The Crusades: Holy Wars and Expansion

• The Crusades were a series of holy wars between Muslims and Christians
• The wars were fought for control of holy sites important to both faiths
• Christians also had underlying motives for eastward expansion, trade route expansion, wealth increase, and spreading Christianity
• The Crusades primarily occurred in the Holy Land, including Egypt, Syria, Israel, and Turkey
• Jerusalem was the main objective to control

Great Crusades Timeline

• Historians generally agree on nine primary crusades, with the first four being the most impactful
• Crusades after the Fourth Crusade were minor and had little impact
• First Crusade: 1096-1099
• Second Crusade: 1145-1149
• Third Crusade: 1189-1192
• Fourth Crusade: 1202-1204
• Children's Crusade: 1212
• Fifth Crusade: 1217-1222
• Sixth Crusade: 1228-1229
• Seventh Crusade: 1248-1254
• Eighth Crusade: 1271
• Ninth Crusade: 1271-1272

First Crusade

• Pope Urban II blessed after Byzantine Emperor Alexius I requested help against the Seljuk Turks
• The Pope promised immediate forgiveness of sins to recruit more people
• People from all social classes participated, seeking atonement
• Crusaders motivated by God, glory, and gold
• Antioch was captured by the Christians
• Jerusalem fell to the Christians in 1099 after a massacre of Muslims
• Christians established four states in the area: Antioch, Edessa, Tripoli, and Jerusalem
• The First Crusade is considered the most successful and impactful, as Jerusalem was taken from the Muslims

Second Crusade

• Muslims began to resist and respond to calls for jihad
• Supported and led by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Louis VII of France, and Conrad III of Germany
• Started after Edessa was lost to the Turks
• Louis and Conrad joined forces at Jerusalem and invaded Damascus with 50,000 troops
• The Crusade was a complete failure, as Nur al-Din assisted the Muslim forces

Third Crusade

• Led by Frederick Barbarossa of Germany, Richard I the Lionheart of England, and Philip II Augustus of France
• Muslim leader Saladin was defeating Christian armies and added Cairo, Egypt, and Hattin to his territory
• Frederick Barbarossa drowned before reaching Syria
• Richard defeated Saladin at Arsuf
• European leaders captured coastal towns but could not break through Muslim forces to take Jerusalem
• Philip went home, and Richard negotiated a truce with Saladin, allowing Christian pilgrimages to Jerusalem
• The Third Crusade ended with nothing gained

Fourth Crusade

• Pope Innocent III called for another crusade to re-conquer Jerusalem after Saladin’s death in 1193
• Crusaders fought over the Byzantine throne
• Crusaders overthrew Alexius III for Alexius IV in 1203
• Alexius was killed in 1204
• Crusaders sacked Constantinople as a detour from the war against Muslims
• In 1261, the city was back under Byzantine control
• In 1453, the city was converted to a Muslim city when the Ottoman Turks sacked it

Fifth Crusade

• Led by Pope Innocent III and Andrew II of Hungary and Leopold VI of Austria
• Crusaders attacked Egypt from land and sea, facing resistance at Mansurah
• Crusaders surrendered to Al-Malik al-Kamil, Saladin's nephew
• Crusaders had to vacate Egypt and agree to an eight-year truce
• It ended in defeat for the Christians

Sixth Crusade

• Led by Frederick II to reclaim Jerusalem and the Holy Land
• Frederick II negotiated peace with al-Kamil in Arabic over Jerusalem
• Jerusalem transferred back to Crusader control but only lasted a decade

End of the Crusades

• Nine Crusades are the well known
• Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, and Children's Crusades were unsuccessful and short-lived
• Crusaders became less familiar with the language, culture, climate, and geography as the Crusades continued
• Seventh Crusade was organized by King Louis IX against Egypt, resulting in his capture and ransom
• Eighth Crusade was led by Louis with an attack in North Africa, but Louis died in 1270
• Ninth Crusade was led by Edward I of England, accomplishing little

Effects of the Crusades

• Persecution of the Jews
• Increased wealth in Italy
• Feudalism declined as people from all social classes went on Crusades
• Monarchs increased their power and landholding wealth
• New trading partners emerged in the East, bringing wealth and exotic goods
• The Pope's power diminished as the call for Crusades was misused for material and political gain

Explore the historical context of the Crusades, a series of religious wars between Christians and Muslims. The wars were fought for control of holy sites, but also driven by Christian desires for expansion and wealth. Learn about the timeline of the nine major Crusades and the key events of the First Crusade.