Explain the significance of the siege of Antioch

Explain the significance of the siege of Antioch (1097–98) for the success of the First Crusade. [8 marks]

Mark scheme (levels-based):

L2 (3–5): Describes the siege (seven months; crusaders captured city then were besieged inside); notes the role of the Holy Lance.

L3 (6–8): Analyses significance: the siege tested crusader unity and resolve to breaking point — many deserted or died; its eventual success (partly through the morale-boosting discovery of the Holy Lance, a claimed relic of the Crucifixion) demonstrated how religious belief could sustain an army in impossible conditions; Bohemond's decision to keep Antioch for himself rather than return it to Byzantium (as promised) shows how personal ambition intersected with the crusading ideal — significant for later Byzantine-crusader tensions. The siege shows both the near-failure and the resilience of the crusade.