What if 12,000 men could change the course of Christianity forever? In this episode, Michael Stevens breaks down the First Crusade's final, bloody push to Jerusalem in 1099. From 60,000 crusaders who started the journey, only a fraction survived to see the Holy City's walls. What happened next would echo through history for a thousand years. 🎯 What You'll Learn: • How crusaders built 60-foot siege towers that changed medieval warfare forever • Why only 12,000-15,000 warriors remained from the original 60,000-strong army • The 40-day siege strategy that cracked Jerusalem's legendary defenses • What really happened during those horrific three days when 40,000 people died 👤 Perfect for: history lovers who want to understand how religious passion and military genius combined to reshape the medieval world. 📍 Chapters: [00:00] Michael Stevens sets up the final assault on Jerusalem [01:45] The shocking numbers: who survived the journey [03:20] Engineering genius: building siege towers taller than city walls [05:30] 40 days of desperation: why time was running out [07:45] July 15, 1099: the moment everything changed [09:30] Three days of massacre that horrified even medieval chroniclers [11:00] Why this siege reshaped Christianity and Islam forever Stevens connects this pivotal moment to modern religious conflicts and shows how the patterns of siege warfare evolved into today's urban combat strategies. You'll never think about the Crusades the same way again. The aftermath of Jerusalem didn't just affect the Middle Ages. It created fault lines we're still dealing with today. Stevens explains exactly how this 40-day siege became the foundation for centuries of conflict between Christianity and Islam. 🔔 Never miss an episode: Follow When Rome Burns on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite historical disaster is one tap away. 🔍 Topics: First Crusade, Jerusalem siege 1099, medieval warfare, siege towers, crusader military tactics

Stream the full show at When Rome Burns

--------- Keywords: catherine the great, byzantine empire, military history, historical failures, history podcast, naval warfare

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