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The Crusades were a series of military campaigns during the later Middle Ages fought against the Muslims of the Middle East. In 1076, the Muslims had captured Jerusalem - the most holy of holy places for Christians. Jesus had been born in nearby Bethlehem and Jesus had spent most of his life in Jerusalem. He was crucified on Calvary Hill in Jerusalem. There was no more important place on Earth than Jerusalem for a true Christians. However, Jerusalem was also extremely important for the Muslims as Muhammad, the founder of the Muslim faith, had ascended to heaven there and there was great joy in the Muslim world when Jerusalem was captured. A beautiful dome - called the Dome of the Rock - was built on the rock where Muhammad was said to have sat and prayed and it was so holy that no Muslim was allowed to touch it when visiting the Dome. Therefore the Christians fought to get Jerusalem back while the Muslims fought to keep Jerusalem. These were the battles of the Crusadesthe holy wars that were to last nearly 200 years. TIMELINE OF THE CRUSADES: First Crusade (1095-1099) Second Crusade (1145-1148) Third Crusade (11871192) Fourth Crusade (1202-1204) Albigensian Crusade (1209-1229) Childrens Crusade (1212-1213) Fifth Crusade (1217-1221) Sixth Crusade (1228-1229) Seventh Crusade (1248-1250) Eighth Crusade (1267-1272)
thousand) used Constantinople as a staging area. Byzantine emperor Alexius promised them his support in return for a pledge from the Crusaders that any previously Byzantine land won back from the Moslems would be returned to his Byzantine controlthis promise was broken. In 1097, a Crusader army, 43,000 strong, attacked Nicea (capital of Seljuk Turk sultan, Arslan), and it ultimately surrenderedbut not to the Crusaders, to the control of the Byzantine emperor! The crusaders forged ahead and in June, 1099, they arrived before the greatest prize of all Jerusalem. The Crusader army (15,000 strong) was led by these men among others, Godfrey of Bouillon, and Robert Duke of Normandy (son of William the Conqueror). After a five-week siege, the Crusader army suffered and was short of just about everything needed to be successful. Repeated attacks against the walls of Jerusalem failed. Soon, supplies arrived lots of wood was harvested from the Judean countryside. Huge siege engines were built, including portable towers and catapults that could hurl a 300-pound stone 150 yards. Then on July 13, 1099, the great assault began, with the cry rising up from the Crusader army, God wills it! After two days of furious fighting, Godfrey of Bouillon pierced one of the walls of Jerusalem, and his army burst in. Jerusalem belonged to the Crusaders. In ways entirely un-Christian, Moslems and Jews were slaughtered, and the Crusader army pillaged everything of value in the city, including the Dome of the Rock. Godfrey of Bouillon was elected ruler (although not king) of Jerusalem. He would rule for only a year until his death. The Holy Lands were essentially in Christian hands. Ironically, Pope Urban II had died in July 1099, and never heard about the Crusader victories. THE MONK-KNIGHTS of the CRUSADES: Some of the defenders that stayed in the East were the Military Orders or the warrior monks. Apparently, in times of holy war, monks dedicated to God could also be fighting men! Three important groups, the Knights Templar, the Knights Hospitalers, and the Teutonic Knights were exactly that. The Knights Templar were founded in 1118 A.D., to protect pilgrim routes to the Holy Lands. They operated out of what they believed were the ruins of the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem (hence the name, Knights Templar.) Over time, these warrior monks became key figures in the Crusades - one source estimates that over 20,000 Knights Templar were killed in the Crusades. The Templars were notable for the fact that they answered only to the Pope. A similar group of warrior monks was formed in c. 1110, originally to protect hospitals in the Holy Lands The Knights Hospitalers. Many advances in nursing were developed under the Hospitalers. They also contributed significantly to the defense of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Teutonic Knights of Saint Mary's Hospital at Jerusalem, made up of German nobles, were a third military order formed during the Crusades. By 1198, the Teutonic Knights (like the Templars and Hospitalers before them) were primarily a military order. The Teutonic Knights wore distinctive white tunics with black crosses.
1153), the greatest churchman of his era, began preaching in favor of this new crusade. Up to 50,000 volunteers soon responded and the Second Crusade was on! The two most significant military leaders of the Second Crusade were Louis VII of France, and Conrad III of Germany. Although the two kings hated each other, they united to try to take Damascus from Moslem power and failed.
this Crusade on a large scale. There were 400 burnt in 1211, and 94 burnt after the fall of Casses. It was at this time that Pope Gregory IX instituted the Papal Inquisition in 1227 that lasted 3 years.
About the Crusades HOMEWORK QUESTIONS What were the Crusades? Who called for the first Crusade and why? Who had captured the city of Jerusalem in 1076? What two religions were initially involved in the Crusades?
How many Crusades were there and what was the entire time span (from first to last Crusade). What Crusade happened before the first official crusade? Was the First Crusade successful for the Crusaders? Name the three groups of Monks turned Knights of the Crusades
In the Third Crusade, who was the greatest foe of the Crusaders gaining power in Egypt Who was the most famous Christian figure of the Third Crusade and what legend did he and his brother John inspire? Why was the Fourth Crusade considered shameful? Which Crusade was known for the burning of heretics and the Papal Inquisition?
Why was the Sixth Crusade considered the most unusual and successful?
Who was the leader of the Seventh Crusade and what is unusual about him?