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{{Middle Ages}}

{{Middle Ages}}

[[Image:Crusader.jpg|thumb|200px|right|A returning [[Crusader]]]]

[[Image:Crusader.jpg|thumb|200px|right|A returning [[Crusader]]]]

The '''Crusades''' were a series of military conflicts fought between [[Europe]]an [[Christians]] and [[Arab]] [[Muslims]] to regain the [[Holy Land]].  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 knight]]s 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 occured between A. D. 1097 and 1204.

The '''Crusades''' were a series of military conflicts fought between [[Europe]]an [[Christians]] and [[Arab]] [[Muslims]] to regain the [[Holy Land]].  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 knight]]s 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 occurred between A. D. 1097 and 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 [[Orthodox Church|Greek]] and [[Roman Catholic|Latin]] Christendom.  [[Islam]]ic 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]] were militarily successful, eventually leading to the demise of Islamic power in the region in 1492 A.D. – a power which had existed there 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>

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 [[Orthodox Church|Greek]] and [[Roman Catholic|Latin]] Christendom.  [[Islam]]ic 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]] were militarily successful, eventually leading to the demise of Islamic power in the region in 1492 A.D. – a power which had existed there 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 First Crusade ==

== The First Crusade ==

The [[First Crusade]], properly speaking, was lead by Feudal lords, mostly of [[Franks|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 [[squire]]s and other servants necessary to support a mounted knight.  Arriving at Constantinople the force, which eventually reached almost 50,000 total men, was not what the Byzantine Emperor [[Alexius]] had expected.  He had hoped for a few thousand well trained mercanaries to help him retake his lands from the Turks, and had little in common with the goal of 'freeing the Holy Land'.  An uneasy tension ensued from 1096 to 1097 as the forces gathered, but through a combination of firmness and diplomacy, Alexius avoided serious complications. In return for his assurance of assistance, he obtained oaths of allegiance from the Crusader leaders, and their promise that they would help recapture [[Nicaea]] from the Turks and return to him any other former possessions which they conquered.  Alexius then transported them across the Bosporus - being careful not to allow any large number of Crusader forces inside the walls of his capital at any given time.  He also provided them with food and with an escort of Byzantine troops to guide them towards their objectives (and incidentally to prevent Crusader plundering).<ref>Encyclopedia of Military History, Dupuy & Dupuy, 1979, Pg. 312-313</ref>  

The [[First Crusade]], properly speaking, was lead by Feudal lords, mostly of [[Franks|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 [[squire]]s and other servants necessary to support a mounted knight.  Arriving at Constantinople the force, which eventually reached almost 50,000 total men, was not what the Byzantine Emperor [[Alexius]] had expected.  He had hoped for a few thousand well trained mercenaries to help him retake his lands from the Turks, and had little in common with the goal of 'freeing the Holy Land'.  An uneasy tension ensued from 1096 to 1097 as the forces gathered, but through a combination of firmness and diplomacy, Alexius avoided serious complications. In return for his assurance of assistance, he obtained oaths of allegiance from the Crusader leaders, and their promise that they would help recapture [[Nicaea]] from the Turks and return to him any other former possessions which they conquered.  Alexius then transported them across the Bosporus - being careful not to allow any large number of Crusader forces inside the walls of his capital at any given time.  He also provided them with food and with an escort of Byzantine troops to guide them towards their objectives (and incidentally to prevent Crusader plundering).<ref>Encyclopedia of Military History, Dupuy & Dupuy, 1979, Pg. 312-313</ref>  

After a hard march to the Holy Land, the army captured invested Nicaea in 1097.  By a combination of skillful fighting and skillfull diplomacy, Alexius arrnage for the surrender of the city to him after a successful Crusader-Byzantine assault on the outer walls.  The Crusaders were upset at Alexius' refusal to give them permission to sack the city.

After a hard march to the Holy Land, the army captured invested Nicaea in 1097.  By a combination of skillful fighting and skillful diplomacy, Alexius arrange for the surrender of the city to him after a successful Crusader-Byzantine assault on the outer walls.  The Crusaders were upset at Alexius' refusal to give them permission to sack the city.

The Crusaders continued to the southeast in parallel columns, without any one commander in charge.  After fighting the inconclusive [[Battle of Dorylaeum]], the army split in half. Tancred and Baldwin, brother of Godfrey of Lorraine and future King of Jerusalem, went east took the Armenian fortress-city of [[Edessa]] - an action that destroyed the support of many local Armenian Christians for the Crusade, and weakened it's internal bonds, as Balwin and Tancred's men clashed over posession of the city, with Baldwin emerging triumphant. The main body of the army continued onward and besieged [[Antioch]].  The city was surrounded for 8 months from October 21, 1097 to June 3, 1098.  Two relieving armies were driven off in the [[Battles of Harenc]] in December and February.  Due to poor arrangements for supplies, the Crusading army was actually close to starvation, but was saved by the fortuitous arrival of English and Pisan flotillas which seized two nearby ports and brought provisions.  Bickering among the Crusader leaders, especially [[Bohemund]] and [[Raymond]] was rampant.  The initiative of Bohemund led to the capture of Antioch just 2 days before a relieving army of 75,000 strong under the atabeg of Mosul, [[Kerboga]] would arrived, delayed itself after a fruitless three-week long attempt to dislodge Baldwin from Edessa.

