The Crusades: Causes and Impact

• The Crusades were wars in the Middle Ages to reclaim Jerusalem for Christianity.
• Many crusaders saw these conflicts as holy wars and believed participation guaranteed them a place in heaven.
• The First Crusade was successful for the Western crusaders, but subsequent crusades had minimal impact.
• Crusader kingdoms established in the Middle East were short-lived.

Events Leading to the First Crusade

• The First Crusade began in the 11th century because of political instability in the Middle East.
• Jerusalem was under Islamic control from the 7th century, but Christian pilgrimages continued.
• The rise of the Seljuk Turks disrupted this status quo, posing a security risk to the Byzantine Empire and Western pilgrims.
• Byzantine Emperor Alexios I sought assistance from the Pope due to Seljuk expansion.
• Despite the East-West Schism of 1054, the Pope agreed to help, seeing it as an opportunity to reconcile the churches and reopen Jerusalem for pilgrims.
• Pope Urban II's preaching at the Council of Clermont in 1095 sparked the Crusades.
• The Pope promised absolution of sins for those who fought to defend Eastern Christians and reclaim Jerusalem.

Early Crusader Movements and Armies

• By the spring of 1096, soldiers and noblemen across Western Europe gathered, marking their commitment with fabric crosses on their clothing.
• Peter the Hermit led one of the earliest groups, famous for preaching the crusading cause.
• Some early crusader armies, under Count Emicho, engaged in violence against Jewish communities in the Rhineland.
• Crusaders passing through Hungary and Byzantine territories engaged in violence which resulted in conflict with locals.
• The People's Crusade, an early, disorganized movement, was quickly defeated by the Seljuk Turks.
• By 1097, the main Crusader armies had arrived in Constantinople and received support from the Byzantine Emperor.
• The agreement stipulated the return of reconquered Byzantine lands to the Eastern Christians.
• Raymond of Toulouse, Godfrey of Bouillon, and Bohemond of Taranto were prominent noblemen leading the forces.

Progress and Successes of the First Crusades

• The crusader armies advanced through Anatolia, capturing Nicaea and heading towards Jerusalem.
• The siege of Antioch was long and difficult, resulting in food shortages and desertion, but the Crusaders eventually captured the city.
• After capturing Antioch, the Crusaders marched to Jerusalem, then under Fatimid Muslim control.
• With reinforcements and siege equipment, the Crusaders breached the city walls in the summer of 1099.
• Victorious soldiers massacred the population of Jerusalem indiscriminately.
• The success of the First Crusade was seen as a miraculous act of God in Western Christendom.
• After the capture of Jerusalem, the crusaders established the crusader states of Outremer, including Tripoli, Edessa, and Antioch.
• Surrounded by a Muslim majority, the rulers of Outremer formed alliances with Muslim entities to ensure their survival.

The Second Crusade

• By 1144, the kingdom of Edessa had been lost to the Seljuk Turks, prompting Pope Eugene III to call for another crusade.
• The Second Crusade was led by German King Conrad III and King Louis VII of France, who arrived in Constantinople in 1147.
• The Second Crusade ended in failure, as Nur ad-Din deliberately destroyed Edessa, preventing its recapture.
• The crusader army attacked Damascus but was defeated by Nur ad-Din, ending the Second Crusade by 1148.

Rise of Saladin and the Third Crusade

• Nur ad-Din's expansion led to control over Egypt, with Saladin installed in Cairo.
• Saladin succeeded Nur ad-Din, becoming Sultan of both Egypt and Syria, and set his sights on the Crusader states.
• King Guy of Jerusalem's forces were defeated at the Battle of Hattin after being lured away from water sources.
• Saladin captured Jerusalem in 1187, prompting the Third Crusade.
• The Third Crusade was led by Richard the Lionheart of England, King Philip II of France, and Frederick Barbarossa of Germany.
• Richard the Lionheart had some success, recapturing Jaffa and Acre, and defeating Saladin at the Battle of Arsuf.
• Richard was forced to return to Europe due to depleted forces and the need to protect his interests at home.
• The Third Crusade failed to retake Jerusalem, ending in a truce in 1192, and Saladin died a year later.

Fourth Crusade

• The Fourth Crusade was called by Pope Innocent III, with French noblemen planning to invade Egypt.
• Led by Boniface of Montferrat, the crusaders acquired ships from Venice but lacked the necessary funds.
• Venetian Doge Enrico Dandolo, asked the crusaders to recapture Zara for Venice as payment.
• Pope Innocent III excommunicated the crusaders for attacking Zara.
• Alexios IV Angelos, promised the crusaders silver and troops for their campaign in Egypt and to place the Byzantine Empire under papal jurisdiction in return for restoring his rule.
• Despite reluctance, the main army attacked Constantinople, breaching its walls and capturing the city.
• The crusaders sacked Constantinople after not being paid, resulting in the collapse of the Byzantine Empire and the looting of treasures.

Later Crusades and Decline

• Crusading declined after the Fourth Crusade.
• The Fifth Crusade was fought by Hungarian and Austrian soldiers, who were offered Jerusalem in exchange for peace but refused and were defeated.
• The Sixth Crusade, led by Frederick II, resulted in the peaceful return of Jerusalem via negotiation.
• Jerusalem was back in Muslim hands by 1244, leading to the Seventh and Eighth Crusades, led by Louis IX of France, which failed.
• Louis IX was captured and ransomed during the Seventh Crusade.
• Louis IX died during the Eighth Crusade.
• The Ninth Crusade, led by Edward I of England, lasted less than a year due to issues at home.
• As Western Europe's enthusiasm waned, the remaining Crusader states were captured by the Mamluks.
• The city of Acre fell, and the Crusaders could not hold the cities in the levant.
• The Crusades had little impact on the Middle East but resulted in the destruction of the Byzantine Empire.