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Line 1: − + − The most famous military activity in the feudal period was the “Crusades”, a+ − series of wars covering nearly 200 years, from A.D. 1096-1291. Only the First − Crusade and to a lesser extent the Third Crusade were successful in terms of military goals. One of the − main purposes of the crusades was to make [[Jerusalem]] safe for [[Christian]] − pilgrimages. At the request of the Byzantine Emperor, who wished for a − mercenary force to aid his reconquest of his lands, in 1095 [[Pope Urban II]] − called for feudal [[knights]] to retake the [[Holy Land]] from the [[Seljuk Turks]]. The Seljuk Turks seemed almost invincible as fighters, having − conquered [[Asia Minor]] and even beating the once-mighty [[Byzantine Empire]] (due to treachery). − The Seljuk Turks ruled from the 1000s to the 1200s, and did particularly well under one particular ruler, [[Malik Shah]], who died in 1092. But some [[Muslims]] − were unhappy with being ruled by the Turks, and once Malik died, dissension in − − + − + − help to defeat the Muslims. He promised a reunion of the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] and the [[Catholic Church]] and to give Byzantine lands (“[[fiefs]]”) − − At the [[Council at Clermont]] in southern France, Pope Urban II gave a famous+ − speech. Promising [[absolution]] and assurance of salvation to anyone who died − − Turks. He demanded that all internal feuds end and he threatened − [[excommunication]] for anyone who continued to bicker internally. Those who − decided to fight in the crusades were said to be “taking up the cross,” because − they would stitch small crosses onto their tunics. − At first [[Peter the Hermit]] answered the call of Pope Urban and led an+ − unprepared group of peasants in the first mission, which failed. But news of − its failure led to renewed determination by the Christians, and a well-equipped − religious mission led by the [[Normans]] was formed. This became known as the First − Crusade. − When the western forces reached [[Constantinople]] to join with Alexius’+ − soldiers, the western army was almost 20,000 men. It proceeded to capture+ − − mostly between the various factions within the Crusade as opposed to with any − Muslim enemies and hardship. − In 1099 the First Crusade invaded and succeeded in capturing Jerusalem, and set+ − up four feudal kingdoms that would remain for nearly 100 years. However, the+ − Christian crusaders massacred the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and many other − towns in the process. But it was a huge military victory and Jerusalem was − temporarily made safe for the pilgrims. − A mixture of Christian spirituality and military adventure motivated the+ − participants in the Crusades like never before in history and perhaps never − since. Genovese Merchants participated also in the hope of undermining − Venice's trade links with Muslim [[Egypt]]. Many of the crusaders were acting to − advance the cause of Christianity. This was not necessarily true for all of − − from taxation from the time that he “took up the cross,” until he returned from − the war. − − A '''Second Crusade''' in 1147-49 was a failure, owing to the French King's insistence − on betraying and attacking his only Muslim ally, [[Damascus]]. In 1187 the Muslims − captured Jerusalem under their leader [[Saladin]], which brought about a new call for a Crusade. − '''The Third Crusade''' (1189-92) had the limited success of obtaining a truce from Saladin that+ − promised to allow Christian pilgrimage to Jerusalem. That Crusade was led by − the leaders of [[France]] and the [[Holy Roman Empire]] and [[King Richard]] − − Richard at Acre, and the second drowned; only King Richard saw the mission − through, and afterwards it took him years before he was able to return to his own land. (The story of [[Robin Hood]] uses this as a backdrop) − Two subsequent crusades were tragic. '''The Fourth Crusade''' (1202-04) Never reached+ − − City and the capital of the [[Byzantine Empire]] — wounding it forever and embittering the East against the West further than the previous Crusades had done. − A '''Children’s Crusade''' (1212) consisted of+ − peasants leading up to a thousand children on a mission of love to Jerusalem, − but the children were captured by Genovese merchants who sold them as − slaves to the Muslim powers of North Africa. − The later Crusades+ − saw a revival in religious motivation, indeed, '''the Fifth Crusade''' and the+ − Crusade of St. Louis both nearly succeeded in regaining Jerusalem by way of − attacking Egypt and failed only through the greed of men like [[Robert of Artois]]. − It seems that the Christian armies lost sight of the Christian goals to bring and spread+ − love and Christianity along the way, got drunk with power and glory, and decided − to pillage towns and murder people (note that this is breaking many commandments − “thou shalt not murder.” “thou shalt not steal”), although this murder and − pillage did, in it's own perverse way, spread the faith through fear, and − focused instead on founding feudal states instead of the Catholic Theocracy − dreamed of by Diambert of Pisa, the second Patriarch of Jerusalem. − +