The Crusaders continued to the southeast in parallel columns, without any one commander in charge.  After fighting the inconclusive [[Battle of Dorylaeum]], the army split in half. Tancred and Baldwin, brother of Godfrey of Lorraine and future King of Jerusalem, went east took the Armenian fortress-city of [[Edessa]] - an action that destroyed the support of many local Armenian Christians for the Crusade, and weakened it's internal bonds, as Balwin and Tancred's men clashed over possession of the city, with Baldwin emerging triumphant. The main body of the army continued onward and besieged [[Antioch]].  The city was surrounded for 8 months from October 21, 1097 to June 3, 1098.  Two relieving armies were driven off in the [[Battles of Harenc]] in December and February.  Due to poor arrangements for supplies, the Crusading army was actually close to starvation, but was saved by the fortuitous arrival of English and Pisan flotillas which seized two nearby ports and brought provisions.  Bickering among the Crusader leaders, especially [[Bohemund]] and [[Raymond]] was rampant.  The initiative of Bohemund led to the capture of Antioch just 2 days before a relieving army of 75,000 strong under the atabeg of Mosul, [[Kerboga]] would arrived, delayed itself after a fruitless three-week long attempt to dislodge Baldwin from Edessa.

Now it was the Crusaders turn to be trapped inside the city as Kerboga sieged Antioch from June 5, to June 28, 1098.  The Crusaders were cut off from supplies and again near starvation.  A Byzantine army was coming to take the city as agreed, but hearing that the Crusaders were doomed, turned back to Constantinople.  It was then the 'Holy Lance' was discovered; the weapon said to have pierced Jesus' side.  While few historians or theologians believe this miraculous discovery was valid, it energized the Crusader army at just the time they needed it.  The [[Battle of the Orontes]] was fought on June 28 where 15,000 Crusaders left Antioch to battle and drove off the entire Moslem army and broke the siege, helped in part by the decision of several of the local emirs serving under Kerbogha to abandon him during the battle, fearing that he coveted their territory.

Now it was the Crusaders turn to be trapped inside the city as Kerboga sieged Antioch from June 5, to June 28, 1098.  The Crusaders were cut off from supplies and again near starvation.  A Byzantine army was coming to take the city as agreed, but hearing that the Crusaders were doomed, turned back to Constantinople.  It was then the 'Holy Lance' was discovered; the weapon said to have pierced Jesus' side.  While few historians or theologians believe this miraculous discovery was valid, it energized the Crusader army at just the time they needed it.  The [[Battle of the Orontes]] was fought on June 28 where 15,000 Crusaders left Antioch to battle and drove off the entire Moslem army and broke the siege, helped in part by the decision of several of the local emirs serving under Kerbogha to abandon him during the battle, fearing that he coveted their territory.

Due to internal bickering, many of the Crusaders did not continue on to [[Jerusalem]].  The force that arrived in June 1099 was only about 12,000 strong, far fewer than the army of defenders.  They sieged the city from June 9 to July 18.  Realizing they didn't have enough men to keep out supplies and starve the defenders, they boldly attacked.  Overrunning the city, many of the inhabitants were massacred, including other Christians.  A relieving force of 50,000 strong arrived in August to fight the Crusaders, but were routed at the [[Battle of Ascalon]].  The military aspects of the First Crusade had ended.

Due to internal bickering, many of the Crusaders did not continue on to [[Jerusalem]].  The force that arrived in June 1099 was only about 12,000 strong, far fewer than the army of defenders.  They sieged the city from June 9 to July 18.  Realizing they didn't have enough men to keep out supplies and starve the defenders, they boldly attacked.  Overrunning the city, many of the inhabitants were massacred, including other Christians.  A relieving force of 50,000 strong arrived in August to fight the Crusaders, but were routed at the [[Battle of Ascalon]].  The military aspects of the First Crusade had ended.

Four feudal kingdoms were established, which would remain for nearly 100 years.  Several Military Orders, consisting of [[paladin]]s, were also set up within the next few years, focussing mainly around the protection of the welfare of pilgrims and the defense of Christendom within the framework of an orgainsation that was both spiritual and martial in nature. The best known of these orders were the Knights of the Temple, or [[Templars]], and the Knights of the Hostpital of St. John, or [[Hospitallers]]. The Hospitallers still exist today in the form of the Order of Malta and St. John's Ambulance.  

Four feudal kingdoms were established, which would remain for nearly 100 years.  Several Military Orders, consisting of [[paladin]]s, were also set up within the next few years, focusing mainly around the protection of the welfare of pilgrims and the defense of Christendom within the framework of an orgainsation that was both spiritual and martial in nature. The best known of these orders were the Knights of the Temple, or [[Templars]], and the Knights of the Hospital of St. John, or [[Hospitallers]]. The Hospitallers still exist today in the form of the Order of Malta and St. John's Ambulance.  

== The Second Crusade ==

== The Second Crusade ==