Cathars: Keeping out the Crusade
On the 16th October 1200, the region known as Languedoc or the land of Oc ( L’oc) and Toulouse under the leadership of the Duke of Toulouse Alberic II, formally announced its independence from the Kingdom of France, renouncing all feudal and seingural obligations to King Philippe II.
The reason for doing so, the Duke claimed, was the constant effort by the Kingdom of France and the Roman Catholic Church to undermine and if possible eradicate the Cathar religion in the area.
The King of France, Philippe II, responded by denouncing Alberic II as a heretic and demanded his removal from his Dukedom and subsequent execution. The Kingdom of France, formally declared war upon the Cathar region of Toulouse and L’oc on 25th October and a large force of 20,000 French knights, men at arms and foot soldiers was assembled on the border at Forez. In response to Philippe’s violent reaction Alberic called upon the ‘warriors of L’oc’ to assemble in defence of their homeland, their culture and Catharism. On 3rd November the French army, headed by Philippe II crossed into Viviers to March upon the town. It was here, 8 miles from the town, that Alberic II and his army met the French army and a great battle commenced. The battle wore on for 4 agonising hours, with the Cathar forces fighting with great bravery. However, the French were too many and the army broke and fled, fleeing into the surrounding woods, many falling victim to the swords of pursuing French cavalry. Alberic II and a small contingent of bodyguards managed to retreat back to the fortress of Viviers. The French army soon arrived though and laid siege to the town. After a week, impatient, at the lack of success the siege was having, King Philippe ordered the fortress stormed and despite a great loss of life amongst the attackers the fortress finally fell and Alberic II was captured. The Duke was taken to Chartres and imprisoned there, whilst Philippe led his army onto capture the remaining fortresses of the Cathars, Gevaudan, Rouergue, Montpellier. By the 30th November the capital of the Cathars, Toulouse was under siege, defended by the remnants of Alberic II’s forces, led by his brother Badouin. The city repulsed two French attacks until the French mined the walls and stormed the breach into the city, massacring, looting and raping. The defenders retreated to the Duke’s palace, where the family of the Toulouse’s were sheltering. After a valiant defence, in which Badouin fell, the French forces took control of the palace and began a summary execution of all inside, which included Badouins wife and four children who were all slain. In the aftermath of the fall of the city the bishop of Toulouse Bertrand Trevencal was arrested and burnt as a heretic. The vassals of Alberic II continued to fight on however, until after a great battle on the outskirts of Carcasonne they were finally defeated in an engagement that saw the lords of Carcassone, Montpellier and Bearn all severely wounded. It was also just as the campaign in L’oc was coming to an end that a serious rebellion in Philippe’s province of Flanders took place and he was forced to offer more favourable peace terms to the Cathars. He proposed (to Alberic II’s vassals) that they would escape with their lives and their domains if they swore allegiance to him and his (illegitimate) son Jaqcues, who would be appointed as the new Duke of Toulouse. The vassals of L’oc grudgingly accepted and Philippe and his army marched northwards to pacify the Flanders rebellion.
Philippe’s mercy however, did not extend to Alberic II or those of his family who hadn’t already perished. Alberic II was burnt as a heretic on the 22nd December in Chartres town square and his son John and wife, who coincidently was a relation to the King of Poland, were murdered not long after during their imprisonment in Lyon. The only surviving male member of the Toulouse family (Alberic II’s sister lived as she was married to the Lord of Carcassone) was, the Dukes brother Raimond, who had escaped to the Kingdom of Aragon after the battle of Carcassone, and was under the protection of its King Alfons I, who had ties with the people of L’oc. He did this even, despite an order of execution being placed on Raimond by the Roman Catholic Church.
