ჟილბერტ დე ლენოი – ვერშემდგარი ჯვაროსნული ლაშქრობის პროპაგანდისტი და კურიერი. GILBERT DE LANNOY – THE PROPAGANDIST AND CURRIER OF THE FAILED CRUSADE

Abstract
The report represents Gilbert de Lannoy – XV-th century traveler and diplomat, who successfully participating in treaty of Troyes got a rapid advancement in the court of Duke of Burgundy, Philip the Good. For fully understanding the scale of Lannoy’s activities, it is noteworthy that he was in a diplomatic service of English and Central European Monarchs as well. The fact that Lannoy is curious and brilliant observer, accurately discerns as an eyewitness and at the same time he manages to be concise and emotionally neutral, makes his notifications [Voiages et Ambassades] as a valuable source for the reconstruction of that turbulent epoch. The report is concentrated on that period of Diplomat’s activities, when he under the service of Henry Lancaster, conducted the voyage in 1421-1423. After declaring himself sovereign of England and France, Henry V immediately declared Crusade against Ottomans without Pope’s input. This step was an expression of the rapid growth of secular power and the unification of entire Christendom under its power. This ambition was most clearly expressed by Emperor Charles V in next century. No better candidate could be found than Gilbert de Lannoy – an experienced person in Eastern Europe (communications with Poles, Hungarians) to investigate, collect the information and establish diplomatic relations. Therefore, he was selected as a courier. He was the person who had to observe the current political climate, military readiness and attitudes among Christians in general in order to make this expedition possible. It is noteworthy, that the mission of reconnaissance of ‘Holy Land’ was not even known to most of his henchmen; Lannoy’s true intentions required formal visits and diplomatic contacts with those (rulers)- it can also be omitted who controlled certain section of potential route of military campaign towards Syria-Palestine. The route itself and the persons who Lannoy met is very interesting (Master of Teutonic Order; King Vladislav V of Poland, who was an ally of Ottomans against the Hungarians; Vitold, Grand Duke of Lithuania, Byzantine Emperor Manual II and his son John); He was also planning to visit the Ottoman court which failed due to the controversy in Turkish sultanate after the death of the Sultan. During his travel, Lannoy also turned out to be in Genoese port on the Black Sea, Kaff a. Presumably, he had been instructed to mark all the possible routes which would move a military campaign forward more effectively. We suppose that was the reason why he insisted on finding a guide who would be able to bypass the Black Sea and thus move forward to Jerusalem. In case of choosing this direction Georgian Lands might have been in the sight area of the traveler but finally Lannoy preferred to go to Constantinople by ship. The planned Crusade did not take place due to the death of Henry Lancaster, although Lannoy’s notifications are indirect but yet worthy source for the investigating the foreign vector of Georgian realms of those days retrospectively.
Description
Keywords
ჯვაროსნული ლაშქრობა, დიპლომატიური ურთიერთობები, ანტიოსმალური კავშირები, თვითმხილველის ჩანაწერები, Crusade, Diplomatic Relations, Anti-Ottoman Unities, Notifications of eyewitness
Citation
ივანე ჯავახიშვილის სახელობის თბილისის სახელმწიფო უნივერსიტეტი ჰუმანიტარულ მეცნიერებათა ფაკულტეტი, აკადემიკოს მარიამ ლორთქიფანიძის დაბადებიდან 100 წლის იუბილესადმი მიძღვნილი XVI საფაკულტეტო სამეცნიერო კონფერენცია, თეზისები, თბილისი, 2022, გვ.: 263-268 / Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University Faculty of Humanities, 16th FACULTY SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE IN HONOUR OF THE 100th ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF MARIAM LORTKIPANIDZE, Abstracts, Tbilisi, 2022, pp.: 263-268