Download The Crusades - Alena Pettit

What is a crusade and do you think
fighting one would ever be
justified?
Reflection
• Why was there a call for the 1st crusade
and who called for it?
General Information
• Crusades - were a series of several military campaigns
usually sanctioned by the papacy that took place during
the 11th through 13th centuries.
• Originally, they were Roman Catholic Holy Wars to
recapture Jerusalem and the Holy land from the Muslims
• Some were directed against other Europeans, such as
the Fourth Crusade against Constantinople, the
Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars of southern
France and the Northern Crusades.
Time Period
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1st Crusade - 1096
2nd Crusade – 1146 to 1149
3rd Crusade – 1189 to 1192
4th Crusade - 1202
Albigensian Crusade - 1209
Childrens Crusade - 1212
5th Crusade - 1215
6th Crusade - 1228
7th Crusade - 1243
8th Crusade - 1270
9th Crusade - 1271
Background
• Pope Gregory VII propagated these ideas
– Restoration of the Eastern Church to
Roman obedience
– Acknowledgement of the kings of
Christendom as liege servants to the
church
– Crusade against Islam
– Supply by sea, defense by castles
• Two religions stood face to face
Background
• Rise of Christianity
– Church becomes most powerful
• Feudalism - refers to a general set of reciprocal legal
and military obligations among the warrior nobility of
Europe during the Middle Ages, revolving around the
three key concepts of lords, vassals, and fiefs.
- Brought a semblance of stability and avoided anarchy
- 1st time since the decay of Rome that Europe is
powerful enough to take the offensive against the Muslim
east
• Fall of Byzantine Empire
- Battle of Manzikert, 1071
Background
• Rise of Christianity
– Church becomes most powerful
• Feudalism - refers to a general set of reciprocal legal
and military obligations among the warrior nobility of
Europe during the Middle Ages, revolving around the
three key concepts of lords, vassals, and fiefs.
- Brought a semblance of stability and avoided anarchy
- knights
• Fall of Byzantine Empire
- Battle of Manzikert, 1071
Background
• The Reconquista in Spain, which occupied Spanish
knights and some mercenaries from elsewhere in
Europe in the fight against the Islamic Moors.
• The Normans were fighting for control of Sicily.
• Pisa, Genoa and Aragon fighting Islamic strongholds in
Mallorca and Sardinia
• Muslims regain holy land of Palestine in the 7th century
• Fatimid caliph of Cairo, al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, had the
Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem destroyed in
1009.
- many stories began circulating in the West about the
cruelty of Muslims toward Christian pilgrims, which
helped rally the crusaders later in the century
The 1st Crusade
• Byzantine emperor Alexius I called for help with
defending his empire against the Seljuk Turks,
in 1095
• Pope Urban II called upon all Christians to join
a war against the Turks
- a war which would count as full penance.
• Crusader armies marched to Jerusalem,
sacking several cities on their way.
– Nicaea in May 1097
• In 1099, they took Jerusalem and massacred
the population.
• As a result of the First Crusade, several small
Crusader states were created, notably the
Kingdom of Jerusalem.
The 1st Crusade
The Crusades
• 1100’s great infighting in the Moslem world
• Saladin wanted to reunited Islam
• First step 1171 he abolished the Fatimid
caliphate and brought Egypt under the caliph of
Baghdad
• Franks were concerned that they would lose
everything and rightfully so
• Sept 17 1176 beginning of the end to the
Franks in Islam. Byzantines were defeated by
the Syrians near Myriocephalum
• 1183 Saladin was at the height of his power
The Crusades
• Reynald of Chatillon raided Mecca and Medina
• Muslem world was consolidated against the
Franks
• 1186 Saladin proclaimed a Fihad
• Culiminated in the Battle of Hattin in 1187
– “ON the Horn of Hattin the greatest army that the
kingdom had ever assembled was annihilated. The
Holy Cross was lost. And the victor was the lord of
the whole Moslem world”
• Crusades never recovered
The 2nd Crusade
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Second Crusade – St Bernard of Clairvaux preached it
and Conrad III of Germany and Louis VII of France
executed it.
- fall of the County of Edessa
- first of the crusades to be led by European kings
United with Baldwin III and lay siege to Damascus
(failed in 1148) – leads to third crusade
Second Crusade was a failure
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Ignorance of strategy and siegecraft
Jealousies and quarellings
Four topographic regions in Syria and Palestine
Three lines of communications
Franks failed to control the most important
The 3rd Crusade
• Jerusalem recaptured by Saladin (Sultan of Egypt) in
1187.
• Third Crusade - was an attempt by European leaders to
reconquer the Holy Land from Saladin.
• Called by Pope Gregory VIII and led by Europe's most
important leaders:
- Philip II of France (left after capturing Acre)
- Richard I of England
- Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor
(Drowned,creating instability between English and
French)
• Inability of the Crusaders to thrive in the locale due to
inadequate food and water resulted in an empty victory
• Richard left the following year after establishing a truce
with Saladin (captured and held for kings ransom by
Austrians
The 3rd Crusade
• Crusaders never conquered the land
– Only occupied parts of it
• Crusaders armor was superior
• The rise of Saladin
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Great Character of the middle ages
Fanatically anti-Christian
Cautious Strategest rather than a tactician
Careful of his men, generous and kindly
Incredible administrator
Possessed great chivalry
The Crusades
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The third Crusade was a
disaster 1189-1192
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4th Crusade turned on
itself and conquered
Constantinople
Crusaders for the next
century united Europe
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Richard the Lionhearted
France and England
became powers
Spain and Portugal rose
7 Crusades in all
Military Advantages
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IN EUROPE THE ARMORED RIDER WAS SUPREME
THE BAPTISM OF THE SLAVS AND MAGYARS HAD
OPENED UP A LAND ROUTE TO JERUSALEM
SEA POWER FAVORED THE CRUSADERS
A POTENTIAL ALLY IN EAST ROMAN EMPIRE
CONSTANTINOPLE PROVIDED A BASE BOTH FOR
LAND AND WATER OPS
Historical Costs
• By the 14th century the old concept of
Christendom was fragmented
• Development of centralized bureaucracies
(the foundation of the modern nation-state)
-Decline of Feudalism
• European castles became massive stone
structures, as they were in the east, rather
than smaller wooden buildings as they had
typically been in the past.
Lessons Learned
• Chief lesson was the advantage of a
combined arms
• Realized need for infantry support
- Bowmen used to counter Saracen
missiles
- Offer shelter for cavalry to after a charge
• Building of new castles similar to ones
built in the east
Battle of Crecy, 26 August 1346
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French forces numbered approximately
36,000.
English forces numbered approximately
12,000 of which 7,000 were archers.
The battle line was approximately 2,000
yards wide
The English army, occupying the top of a
gentle ridge near the town, consisted of
three groups of men-at-arms and spearmen,
with archers placed on their sides. The
archers formed ranks resembling an
outward V.
Charles VIII and the end feudal war
King of France (1483–98 )
 Decided to conquer Naples (1495)

