to fight Saladin's army, whose morale had recovered.
As for the Second Kingdom, or the remaining Crusader countries, Eden actually doesn't like it very much.
After all, this land is just here. With only half of its heyday left, how many people can be mobilized?
Under the feudal system of Western Europe, the number of troops a country could mobilize was very erratic. In many cases, the monarch cannot force his vassals to assemble many troops to serve him.
This is even more true for the religious knights. After all, whether it is the Knights Hospitaller or the Knights Templar, their relationship with the Crusader countries is closer to collaborators than to vassals in a superior-downward relationship.
Therefore, the upper and lower limits of the army that a country can dispatch are very touching.
But Eden did not dare to question Garris directly. After all, in front of Eden, the notebooks recording the strength of the Crusaders were turning pages on their own without anyone touching them.
This small house in the old city of Tire, without any strange appearance, seems to have become a sanctuary because of Garris' stay, full of endless possibilities and incredible possibilities.
"In half a month, I will give you the mission to go north in Akka City."
Eden looked at Garris, he was a little unsure of what this meant.
Although Barbarossa had won the previous battle, Saladin's army was not seriously damaged. On the contrary, most of the Crusaders' siege equipment was burned.
"I will take action myself."
Eden didn't quite understand what this sentence meant, but he could only say that we would wait and see.
After accepting some gifts from Garris, Eden left the residence with a pamphlet.
He still has a lot of things to do, such as gathering some scattered crusaders.
Or write a letter to your brother, hoping that your brother will be elected as the emperor and give some assistance to your brother who is forced to "exile" far away.
After Eden left the hut, Isabella walked out of another room.
Then asked Garris a question.
"Do you know who his wife is?"
"Does he have a wife?"
I really don’t know about this Gareth.
"It's just an engagement, not a consummated marriage. It's a film about a girl who is less than ten years old. Of course, age is not the point, but his fiancée is actually a Hungarian princess, that is, the Hungarian King Béla III and Agnes de Cha Tillon’s youngest daughter”
"Chatillon?"
Gareth seemed to understand something.
"Yes, that's right, Agnes is the daughter of Leonard and Constance, the princess of Antioch, and this Frederick's fiancée is actually Leonard's granddaughter."
It can only be said that in the European aristocratic circle, after wandering around, you will find that they are all acquaintances.
In fact, the bloodline of the Hungarian kings spread over time, which means that almost all rulers in Europe are descendants of Agnes de Chatillon, and also descendants of Renard.
After sighing, Garris did not delve further into this issue.
……
If Gareth didn't go into details, it was mainly because he didn't care. After all, he didn't intend to cut off Leonard's descendants.
But Lance is different. Lance really needs to care.
Each region involved under Garris's command has its own special circumstances and adopts a large number of governance policies adapted to local conditions.
Not to mention other places, in Antioch, the so-called Governor's Palace is actually a large military camp.
Reims recognized the autonomous rights and interests of local Armenians, Greeks, Muslims, and other ethnic groups in exchange for taxes and military service.
He also asked all ethnic groups to assist the Governor-General in purging the Norman noble lords.
Due to Tucopo's assistance and the fact that the Antioch nobles had no knowledge of the artillery, Reims' purge operation was actually relatively easy.
Since Reims did not go on a killing spree in the true sense, but more of a deprivation of land, the nobles' resistance was not particularly stubborn.
……
A few months ago, the German Crusaders were landing in Cyprus.
Roger, who had followed Bohemond south to Tripoli, was gathered and reorganized by Leonard as a surrender, and finally defeated by Garris's troops, still lived a quite comfortable life.
Life here always flows quietly along the rhythm of sunrise and sunset.
In his occasional free time, Roger would choose to go fishing in the small river to enjoy a rare sense of comfort.
On this day, Roger carried an empty bucket and slowly set foot on the familiar path in the village. His shoulders slumped slightly, his hair was a little messy by the evening breeze, and the emptiness in the bucket made a crisp echo between his steps.
Several old men and idle women in the village saw this and greeted him with a smile. "Roger, your bucket is empty again today!" An old woman held a basket of freshly picked vegetables with a bit of ridicule in her eyes.
Another man interrupted: "I can't catch anything three days out of five days. Roger, you are not good at this level!"
Roger didn't make much excuse. He just said to the wine seller: "Warm a bowl of wine and a plate of beans."
The voice was calm, but it made everyone else laugh.
