The Teutonic Order was founded in 1190 to provide medical care for crusaders in the kingdom of Jerusalem. In time, it assumed a military role and played an important part in the defence of the Christian territories in the Eastern Mediterranean and in the Baltic regions of Prussia and Livonia; in the Levant, it fought against the neighbouring Islamic powers, whilst managing their turbulent relations with their patrons in the papacy and the German Empire. As the Order grew, it colonised territories in Prussia and Livonia, forcing it to address how it distributed its resources between its geographically-spread communities. Similarly, the brethren also needed to develop an organisational framework that could support the conduct of war on frontiers that were divided by hundreds of miles.
This book - the first comprehensive analysis of the Order in the Holy Land - explores the formative years of this powerful international institution and places its deeds in the Levant within the context of the wider Christian, pagan and Islamic world. It examines the challenges that shaped its identity and the masters who planned its policies.
Dr NICHOLAS MORTON is Lecturer in Medieval History at Swansea University.
Reviews
Morton's detailed monograph is a most welcome addition to the paucity of Anglophone studies on this important military order. . Morton's book has gone a long way to reclaiming the Teutonic Knights' rightful place as one of "the three houses" that so influenced events in the thirteenth-century Holy Land. MEDIAEVISTIK
A very useful guide to the politics of the kingdom of Jerusalem in the thirteenth century, [which] will fill gaps in many a reading list. ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW
An extremely impressive study offering a number of new insights. [Its] thoroughness is impressive. The appendices, which list masters, properties, crops, marshals, and grand commanders, are especially helpful. Grounded in the sources and informed by perceptive analysis, this is a rare work that delivers everything that its title promises. For students of the military orders, it is an extremely valuable contribution. SPECULUM
Morton is a sure-footed and reliable guide. His grasp of the issues is sound and his familiarity with both sources and bibliography hard to fault. [...] Well-organised, comprehensive and judicious, Morton's book is a welcome addition to the literature on the military orders. JOURNAL OF ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY
A scholarly analysis [and] a very thorough history. MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW
Details
First Published: 20 Aug 2009
13 Digit ISBN: 9781843834779
3 black and white illustrations
Pages: 242
Size: 23.4 x 15.6
Binding: Hardback
Imprint: Boydell Press
BIC Class: HBLC1
Details updated on 05 Oct 2015
Contents
- 1 Introduction
- 2 The Foundation of the Order 1190-1215
- 3 The Fifth Crusade and the development of the Teutonic Knights 1216-1223
- 4 The Preparations for the expedition of Frederick II
- 5 From the Crusade of Emperor Frederick II to the death of Herman von Salza 1227 - 1239
- 6 Conrad von Thüringen, the Barons' Crusade and a change of policy
- 7 Dependence and Independence
- 8 The Division of Resources between the Holy Land and the Baltic
- 9 The Politics of the Levant
- 10 The Military Organisation of the Teutonic Knights in the Holy Land
- 11 Control, Co-ordination and Supply
- 12 Conclusion
- 13 Appendices
- 14 Bibliography
