TITLE:
The Crusades and the Conflict over the Emperor
AUTHORS:
Yuanhang Chen
KEYWORDS:
Crusades, Byzantine Empire, Cécile Morrisson, Alexios I, Bohemond, Anna Komnene, Contradiction, Defamatory Propaganda
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.13 No.7,
July
8,
2026
ABSTRACT: This paper examines the origins, development, and impact of the Crusades on the medieval world through an analysis of Cécile Morrisson’s work The Crusades. The author pays particular attention to the complex relationship between Byzantium and the Crusaders. By investigating the deep-rooted contradictions between the two sides, the paper reveals the hostile relationship between the Byzantine Empire and Crusader leaders during the Crusades. Drawing upon Anna Komnene’s Alexiad and other sources, this report further analyzes the defamatory propaganda spread by Crusader leaders such as Bohemond I against the Byzantine emperor Alexios I, as well as the influence of such propaganda on subsequent Crusades. The paper also points out the limitations of Morrisson’s work and, by incorporating the perspectives of Peter Frankopan, comprehensively discusses the origins and evolution of the contradictions between the Crusaders and Byzantium.