"Stop talking, every time he fails to catch, there are always a bunch of reasons! The line is too thin, the hook is small, the lead is broken, and the bait is wrong... We are tired of hearing this." A young man patted his knee. Laughter, laughter spreads far and wide in the evening air.
People around him were joking one after another, but Roger was not annoyed. He simply sat down on a bench at the entrance of the village, as if immersed in this playful and playful atmosphere.
Although the days are dull, they make people feel at ease.
A few months ago, Roger was still on the battlefield, following Leonard in all directions. But that tragic defeat brought him and a large group of people back to their original shape.
When I returned to the village, I only had the fare money left in my pocket, plus the fatigue from the wind and frost along the way.
But he doesn't complain - at least, this peaceful life is worth cherishing more than the flashes of swords and swords in the past.
Read the error-free version at 69 Book Bar! 6=9+Book_Bar debuts this novel.
Especially after the establishment of the Antioch Governor's Palace, this small village became unprecedentedly peaceful.
The villagers were no longer harassed by the lord's minions, and the aggressiveness of the tax collectors was a thing of the past.
Roger often thought that such ordinary days might really belong to them.
At this time, the proprietress of the village tavern came out with a pot of hot wine and shouted with a smile: "Roger, come quickly, the wine has been warmed for you, and the beans are ready!"
After hearing this, Roger stood up and walked towards the tavern with the empty bucket.
He looked at the village behind him and felt more satisfied than ever. He has cherished this peaceful and slightly smoky life.
Life should be like this, plain, but full of warm details.
However, this calmness was broken by the rapid sound of horse hooves.
Turning around, he saw a messenger galloping from the entrance of the village, the satchel on his chest swinging up and down with the jolt of the horse.
His clothes were stained with dust from the road, but the anxiety on his face could not be concealed.
He went straight to the grain drying field in the center of the village, then grabbed the bronze bell hanging on the tree and started shaking it vigorously.
"Dingle bell—Dingle bell—"
The bells echoed in the early morning in the village. The usually leisurely villagers stopped what they were doing and gathered near the grain drying field, looking at each other with uneasiness.
Roger stood on the edge of the crowd, with an ominous premonition in his heart.
The messenger dismounted, patted the dust on his body, and held up a roll of documents sealed with bright red sealing wax. He took a deep breath, unfolded the paperwork, and announced in a loud voice:
"Counterattack! It's about to begin! The war is about to break out!"
The crowd was in an uproar and murmuring among themselves. The messenger continued: "The Governor's Palace in Antioch has issued a mobilization order. In order to protect our free life from slavery, every village must fulfill the contract and recruit people to join the army. All villages must draw one cent per five households, and additional Maintain five long-term service members!”
These words hit everyone present like thunder.
The villagers were silent. The old men who had been joking just now had serious expressions on their faces. The women exchanged glances with each other and pursed their lips.
Roger's hand gradually tightened the handle of the empty bucket, and his knuckles turned slightly white from the exertion.
"Roger, do you have to go again?" Someone next to him asked in a low voice, with a hint of probing in his tone.
Roger didn't answer, but complex emotions surged in his mind.
He told himself that he didn't want to go again - he didn't want to go back to the chaotic battlefield, and he didn't want to wander in the shadow of death again.
But he also knew that if no one stood up, sooner or later the village would be torn apart by a crueler reality.
It is precisely because of this contract that someone paid their blood in exchange for the peace they have now.
"This blood tax..." Roger smiled bitterly in his heart. This village, which was exempted from the poll tax and had its agricultural tax reduced, seemed to be receiving preferential treatment, but the price had to be repaid elsewhere.
He stood in the crowd and listened quietly to the messenger reading the mobilization order.
Suddenly, he thought of those comrades in the past and the years he spent running under Leonard. Those sleepless nights, those irreversible sacrifices... everything seems to be close at hand.
When the messenger's voice stopped, the crowd began to murmur, and some even sobbed softly.
Roger stared ahead in silence. Finally, he took a deep breath and walked forward slowly. He said to himself, this may not be what he wants, but if he doesn't protect the peaceful life in front of him, who will it belong to?
"I'll go." Roger said, his voice low but firm.
A low roar erupted from the crowd. Some people breathed a sigh of relief, while others wiped away tears. But there wasn't much expression on Roger's face. He just turned and walked towards his home.
Back inside, Roger put the empty bucket on the doorstep and then pulled open an old cabinet.
Lying quietly inside was a sword and a set of rusty chainmail. He gently brushed the blade of the sword with his hand, caressing those bloody days.
"It seems that these stable days will have to wait a little longer." He said to himself, with helplessness and faint determination in his tone.
