Page 62 - History of War - Issue 30-16

FRANCE’S HERETIC WAR

A MEDIEVAL and even separated the Chateau Narbonnais,
Raymond’s former castle, from the city walls.
Despite his reconciliation with the pope,
GUERRILLA WAR Raymond also lost all of his titles and territory,
including Toulouse, to de Montfort.
The people of Languedoc had been severely
MUTILATION AND MASS MURDER WERE wounded, but not defeated. Even though
A COMMON FEATURE OF THE CONFLICT de Montfort had gained control, his access
IN WHICH BOTH CATHARS AND to manpower had been drastically limited
CATHOLICS MET BLOODY ENDS because of the 40-day terms most soldiers
Throughout the conl ict, numerous atrocities still served. De Montfort had to rely primarily
were committed by both sides. Due to the upon mercenaries and struggled to i nd the
extensive knowledge of the terrain, the funds necessary to keep them. The Count
southerners ambushed the crusaders as much as of Toulouse’s son, Raymond VII, exploited Right: This
possible. After winning several of these surprise his vulnerability and won back the town of 15th-century
attacks on the northerners, the captive crusaders Beaucaire in the winter of 1216. painting depicts
were often mutilated or butchered regardless of In July 1216 The southerners had received Saint Dominic
their social status. However, since the i ghting more good news: Pope Innocent III was dead. showing the Cathars that
his holy texts were saved from
occurred predominately in the south, there Reports reached de Montfort, warning that a i re while their books were burned
were considerably more innocents slain among Toulouse would soon rebel, so he returned
the southerners that were either burned or to the city to sack it. The defences were relentlessness. Although the conlict would
slaughtered after their city was taken, no matter destroyed, hostages were taken, and De continue for decades, the death of de Montfort
if they were Cathar or Catholic. Montfort demanded a large amount of money encouraged many nobles in Languedoc to
One of the most brutal acts of the crusade from its citizens. In 1217, he left Toulouse to reclaim their lost territory and titles. The morale
was carried out by the northerners after a large deal with other rebellious parts of the region, of the southerners increased further, in the
contingent of their comrades were ambushed
and completely annihilated near Montgey at leaving behind a small garrison, and most of his spring of 1219, when they defeated a northern
the end of April 1211. In retaliation, once the family in the Chateau Narbonnais. army at the Battle of Baziége, slaughtering the
crusaders had taken the fortress of Lavaur on With de Montfort gone, Count Raymond VI invaders as they had at Montgey years earlier.
3 May, Simon de Montfort ordered his men to travelled to Toulouse and used the cover of a The high conidence of the people of
throw Giralda, the Lady of Lavaur, into a well thick fog to secretly enter the city with a small Languedoc did not last long. After de Montfort’s
and then drop rocks on top of her until she was army of knights and dispossessed nobles on death, the King of France and his son, Louis,
crushed to death. Additionally, Lord Aimery de 13 September 1217. The Toulousians rejoiced began to play a much larger role in the conlict,
Montréal was hung and 80 knights were slain. at the return of their count and immediately transforming the war into a conlict for the
For the Cathars in the stronghold, a huge i re began to slay the foreign soldiers within their subjugation of the south. Once the prince
was made in a meadow and 300-400 of the city. Those who managed to escape l ed to the ascended the throne, he made the conquest
heretics were burned alive in the massive blaze. Chateau Narbonnais. Then every man, woman of Languedoc a top priority. The south could
Unlike at Béziers, the Catholic non-combatants and child within Toulouse helped to prepare not withstand the might of the north, and by
within the city were allowed to live as long as for the inevitable siege of the city. Walls were 1229 most of Languedoc had submitted.
they handed over a substantial amount of their rebuilt, new ditches were dug and barricades However, it was not until 1244 that the last
goods and wealth to the crusaders. constructed all over the city. bastions of revolt were put down, and the
Upon his arrival, de Montfort led an assault threat of the Cathar heresy, as well as southern
“THE CAPTIVE CRUSADERS against the weakest section at the Montolieu independence, was inally crushed.
WERE OFTEN MUTILATED OR Gate. As before in his i rst siege of Toulouse, Statue of Raymond
De Montfort did not have a sufi cient amount
BUTCHERED REGARDLESS OF of men to surround the city, so his primary plan VI, Count of
of action was to attack the weakest points:
Toulouse, located
in the Salle des
THEIR SOCIAL STATUS” the Montolieu Gate being one of them. But the Illustres in Toulouse
defenders were ready for the attack. Archers
and crossbowmen lined the walls, supported
Below: A depiction of Lady Giralda bound up and by mangonels, which all launched a barrage of
about to be thrown into the well while the stones missiles down upon the besiegers.
that would later crush her are shown piled beside it
The missile i re was so intense that de
Montfort’s forces could barely reach the ditch
in front of the gate before they had retreat. De
Montfort’s younger son was severely wounded
from a crossbow bolt to the chest. The siege
continued for weeks, with De Montfort’s
assaults being constantly beaten back. The Images: Getty
defenders left the city to raid the northerners’
camp, but were repelled without causing
serious damage. By December, they had not
managed to break into the city, so enlisted
more soldiers. Months later, a large number
of northern French warriors were persuaded to
help their cause. But even with reinforcements,
de Montfort was still unable to take Toulouse.
The war over control of Languedoc changed
considerably on 25 June when De Montfort
was killed by a mangonel missile to the
head. With the leader of the crusaders dead,
the siege of Toulouse ended on 25 July. De
Montfort’s eldest son, Amaury, inherited his
father’s possessions but not his brutality or

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