Godfrey of Bouillon (Crusade)

Godfrey of Bouillon was a Frankish nobleman and one of the leaders of the First Crusade. In 1099, Crusader armies captured Jerusalem from the Fatimids and established a Latin Christian kingdom in the Land of Israel. Godfrey became the first ruler of Crusader Jerusalem, taking the title “Defender of the Holy Sepulchre” rather than king. His rule marked the beginning of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, a major foreign Christian power that controlled Jerusalem and parts of the land for nearly a century.