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Thou Shall Not Kill
(Unless on a Crusade!)
1066–1500
Lesson Objective:
to understand why the crusades took place.
Keywords:
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Crusade - a war fought for a religious cause; also
called a Holy War or War of the Cross
Holy Land - modern day Jerusalem
 Why did the crusades happen?
 What inspires people to fight?
Why is Jerusalem so important?
You might have seen or read news about violence in the
Middle East.
There has been conflict (fighting) and violence in the
region called the Holy Land for a long time.
Part of the reason is that it is an important religious place
for three different religions; Islam, Judaism and
Christianity.
 Islam – Jerusalem is the home of a very important mosque (a
Muslim place of worship). It is where the founder of the faith, the
Prophet Muhammad stayed. Muslims believe in the teaching of
the Prophet Muhammad and read the Koran.
 Christianity – The hill of Calvary in Jerusalem was
the place where Jesus Christ died. From the fourth
century, Christian pilgrims from all over the world
came to visit Jerusalem. Christians believe that
Jesus Christ is the son of God and read the bible.
 Judaism – In AD 70, the Romans destroyed the most important
temple of the Jewish faith that had been built by King David. But
Jerusalem is still one of the holiest cities for Jewish people. Jewish
people believe in one God and read the Torah.
Why did the crusades take place?
In 1095, Pope Urban II
preached a sermon
asking people to go on a
crusade. His plan was to
take the Holy Land away
from the Turks. His words
inspired kings, knights,
soldiers and an army of
children to leave Europe
to fight.
Urban's speech
“Jerusalem is the navel of the world. This royal city is now
held captive by her enemies and is enslaved by a people
which does not acknowledge God.”
“All men going there who die, whether on the journey or
while fighting the pagans [non-Christians], will immediately
be forgiven their sins” extracts from Pope Urban’s speech.
Why does Pope Urban II want people to
go on crusades?
What happened during the crusades?
The First Crusade ran from 1097 to 1099. Its leaders
included Robert of Normandy and Godfrey of Bouillon.
Jerusalem was stormed (soldiers try to take over the city)
successfully in 1099 and a Christian kingdom set up.
The Second Crusade ran from 1147 to 1149 and was led
by Louis VII of France and the Holy Roman Emperor,
Conrad III. The two quarrelled (fought) and the barons
(rulers) of the Kingdom of Jerusalem made an alliance with
the Muslim leader, Damascus.
How was England involved in the crusades?
King Richard I spent all but six months of his reign away
fighting in the crusades. The English were heavily taxed to
pay for his campaigns (his battles). Richard and his army
fought several successful battles during the Third Crusade
against the Turks. He aimed to recapture Jerusalem, but he
couldn’t do so. However, the crusaders did gain the coast
and pilgrimages (religious trips) to Jerusalem were allowed.
How do you think the
English felt about Richard I?
Richard’s shield had lions on it because he
was known as Richard the “Lionheart.”
The last crusades
The Fourth Crusade, from 1202 to 1204, was
originally intended to attack Egypt, which was the
centre of Muslim power. Instead, the crusaders
attacked Constantinople (capital of the Byzantium
Empire). Pope Innocent III was horrified and freed the
crusaders from their vow to proceed to the Holy Land.
The Children’s Crusade happened in 1212, when about
10,000 children from France, Germany and the
Netherlands went to recapture Jerusalem. They were
motivated by religious devotion. They did not reach their
goal and most either died on the trip or were sold into
slavery.
What does this information suggest
about the success of the crusades?
The end of the crusades
The enthusiasm for the crusades died down in the
fourteenth century, mainly due to the Black Death and
the Hundred Years War.
The Turks grew in power under the Ottomans, and all
attempts in this area were simply trying to keep the
Turks from expanding into Europe.
What did people gain from the crusades?
The crusaders brought back new ideas about building.
They learned how to make their castles stronger and how
to make better weapons. They brought back rugs which
they hung on walls as well as putting them on the floors.
This made life in castles much less cold and damp (a little
wet).
Trade between Europe and the Middle East increased and
sugar, rice, apricots and cotton were brought to England
for the first time.
European scholars gained access
to Classical Greek and Roman
teachings that had survived
because of Arabic scholars.
1. What does the word Crusade mean?
2. Where did most Crusades take place?
3. Write down the names of the three main religions who
wanted Jerusalem. Next to each, write down why
Jerusalem was important to them.
**Essential Questions**
Why did the crusades happen?
Why do people fight?
 Dear ………
 I am writing from Jerusalem. I’m here fighting a crusade against
the …….
You need to include:
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Your job (knight, poor person, churchmen)
Who you are fighting
Why you went on a crusade
Weapons you used
What you have learned & seen