more information, a crusade is more than just those in the holy land, also the legacy is more mixed
{{Middle Ages}}
{{Middle Ages}}
[[Image:Crusader.jpg|thumb|200px|right|A returning [[Crusader]]]]
[[Image:Crusader.jpg|thumb|200px|right|A returning [[Crusader]]]]
The '''Crusades''' lasted 176 years from 1095 until 1271
The '''Crusades''' were a series of military conflicts involving Christian knights who fought to defend Christians and to regain lost Christian domains. Most often, the term “Crusades” refers to the campaigns in the Holy Land against Muslim forces sponsored by the Papacy, of which there were four. There were other crusades in the Holy Land lead by private royal armies, as well as crusades against Islamic forces in southern Spain, southern Italy, and Sicily. Furthermore, the campaigns of Teutonic knights against pagan strongholds in Eastern Europe are also sometimes called crusades. Lastly, military action within Christendom lead against heretical and schismatic groups is also sometimes called a crusade. The four papal-sponsored crusades aimed at securing the Holy Land lasted from A. D. 1097 to 1204.
Of the four papal-sponsored crusades in the Holy Land, only the first and (to a lesser extent) third crusades were successful in terms of their military goals. Though Jerusalem was held for nearly a century and other strongholds in the Near East would remain in Christian possession much longer, the crusades in the Holy Land ultimately failed to establish permanent Christian kingdoms. The fourth crusade resulted in a very damaged relationship between Greek and Latin Christendom. Islamic expansion into Europe would renew and remain a threat for centuries, with courageous crusading orders establishing strongholds on Mediterranean islands that often, against all odds, managed to prevent Christendom from suffering from Islamic conquest. On the other hand, the crusades in southern Spain, southern Italy, and Sicily were militarily successful, eventually leading to the demise of Islamic power in the regions – powers which had established themselves since the first Islamic Jihad-conquests of the eighth and ninth centuries. The Teutonic knights expanded Christian domains in Eastern Europe, and the much less frequent crusades within Christendom, such as the [[Albigensian Crusade]], achieved their goal of maintaining doctrinal unity.<ref>For such an analysis, see Brian Tierney and Sidney Painter, ''Western Europe in the Middle Ages 300–1475''. 6th ed. (McGraw-Hill 1998)</ref>
the Islamic world grew.
The Byzantine emperor, [[Alexius Comnenus]], had inherited an empire that had
== Holy Land Crusades ==
been decimated by Seljuk and Patzinak Turks and he asked the pope for mercenary
The Holy Land had been part of the Roman Empire, and thus Byzantine Empire, until the Islamic conquests of the seventh and eighth centuries. Thereafter, Christians had generally been permitted to visit the sacred places in the Holy Land until 1071, when the [[Seljuk Turks]] closed Christian pilgrimages and assailed the Byzantines, defeating them at the [[Battle of Manzikert]]. Emperor [[Alexius I]] asked for aid from [[Pope Urban II]] (1088–1099) for help against Islamic aggression. He probably expected money from the pope for the hiring of mercenaries. Instead, Urban II called upon the knights of Christendom to fight for the defense of the Christian East and the protection of pilgrims in a speech made at the [[Council of Clermont]] on 27 November 1095. Urban demanded that all internal feuds within Christendom end, threatening excommunication for anyone who continued to bicker internally, and promising [[absolution]] and assurance of salvation to anyone who died in the crusade.
to victorious knights from the [[feudal]] west.
The crusades began with an odd start. The peasantry, excited by the notion of a crusade, and stirred by the preaching of the layman [[Peter the Hermit]], embarked on a disorganized and poorly supplied “crusade”, which failed utterly, being rather unwelcome in the cities they stopped in on their journey, and being slaughtered by the first Islamic army they met. This was an unofficial, impromptu affair involving the peasantry, and which was warned, and forbidden, by the Christian feudal lords and the papacy alike.
in the crusade, he urged a huge crowd to protect Christian pilgrims from the
The [[First Crusade]], properly speaking, was lead by Feudal lords, mostly of Frankish origin. Many of the knights left home never expecting to return, knowing virtually nothing about the Holy Land, and trusting in God for victory. The army consisted of almost 20,000 men, including a mass of squires and other servants necessary to support a mounted knight. The army captured [[Nicaea]] in 1097, Antioch in 1099 and then Jerusalem. The Crusaders massacred the inhabitants of Jerusalem (and it should be noted that, in explaining why the crusaders ultimately failed, contemporary churchmen pointed out the sins of the crusaders). Four feudal kingdoms were established, which would remain for nearly 100 years. Crusading orders, consisting of paladins, were also set up.
