Godfrey de Bouillon at the Siege of Jerusalem (litho)

Godfrey de Bouillon at the Siege of Jerusalem. Jerusalem was besieged and captured by the Crusaders in 1099. The siege lasted exactly forty days, and the Christian forces numbered about five hundred thousand men. Towers built on movable platforms and filled with soldiers were brought up close to the city; then, after battering the walls with their cannon, the Crusaders delivered one combined, terrific assault, and took Jerusalem by storm. Godfrey de Bouillon, a notable Crusader, took a prominent part in the siege, his division being the first to enter when the city was captured. De Bouillon was elected ruler of Jerusalem, but he refused to assume the title of king. Illustration for Hutchinson's History of the Nations (Hutchinson, c.1920). Note: Image has been digitally enhanced to facilitate repro.