THE CRUSADES 1096-1291

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THE CRUSADES1096-1291

• A Quest for the Holy Land

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Crusades

• A long series or Wars between Christians and
  Muslims
• They fought over control of Jerusalem which was
  called the Holy Land because it was the region
  where Jesus had lived, preached and died

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Causes of the Crusades
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The Call to Arms

• Byzantine emperor Alexius Comnenus asked for help
  from West.
• Pope Urban II called for the defeat of the Turks,
  returning the Holy Land to the Christians. If
  you die assured place in heaven.

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Pope Urban II
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Goals of the Crusades (from Western Perspective)

• Economic, social and political goals as well as
  Religious
• Stop Muslim Turks from conquering additional land
  from Christian Byzantine Empire.
• Reclaim Palestine / Holy Land from Muslims and
  reunite Christendom, which had split in 1054.
• Opportunity to unite Europe.
• Eventually goals change and include Economic.

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Who Answered the Call?

• Feudal Lords
• Knights
• Peasants
• Fueled by
• religious fervor,
• adventure, land.

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Based on this map, which holy city was the
destination of the first three? How about 4th
crusade?
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The First Crusade (1096-1099)

• Peasant army
• Ill prepared
• Lacked military equipment
• Many killed by Muslim Turks
• Knights
• Succeeded in capturing Jerusalem, July 15, 1099

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Second Crusade (1147-1149)

• After victory many Christians went back home.
• The Turks eventually took back much of the
  territory and re-captured Jerusalem.
• 2nd Crusade was unsuccessful in taking back
  Jerusalem.

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Second Crusade (1147-1149)

• Saladin leads the Muslim Turks to victory,
  defeating the Christians
• He was considered a very wise ruler. He was
  known for his sometimes kind treatment of fallen
  enemies. Many Christians saw him as a model of
  knightly chivalry.

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Third Crusade (1189-1192)

• King Richard of England and Saladin fight several
  battles, eventually convinces Turks to allow
  Christians to visit the Holy Land

• Well known in Literature, due to Robin Hood

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Fourth Crusade (1199-1204)

• Do not reach Holy Land
• Western East Christian relations strained
• Crusaders sack Constantinople in 1204!
• In 1453, when Constantinople is under siege by
  Turks, Byzantine Empire does not bother to ask
  Rome / West for help.

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Crusades Continue Through 1200s

• Several more crusades attempted with no victories
  for the Christians
• Childrens crusade of 1212, - 30,000 soldiers -
  many of them under 12 years old Never made it
  to the Holy Land
• Most died from cold,
• Hunger or sold into slavery
• The last crusader cities
• fell in 1291.

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Crusades Die Out

• Lack of interest
• Rising European prosperity
• Repeated military defeats
• Pope influence lessened, tired of religious call
  to crusade

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Results of the Crusades

• Fatal weakening of Byzantine Empire after
  Constantinople sacked
• Vast increase in cultural horizons for many
  Europeans.
• Stimulated Mediterranean trade.
• Need to transfer large sums of money for troops
  and supplies led to development of banking
  techniques.
• Romantic and imaginative literature.

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Results of the Crusades

• Knowledge introduced to Europe
• Heavy stone masonry, construction of castles and
  stone churches.
• Siege technology, tunneling, sapping.
• Moslem minarets adopted as church spires
• Weakening of nobility, rise of merchant classes
• Enrichment was primarily from East to
  West--Europe had little to give in return
• Distrust (mild term) between religions