While the People's Crusade led by Peter the Hermit was being crushed in the Holy Land, preparations for the First Crusade carried on in Europe. Those leaders involved were Raymond of Toulouse, Hughes Count of Vermandois, Robert Count of Flanders, Robert Duke of Normandy and Etienne Count of Blois. The leaders arranged to meet at Constantinople and set off taking different routes. Some followed the path across Europe taken by Peter the Hermit, while others took a more southerly routes via the Alps and the Adriatic.

When the crusaders arrived at Constantinople they were greeted by Emperor Alexius. The Emperor was happy for the crusaders to capture areas of the Holy Land but he wanted the land to be under his control. Alexius persuaded the Leaders of the crusaders to swear an oath of allegiance to him and to hand over the land they captured. They could however be allowed to live on and rule that land but not own it.

Spurred on by the find of the Spear of Longinus, the spear that was supposed to have pierced Jesus on the cross, the Crusaders emerged from the city of Antioch to face the Moslems. The Moslems were defeated, many being killed and many fleeing. After the batlle the ownership of the city was disputed. Bohemund and Raymond of Toulouse argued over its possession and after several months of debate Raymond accepted Bohemund's right to it. In truth, the city should have been handed over to Emporer Alexius. ¹

After a delay of many months the crusaders under the leadership of Raymond of Toulouse left Antioch and headed south towards Jerusalem. ¹

The Crusader army reached Masyaf, where a treaty was agreed. The Crusaders agreed to continue their march rather than capture or destroy the town. ¹

The Crusaders entered the deserted town of Rafaniye that provided them with much needed supplies. They stayed their for a few days before moving on into the Buqaia valley. On the site of the future Krak de Chevaliers castle, was an old, run-down fort. The locals had moved all of their livestock into the ruins and when the Crusaders approached let them out to create a diversion. In the confusion the locals escaped before the Crusaders took the fort. ¹

Count Raymond sent a small part of his army to attack the port of Tortosa, now called Tartus, on the Syrian coast. The Criusaders lit many fires around the port to make believe their number was greater than it was. Fooled by the deception, the governor of the port, and his garrison, fled by sea leaving the port open for the Crusaders to capture. The port was strategically important and a boost to the Crusaders' success. ¹

The crusaders began the siege of the city of Tripoli in the County of Tripoli, now Lebanon. The siege was led by Raymond of Toulouse.

The crusader Raymond of Toulouse had a castle built on Mount Pilgrim overlooking the city of Tripoli in order to lay siege to it.  ¹

After a siege lasting many years Tripoli fell to the Crusaders. The Banu Ammar Emirs had an important library in the city but it was attacked and all the books were destroyed. The Crusader state of Tripoli was then founded, the last of the Crusader states. Bertrand of Toulouse, the son of Raymond IV, Count of Toulouse, became the ruler of the state alongside William-Jordan. ¹