Download The Crusades – Holy War or Invasion

The Crusades –Holy War or Invasion?
There were 8 crusades in all, lasting almost 200 years. The first one began in 1096
and the last one ended in 1291.
The Cause
In 1071, Muslims captured the holy city of Jerusalem. This made it
difficult and dangerous for Christians to make a pilgrimage to the Holy
Land. The leaders of the Roman Catholic Church were concerned and
angry. In 1095, Pope Urban II took action. At a meeting with church
leaders in Clermont, France, he urged Christians to go to battle against
the Muslim infidels, or non-believers. He called for a holy war or crusade.
After his fiery speech, crowds were reported to have cried out, "God wills it!”
The pope had other reasons as well. He wanted to reunite with the Eastern
Christian church of Constantinople, and gain control of Jerusalem. This would greatly
increase his power. Turning Europe against an outside enemy would limit the conflicts
and feuding between the kings and lords within Europe.
There were many reasons people joined the crusades. Some were looking for
adventure. The younger sons of the nobles knew that they would not inherit land, and
may have wanted new land to conquer, wealth or power. Peasants saw the crusades as
a chance to be free from working on the lord's manor. Many people saw this as a way to
have their sins forgiven and get to heaven.
The Events
The first crusade began in 1096 when about 30,000 crusaders started toward
Jerusalem. Only about 4,000 were knights. The others were soldiers, clergy, and
ordinary people, workers such as cooks. Their symbol was a cross worn on their
tunics. They did not know the geography of the land, they could not agree on a
leader, and they were not well organized. Many of them died long before reaching
Jerusalem, wiped out by Seljuk Turks soon after leaving
Constantinople. The knights travelled separately, and in
1099, they conquered Jerusalem. Once in the city they
slaughtered 10,000 Muslims and Jews, and established a
feudal Christian kingdom. This lasted until 1187, when
Jerusalem was retaken by the Muslims under the leadership of
Saladin.
During the 4th crusade (1201-1204) the city of Constantinople was plundered,
and the great library there was destroyed. During the Children’s crusade, thousands
of European children were captured and sold into slavery. By the year 1270 the
crusades ended with the fall of Acre. Jerusalem belonged to the Muslims, but
remained open to Christian pilgrims.
The Results
Altogether, the crusaders failed to accomplish what they set out
to do. However, Europeans learned about important inventions they
saw on their travels east such as the windmill, the compass and
gunpowder. They brought home new ideas about mathematics, science,
astronomy, and farming. They brought back ancient Greek and Roman
texts. Amazed by the great walled cities of Constantinople and
Jerusalem, castle construction improved and grew. Cities in Italy, such as
Venice, became powerful trading centers.
But the crusades produced another unfortunate result. Christians in Europe
became more intolerant of other religions. Many Christians began to hate and fear nonChristians, both Muslims and Jews. Although some church officials protected Jews from
angry crowds, Jews all over Europe were driven from their towns, or killed.
In 1233, the Roman Catholic Church established a court called the Inquisition. The
Church believed there could only be one opinion about religion, and all other beliefs
were heresy. Anyone who had a different opinion from the church was called a
heretic. The courts of the Inquisition were created to destroy all heresies and heretics.
In 1290, the king of England forced Jews to leave the country. In France, they
were forced to leave just after 1300. The Inquisition was responsible for the
persecution of the Jews in Spain during the 1400s. During this time, Spain was reconquered by Christian kings and queens. This is called the Reconquista. By 1492, all
Muslims and Jews in Spain had been forced to convert, leave, or die. It is interesting
that Christopher Columbus sailed west in search of India in 1492. It is believed that
many of his sailors were Muslims and Jews.