Crusades

Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The term refers especially to the Eastern Mediterranean campaigns in the period between 1095 and 1271 that had the objective of recovering the Holy Land from Islamic rule. The term has also been applied to other church-sanctioned campaigns fought to combat paganism and heresy, to resolve conflict among rival Roman Catholic groups, or to gain political and territorial advantage.

Origins

The origins of the Crusades in the High Middle Ages, when a number of Christian political entities existed in the eastern Mediterranean area, and when the area of Christian control was shrinking in face of Islamic expansion. The Crusades were seen as a response to Islam's initial conquests, as well as the Byzantine Empire's call for help.

First Crusade

The First Crusade (1095–1099) was the first of a number of crusades that attempted to recapture the Holy Land, called for by Pope Urban II at the Council of Clermont in 1095. It was followed by the unsuccessful Second Crusade to the Holy Land.

Later Crusades

The Third Crusade (1189–1192) was an attempt by European leaders to reconquer the Holy Land from Saladin. The Fourth Crusade (1202–1204) was initiated by Pope Innocent III to regain the Holy Land but was soon subverted by Venetians who used the forces to sack the Christian city of Zara.

Impact

The Crusades had a profound impact on Western civilization, with impacts that included the establishment of power of the Catholic Church, changes in attitudes towards the cultures of the East and the Muslim world, the development of feudalism, and the development of a sense of European identity.

See also

• History of the Crusades
• Crusader states
• Knights Templar
• Teutonic Knights

External links

• Medieval Crusades
• Internet Medieval Sourcebook: Crusades

Crusades Resources
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