The [[Second Crusade]] occurred in 1145 when Edessa was retaken by Islamic forces. It was ultimately a failure, owing in part to the French king's insistence on betraying and attacking his only Muslim ally, [[Damascus]]. In 1187 the Muslims
captured Jerusalem under their leader [[Saladin]], which brought about a new call for a Crusade.
[[Nicaea]] in 1097, and went onward to Jerusalem despite intense fighting,
The [[Third Crusade]] (1189-92) is famous for the battles between [[Richard I of England|Richard the Lionheart]] and [[Saladin]], highlighted by the deep respect the two enemies had for each other, and the sense of chivalric honor of King Richard. The crusade also involved the king of France (who returned home after an argument with
Richard at Acre) and the Holy Roman Emperor (who drowned en route). The crusade had the limited success of obtaining a truce from Saladin that promised to allow Christian pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
The [[Fourth Crusade]], begun by [[Innocent III]] in 1202, intended to retake the Holy Land but was soon subverted by Venetians who used the forces to sack the Christian city of Zara. Innocent excommunicated the Venetians and crusaders. Eventually the crusaders arrived in Constantinople, but due to strife which arose between them and the [[Byzantines]], rather than proceed to the Holy Land the crusaders instead sacked Constantinople and other parts of Asia Minor effectively establishing the Latin Empire of Constantinople in Greece and Asia Minor . Both Zara and Constantinople were Christian cities, and the ultimate effect was a severely damaged relationship between Greek and Latin Christendom.
the crusaders. Criminals who fought were pardoned, and a crusader was exempt
This was effectively the last crusade sponsored by the papacy; later crusades were sponsored by individuals. The Fifth Crusade and the crusade of St. Louis both nearly succeeded in regaining Jerusalem by way of attacking Egypt and failed only through the greed of men like [[Robert of Artois]].
the Lion-Hearted of England. The first returned home after an argument with
Legends tell of a so-called Children’s crusade, where a mass of peasant children, enthused at the notion of a holy war, embarked to the Holy Land, only to be captured by greedy Genovese merchant men and sold into slavery before ever leaving Europe. Historians, though divided, generally consider this event to be a fiction.
the Holy Land and ended with the crusaders’ sacking Constantinople — a Christian
Thus, though Jerusalem was held for nearly a century and other strongholds in the Near East would remain in Christian possession much longer, the crusades in the Holy Land ultimately failed to establish permanent Christian kingdoms. Islamic expansion into Europe would renew and remain a threat for centuries culminating in the campaigns of [[Suleiman the Magnificent]] in the sixteenth century.
== Analysis ==
A mixture of Christian spirituality and military adventure motivated the participants in the Crusades like never before in history and perhaps never since. Genovese Merchants participated also in the hope of undermining Venice's trade links with Muslim [[Egypt]]. Many of the crusaders were acting to advance the cause of Christianity. This was not necessarily true for all of the crusaders. Criminals who fought were pardoned, and a crusader was exempt from taxation from the time that he “took up the cross,” until he returned from the war.
Much is often made of the absolution from sins granted to crusaders who died in the holy wars. However, absolution was readily available, either though confession or, if the nobleman wish for a more dramatic gesture, retirement into a monastery and a life of contemplative prayer. Surely, it was the sense of heroic adventure that made this form of absolution attractive to the warrior elite. Neither is it a foreign concept to the modern observer to believe that a man who dies in war defending his fellowman, country, or allies, might be accepted into heaven on the grounds of his selfless sacrifice.
The Crusades went against many Christian teachings.
The legacy of the crusades is certainly mixed, and the crusaders have been remembered by some as heroes and by some as villains. Certainly, history furnished examples of both kinds of crusader. Likewise, the overall morality of the war raises questions of the just war doctrine, and opinions naturally vary.
[[Category:History]]
[[Category:History]]
[[category:crusades]]
[[category:crusades]]