14 Crusades

In this section you will learn about the main causes of the Crusades.

• You will discover the outcome of the First Crusade and the other major crusades.

• Finally, you will find out how the Crusades affected Europe.

14 - The High Middle Ages

During the early Middle Ages, the people of western Europe developed new institutions based on Roman and Germanic cultures. Feudalism became the primary political system, and Manorialism was the primary economic system. The Christian church, too, played a strong role in political and economic growth. In this chapter, you will learn about changed in government, economics, culture, and religion during the later Middle Ages.

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Focus Questions

1. Why did Pope Urban III call for a crusade?

2. What did the crusaders achieve as a result of the First Crusade?

3. What evidence would you give to show that, from 1147 on, the Crusades were a failure?

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Vocabulary

Seljuq Turks: Muslim people from central Asia who gained control of Palestine during the late 1000s

Urban II: Pope who called upon Europeans to take back the Holy Land from the Seljuq Turks

Crusades: Expeditions by Christians to regain the Holy Land from the Muslims

Saladin: Muslim leader who regained control of Jerusalem and won the Third Crusade

Children’s Crusade: Short-lived, failed crusade in 1212 by young people from Europe who marched on the Holy Land to regain it for Christianity

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Section 1 Summary

During the late 1000's, the Seljuq Turks, a Muslim people from central Asia, gained control of Palestine. Christian pilgrims traveling to Palestine, (their “Holy Land”) reported being persecuted. The Turks attacked Asia Minor and threatened Constantinople. The Byzantine emperor called on Pope Urban II for help. Urban called together European feudal lords. He asked them to join together to win back the Holy Land. Thus began the Crusades, a series of military expeditions by Christians to seize Palestine from the Muslims. Some 10,000 Europeans took up the cause. They sewed crosses on their clothes and were called crusaders. Some crusaders went to save their souls; others, for adventure and wealth. In the First Crusade, French and Italian lords led armies from Europe to Palestine. After vicious battles, the crusaders captured Jerusalem and slaughtered its Muslim and Jewish residents.

The crusaders brought much of Palestine under European control. They introduced European customs and institutions such as feudalism, subdividing the land into fiefs with lords and vassals. Italian ships set up trade with Europe. Christians and Muslims who lived together gained more respect for each other. After about a century, the Turks began winning back their land.

In 1147 the Second Crusade began, led by Louis VII of France and Conrad III of Germany. Their combined forces failed to recapture Damascus. They returned to Europe in disgrace. In 1187 the Muslim leader Saladin gained control of Jerusalem. Frederick Barbarossa of the Holy Roman Empire, King Philip II of France, and King Richard I of England led the Third Crusade. Barbarossa drowned, and his army turned back. Philip and Richard quarreled, and Philip took his army home. Richard could not capture Jerusalem. He settled for a truce allowing Christians to enter Jerusalem.

For the Fourth Crusade, Pope Innocent II sent French knights on ships provided by the city-state of Venice. Along the way, they attacked Zadar, a trade rival of Venice. Then they attacked and looted Constantinople. They stole many items that were holy to Byzantine Christians. The Venetians gained control of Byzantine trade. In 1212 in the short-lived Children’s Crusade, young people from across Europe marched on the Holy Land. They lacked training, equipment, and supplies. They became a hungry, disorganized mob. The pope sent some home. Others were tricked onto ships that sold them into slavery. Thousands were lost.

The Crusades continued until 1291, when the Muslims captured the last Christian stronghold in Palestine. All the Crusades except the first failed in seizing Palestine from the Turks, however they had important effects on Europe.

First, the Crusades changed Europe by introducing new methods and weapons of war, such as the deadly crossbow and use of the catapult.

Second, many lords died or lost lands fighting the Crusades. Since there were fewer lords, the kings grew stronger.

Third, the crusaders returned with new ideas to enrich European culture, and trade increased between Europe and southwest Asia.

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Answers to the "Focus Questions"

1. Why did Pope Urban III call for a crusade?

• • Pope Urban III called for a crusade after a request by the Byzantine emperor to help defend Constantinople from invading Turks. Also, Christian pilgrims to Palestine reported that they had been persecuted by the Turks.

2. What did the crusaders achieve as a result of the First Crusade?

• The First Crusade brought much of Palestine under European control. They introduced feudalism and trade with Europe.

3. What evidence would you give to show that, from 1147 on, the Crusades were a failure?

• • From 1147 on, the Crusades were a failure because the Europeans were never able to take control of the Holy Land from the Turks. The later crusades also resulted in the destructions of Constantinople and the loss of thousands of children.

4. In what ways did the Crusades change Europe?

• • The Crusades changed Europe by introducing new methods and weapons of war. Second, since there were fewer lords, the kings grew stronger. The Christian church became more powerful and the popes took on more importance. Third, the crusaders returned home with new ideas to enrich European culture. There was also an increase of trade between Europe and southwest Asia.