Download The Crusades

The Crusades
God Calls All to Take up the Cause
Pope Urban II Makes the Call
See this link for
various versions of
Pope Urban II speech
that started the First
Crusade and an
accompanying
lecture:
The Holy Crusades
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The Crusades
The First Crusade : 1096 to 1099
 The Second Crusade : 1147 to 1149
 The Third Crusade : 1189 to 1192
 The Fourth Crusade : 1201 to 1204
 The Fifth Crusade : 1218 to 1221
 The Sixth Crusade : 1228 to 1229
 The Seventh Crusade : 1248 to 1254
 The Eighth Crusade : 1270
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Military Aspects
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There were several Crusades but the first four are the
most prominent with the First and the Third being the
most famous. (see links for these on previous slide). The
Fourth Crusade sacked Constantinople from within.
Overall the Crusades were a military failure in that the
Crusading knights could not hold captured lands for any
lengthy amount of time and failed to free the Holy Land
from Muslim control.
Later crusades were held mostly to pillage and plunder
the wealthier cities of the Middle East. One of the more
bizarre crusades was The Children's Crusades (1212).
Results Of The Crusades
Broadened European’s Outlook
Crusaders observed new ideas, powerful
governments, large cities and robust
trade.
 They brought back new tastes for Oriental
goods such as silk and spices.
 The things they saw inspired new ideas
about towns and trade.
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Stimulated Towns and Trade
Increased European demand for Oriental
goods.
 Trade grew from this demand and towns
grew due to this new trade.
 Money came back into use again.
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Strengthened The Kings
Many feudal lords went on Crusade and many
were killed or bankrupted by funding these
Crusades.
 The new merchant class and townspeople who
were arising supported the kings because they
gave them town charters that removed them
from feudal dues. Instead the towns gave the
kings taxes that allowed them to rearm and gain
their power back.
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Weakened Serfdom
Some serfs went on Crusades and gained their
freedom or escaped.
 Many serfs now escaped to the new towns that
were popping up everywhere.
 Kings made laws that stated that any serf who
remained free from their feudal lord for a year
and a day was proclaimed a free man. Kings did
this to hurt the feudal lords so the kings could
regain their power.
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Learning Encouraged
Muslims had preserved Greek and Roman
learning.
 The Europeans cam back into contact with
Greco-Roman learning when they came
through the Byzantine Empire.
 Europeans saw Muslim universities and
scholars which later sparked the rebirth of
learning in Italy (the Renaissance.)
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Long Range Impact
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See this Flow Chart Impact of Crusades on
Late Medieval Europe