Download The Crusades! - Travel History

The Crusades
Christian Holy
War
Copyright © Clara Kim 2007. All rights reserved.
Religious War
• JIHAD
– Three types of
struggles
• an internal
struggle to
maintain faith,
• the struggle to
improve the
Muslim society
• the struggle in a
holy war.
• CRUSADE
– capitalized : any of the
military expeditions
undertaken by
Christian powers in
the 11th, 12th, and 13th
centuries to win the
Holy Land from the
Muslims
– a remedial enterprise
undertaken with zeal
and enthusiasm
The Invaders
• In 1093, Byzantine
Emperor named Alexius
Comnenus ask for help
against invaders
– THE INVADERS: The
Muslim Turks aka Seljuk
Turks
• The Muslim Turks were
trying to take over the
Byzantine capital of
CONSTANTINOPLE
Byzantine Empire
Pope Urban II
•Pope Urban II read the letter
asking for help and called for a
“holy war” or Crusade
•He said those who fought and
died in the Crusades would be
promised a spot in Heaven with
all sins forgiven
THE GOAL
•The goal of these
Christian soldiers
were to recover
– 1. Jerusalem and
– 2. Holy Land
•They wanted it
back from the
Muslim Turks
Jerusalem
• Holy center shared by three
major world religions
• Christianity-Jesus was crucified
there
• Islam-Mohammed’s journey to
Heaven took place there
• Jews- Abraham built the
original holy temple there
• Kicked out of Jerusalem
until 1947 and the founding
of modern Israel
Crusader Spirit
• There were economic and religious motives
for the Crusades
– Kings and the Church: A way to get rid
of knights who always fought each other
and threatened the peace of the kingdom
– Younger Sons: A way to gain land and
position in society since the oldest son
gets everything
– Knights and Commoners: fired by
religious zeal (passion)
Peter the Hermit
preacher in Germany rallied
thousands to his banner
including: a few German knights
Turned “army” loose on Jews living on the Rhine
River
Marched to Byzantium and destroyed the
countryside
“army” destroyed by Turks after leaving safety of
Byzantium.
First Crusade
• Pope Urban recruited
from French nobility
• Unprepared troops
• Carved in up into
4 Crusader states
• Captured
Jerusalem and
• No strategy
massacred
inhabitants for 7
• Four crusader leaders
days
made uneasy alliance
Map of Crusader States
• Completely
surrounded by
Muslim nations.
• Loss of Edessa starts
2nd Crusade
Second Crusade
• Muslim leader Saladin
destroys Crusader
States armies at
Battle of Hattin
• takes control of
Jerusalem
• Muslim Turks re-conquer the city
• Starts 3rd Crusade
• Saladin is described to be honest and brave
Third Crusade
• The “Kings Crusade
• Richard the Lion Hearted English King, Frederick
Barbarossa of the Holy Roman Empire, and Philip II
of France march to Holy Land
• Barbarossa drowns and German army returns home
• Philip II and Richard argue over who
should rule Jerusalem
• recapture Acre
• Richard defeats Saladin at every battle
– Signs uneasy alliance with Saladin
• Richard and Saladin respected each
other
Fourth Crusade
• New call for Crusade
against the Turks
• Venice: Byzantium’s vassal state
• Persuades Crusaders that Byzantium
deserves to fall
• Break into city and create the Latin Empire
– Stole much of Byzantium’s wealth
– Repeatedly fail to make peace with
Byzantium’s neighbors: Turks, Bulgaria,
Trebizond, and Nicea.
In the End
•The Christians
are finally
pushed out of
the Holy Land
•Muslim Turks
are the victors
and take over
the Byzantine
Empire in 1453
Economics
Venice and Genoa
Cities based on trade and
have large navies
Made fortunes off of
transporting Crusaders eastward
Opened trade with the East: lost Greek
and Roman texts, silk, spices, etc.
Effects of the Crusades
• Negatives:
– Weakened the Byzantine Empire, the
Pope and nobles
– Kings become stronger
– Leaves a legacy of bitterness between the
Christians, Jews and the Muslims
• Positives:
– Stimulated trade and spread of
technology throughout the
Mediterranean and Middle East