The next day, at the entrance of the village, Roger set out on the journey again.
This time, he did not have too many lofty ideals. He only hoped that with the efforts of himself and the villagers, this peaceful life could last a little longer.
For Roger, putting his uniform back on was not something purely objectionable. Although the arrival of the conscription order temporarily broke the tranquility in the village, it also brought some benefits and even gave Roger a little more expectation.
The monthly allowance of one gold dinar is a huge sum of money for farmers who used to be able to barely make ends meet.
More importantly, the Antioch Governor's Palace promised that if a soldier died of natural causes while serving, his family would receive compensation of twenty times the allowance; if he died in battle, the compensation would be up to forty times the allowance.
This kind of guarantee convinced Roger that Antioch would not easily use soldiers as cannon fodder.
After all, every soldier who died in battle meant a huge financial expenditure - forty dinars, and a thousand dinars if killed was forty thousand. Even though Antioch was rich, it was impossible not to calculate this account clearly.
Roger felt reassured by this assurance.
Compared to the days when he had no confidence when he was working for Bohemond's lord, joining the Antioch Governor's Army actually seemed more practical.
Because he had experience in military life and had no major problems in his physical examination, Roger easily became a member of the Antioch Governor's Army.
With his past military experience and good health, Roger successfully passed the physical examination and became a member of the Antioch Army.
Immediately, he was organized into the new barracks and began to receive recruit training organized by the non-commissioned officers of the Arnon Standing Army.
Compared with his past military career, Roger felt more comfortable than ever in this military life.
The Governor's Palace in Antioch was particularly generous with the food for the soldiers - not only could they keep them full, but they even provided meat every day.
For Roger, who was used to simple and rough farm meals, these were incredibly luxurious.
Although the training is strict and the intensity is much higher than in the past, it is full of rules and order. The day after day of training, the neat formation, and the satisfaction of falling asleep every night when exhausted, all made Roger feel a long-lost sense of fulfillment.
In addition to training, the army also has many interesting recreational activities, such as mass reading or simple literacy education.
This busy and fulfilling life gave Roger a subtle sense of happiness.
"Days like this are like opening a new chapter in life." Roger thought to himself.
Although he did not understand that this sense of satisfaction actually came from the physiological and psychological effects of exercise and an orderly life, he knew that he liked this kind of life - carefree and goal-oriented.
However, Roger also knew that this kind of life was destined not to last long. The shadow of war always hangs over them.
As time passed, at the end of April 1189, when Barbarossa died unexpectedly, the Kingdom's Ministry of Military Affairs conveyed a military order to the Governor's Palace in Antioch.
Roger's recruit training had just ended when he was incorporated into his company and ordered to assemble toward the coast.
Roger, who has been away from the village for several months, is now wearing armor and embarking on the march with his companions.
They crossed rugged mountains and flat fields before finally arriving at the port of Latakia.
Here, neatly arranged ships are waiting for them.
After four days of sea journey.
When the ship docked slowly at the port of Tire, Roger stepped off the gangplank, and the feeling of being down to earth made his heart feel heavier.
The noise and bustle of the port, the intertwining of soldiers and civilians, the looming city walls and war preparations in the distance all reminded him: war is no longer far away.
It was here that they were told that in the next month, they would conduct additional training for the war with Saladin, which would even include a week of "Devil's Week."
Roger was not sure what "Devil Week" meant. When he asked his squad leader, his squad leader couldn't tell accurately.
But one thing that is clear is that the faces of his company commander and company Paladin, the officers from Transjordan, became very bad when they heard about "Devil's Week".
When the company commander spoke to the entire company, he even said with a heavy face: "I hope that after that week, everyone can still stand here chatting instead of lying there and being lectured by me."
The extra month of training is not specifically for the Antioch Army. In fact, all the troops that are nominally affiliated with the kingdom, except for the Tucopo troops who need to guard the border, all others are included in the list of this additional training.
Even the newly established Order Knight Brigade was included in the list of additional training.
The weekly training days were increased from one and a half days to three full days.
During the training days, thousands of people would surround the city of Tire, running and jumping. The amount of exercise every day was ridiculously high.
If the days of the recruit company can be called fulfilling, then this month of additional training can be called numb...
Although the food supply has to be doubled, and although the allowance has also increased a lot due to the extra training before the war, the training day is a day of five-kilometer long-distance running, which is really unbearable...
Even Roger, who had military experience, never imagined that he would encounter such intense training.
This made many people give up, and some people around Roger even became deserters...
(End of chapter)