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The Crusades lasted 176 years from 1095 until 1271

The Crusades lasted 176 years from 1095 until 1271

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.  One of the main purposes of the crusades was to make [[Jerusalem]] safe for Christian pilgrimages.  Fed up with reports of the murdering of defenseless Christian pilgrims, 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]].  The Seljuk Turks ruled from the 1000s to the 1200s, and did particularly well under its ruler [[Malik Shah]], who died in 1092.  But some Moslems were unhappy with being ruled by the Turks, and once Malik died dissension in the Islamic world grew.

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.  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 fro 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]].

  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 Moslems

were unhappy with being ruled by the Turks, and once Malik died dissension in

the Islamic world grew.

The Byzantine emperor, [[Alexius Comnenus]], had been repeatedly beaten by the Seljuk Turks and he asked the pope for help to defeat the Moslems.  He promised a reunion of the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] and to give Byzantine lands (“[[fiefs]]”) to victorious knights from the [[feudal]] west.

The Byzantine emperor, [[Alexius Comnenus]], had inherited an empire that had

been destroyed by Seljuk and Patzinak Turks and he asked the pope for mercenary

help to defeat the Moslems.  He promised a reunion of the [[Eastern Orthodox

Church]] and the [[Western Church]] and to give Byzantine lands (“[[fiefs]]”)

to victorious knights from the [[feudal]] west.

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 in the crusade, he urged a huge crowd to protect Christian pilgrims from the 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 wear a tunic with a large red cross on it.

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

in the crusade, he urged a huge crowd to protect Christian pilgrims from the

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 stictch 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.

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 already overwhelming.  It proceeded to capture [[Nicaea]] in 1097, and went onward to Jerusalem despite intense fighting and hardship.

When the western forces reached [[Constantinople]] to join with Alexius’

soldiers, the western army was almost 20,000 men.  It proceeded to capture

[[Nicaea]] in 1097, and went onward to Jerusalem despite intense fighting,

Moslem 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.  Some people say that the Christian crusaders massacred the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the process.  But it was a huge military victory and Jerusalem was temporarily made safe for the pilgrims.  

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.  Merchants participated also in the hope of establishing new trade connections.  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.

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 Moslem 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.

A Second Crusade in 1147-49 was a failure.  In 1187 the Muslims captured Jerusalem under their leader [[Saladin]], and 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]] the Lion-Hearted of England.  The first returned home after an argument on the way to Jerusalem, and the second drowned; only King Richard saw the mission through.

A Second Crusade in 1147-49 was a failure, owing to the French King's insistence

on betraying and attacking his only Moslem ally, Damascus.  In 1187 the Muslims

captured Jerusalem under their leader [[Saladin]], and 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]]

the Lion-Hearted of England.  The first returned home after an argument with

Richard at Acre, and the second drowned; only King Richard saw the mission

through.

Two subsequent crusades were tragic.  The Fourth Crusade (1202-04) Never reached the Holy Land and ended with the crusaders’ sacking Constantinople—a Christian City—wounding it forever and embittering the East against the West.  A Children’s Crusade (1212) consisted of peasants leading thousands of children on a mission of love to Jerusalem, but the children either drowned or were taken and sold into slavery.  The later Crusades lost their religious motivation. Instead, they were motivated by greed and ambition.

Two subsequent crusades were tragic.  The Fourth Crusade (1202-04) Never reached

the Holy Land and ended with the crusaders’ sacking Constantinople — a Christian

City — 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 Christian Genovese merchants and sold as

slaves to, ironically, the Moslem 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 our 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”)

It seems that the Christian armies lost sight of our 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

The Crusades went against our Christian teachings and the words of Christ, “love thy neighbor as thyself” “turn the other cheek” etc.

The Crusades went against our Christian teachings and the words of Christ, “love

thy neighbor as thyself” “turn the other cheek” etc.