– More of parade
– Cautious tactics commical
Italian states and HRE leagued against
him
 Battle of Fornovo

– After the battle Italian Marquis came to
ransom friends and relatives shocked they
were all dead
– Modern artillery vs. Infantry
– Nation state vs. limited interest city states
SWISS INFANTRY
 THE
PHALANX
 THEY USED LONG PIKES (18-21 FT)
 USED THE HALBERD
 HIGHLY TRAINED AND DISCIPLINED
 SOUGHT AFTER AS MERCENARIES
16th Century Weapons

Naval Weapons
– Ship of the line under Henry VIII
 Increased
length to beam to improve maneuverability
and handling
 Portholes allowed heavy guns to be maintained below
the center of gravity of the ship
 Ships built for combat
 Harness gun recoil to permit quick reloading
– Broadside technique
 Permanent
Fighting Instructions
 Formalized tactics
16th Century Weapons
 Naval
Weapons
– Ship smashing Guns
 Breach
loaded
 Muzzle loaded
– Cannon – heavy iron (50 lbs) at medium range
– Culverin – light iron (17 lbs) at long range
 Demi-cannon
–32 lb shot
 Demi-culverin 9lb shot
– Saker – 5 lb shot
– Minion – 4 lb shot
The impact of
Gunpowder and Firearms
 THE
DISCOVERER OF GUNPOWDER
IS UNKNOWN
 14TH CENTURY
 THE EARLIEST FIREARMS WERE
INNACURATE, SHORT OF RANGE,
SLOW TO FIRE, HEAVY, AWKWARD,
AND DANGEROUS
 THE COST
Gun Powder and Firearms
Gunpowder first appeared written about
before 1249
 First written documentation was in 1304
 “pot-de-fer” dart-throwing vase
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– Siege of Metz in 1324
– Edward III in Scotland in 1327
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1339 firearm called the “ribauldequin”:
– Primitive iron tubes fired simultaneously (12)
– Edward III against France
Firearms developed rapidly in the 14th
century
 Cannons were used at Calais by Edward

Gun Powder and Firearms
 1391
iron shot introduced
 25 inch bombards were used
 Hand-guns in 1364
– Small cannon on small stock fired by a
single man
– 10 lbs and was fired by applying a
match to a touch-hole
– Lead bullets
Gun Powder and Firearms
 Match-lock
– Cock that held the match and a trigger
that would bring it down to a pan with a
primer
– German invention – hakenbusche
– Spanish – arquebus
– England – cavilar
– First infantry firearm
Gun Powder and Firearms
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Valor gave way to mechanical art
Social class did not matter if you had the superior
weapon
– All men are now alike on the battle field
Gave life to the Renaissance
– Shattered medieval order physically and
morally
War was a means to a political end
Power was the deciding factor
Foot soldier was the strong arm of the military
again
War can be won by industry than actual clash of
16th Century Weapons
 Spanish
introduced the musket with
a range of 300 yards
– Heavier
– Complex operation
– 2-3 shots per minute
 Accepted
because it was
– More accurate
– Great range
– Knock down power
– Arquebus was still used by skirmishers
16th Century Weapons

To date firearms required two hands
– Match plus weapon
– Cavalry at a disadvantage
Wheellock 1515 allowed the cavalry to use
one hand
 Cavalry carried three weapons

– Two in holsters and one in the right boot
– Fire all three, drop the last and draw sword or
retire to reload (needed both hands)
16th Century Weapons
 Wheellock
for muskets and
arquebuses was having mechanical
problems
– Spring weakened after time
– Rough handling ruined the wheel
 Matchlock
remained the prevailing
weapon for another century
THE CAVALRYMAN’S EFFORT
TO DEFEND
 CHAIN
MAIL WAS REPLACED BY
PLATE ARMOR
 THE WEIGHT OF A KNIGHT’S ARMOR
INCREASED
 THE ARMOR PROTECTION OF
HORSES INCREASED
 BY THE END OF THE 14TH CENTURY
 MOBILITY