First Crusade History

The Byzantine Empire

• The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was a large, Greek-speaking empire that controlled much of the eastern Mediterranean.
• The capital of the Byzantine Empire was the city of Constantinople, which is now called Istanbul.
• The power and influence of the Byzantine Empire had been dwindling due to the expansion of various Islamic powers.

Causes of the Crusades

• The expansion of Islam led to the Crusades, a series of holy wars launched by Christian powers to reconquer land acquired by Muslims.
• The most important goal of the Crusaders was control of the city of Jerusalem, which was holy to Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike.

The First Crusade

• The First Crusade took place between 1096 and 1099.
• The Crusade was sparked by the Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, who asked for help from Western Europe in order to retake territory lost to the Turks.
• Pope Urban II agreed to help and called for a crusade at the Council of Clermont in 1095.

The Council of Clermont

• At the Council of Clermont, Pope Urban II used anti-Muslim propaganda to stir up religious fervor among Europeans.
• He promised tangible rewards to people who participated in the Crusades, including land in and around Jerusalem.
• The pope also offered indulgences to Crusaders, which reduced their time in purgatory.

The Crusader States

• The Crusaders captured Jerusalem and set up a number of Crusader states in the Middle East, including the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the County of Edessa, the County of Tripoli, and the Principality of Antioch.
• Control of these kingdoms was tenuous due to the growing strength of the Turks and Arab empires.

The People's Crusade

• The People's Crusade consisted of ordinary people who sought to fight in the Holy Land, led by Peter the Hermit.
• Up to 40,000 peasants participated in the Crusade, motivated by religious fervor, but most of them died.

Effects of the Crusades

• The Crusades led to the capture of Jerusalem and the formation of Crusader states, temporarily halting the expansion of Islam.
• The Crusades also exposed Europeans to a variety of goods from the Middle East and the Far East, leading to the rise of Italian city-states as major trading powers and ultimately the Era of Exploration.

Explore the history of the First Crusade which took place during the 11th century involving powerful Christian nations like the Byzantine Empire, The Holy Roman Empire, and the Kingdom of France. Learn about the Byzantine Empire, its capital Constantinople (now Istanbul), and the events leading to the First Crusade.