Understanding the

A long series or Wars between Christians and Muslims between 1096-1204

Fought over control of Jerusalem (the Holy Land)

Understanding the world of the 11th century

During the 8th century the Islamic Empire had expanded to include much of the Middle East and North Africa

Moors Invade Europe, 711

Contact with the Eastern world did not cease altogether; particularly in Spain and Italy

Spanish Reconquista: 711-1492

Muslim expansion in the East threatened the borders and stability of the Byzantine Empire

The Byzantine Emperor asked Pope Urban II to help him against the Muslims (one Catholic leader to another)

Urban responded to Byzantium’s request with a rousing speech in France in 1095

He called for the defeat of the Turks, returning the Holy Land to the Christians

Urban’s speech helped launch the first of several Crusades

The Pope hoped to unite the divided Christian faith under the banner of the Latin Church More power for him

Italian city-states hoped for commercial gains

The Byzantine Empire was in severe decline

Christian pilgrims visiting Jerusalem began experiencing increased harassment and danger

Muslim Turks captured Jerusalemfrom the Byzantine

Empire

Muslims stoppedChristians from

Visiting Holy Land

Christian pilgrimswere attacked

Byzantine Empirefeared attack on Constantinople

Feudal Lords

Knights

Peasants

Religious (promise of salvation)

Adventure and Glory

Profit and Power

The word “crusade” comes from the Spanish cruzade which means “marked with the cross”

Crusaders wore red crosses on their chests to symbolize their purpose

By the late 11th century, the Islamic empire was suffering from it’s own internal struggles – prioritized internal threats over the external threat from Europe

Crusaders take advantage of Muslim disunity to carve out a Christian (Feudal) Kingdom in the Middle East centered on Jerusalem

Most of the Crusaders returned to Europe after freeing Jerusalem, creating a manpower shortage

Moslem refugees retreated to Baghdad and demanded a force retake Jerusalem

Muslim counterattacks began in 1144, led by Zengi (reconquered Edessa)

Such developments would spur the Second Crusade

Eastern Mediterranean in 11c-12c

This time the Muslims were ready Eventually the Crusaders joined forces and lay siege

to Damascus, but were soundly defeated While the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem continued to

be torn by internal strife, its Muslim enemies were moving toward unity

Muslim ruler of Egypt who expanded his rule across Syria, and eventually Jerusalem

He declared a holy war against the Christians and captured Jerusalem in 1187

Saladin: one of the few Crusade personalities generally described favorably by both

Eastern and Western sources

The Crusade to reconquer Jerusalem

Led by three European Kings Frederick Barbarossa (HRE) Richard the Lionheart

(England) Philip Augustus (France)

The Crusade was a failure Frederick Barbarossa

drowned before reaching the Holy Land

Philip Augustus became ill and went home

Richard I fails to capture Jerusalem and gets himself captured on his way home

Richard had possessed superior brilliance, courage, and knowledge of the military art, but Saladin’s moderation, patience, and justice had carried the day

The relative unity and fidelity of the Moslems had once again triumphed over the Christians’ divisions and disloyalties

Perhaps the only Christian victory – permission for Christians to visit the Holy Land

death of Saladin renewed hope for another Crusade

Venice promised financial support to Crusaders, in return for their capture of the rival port city of Zara

1204:Crusaders captured and looted Constantinople – they never made it to the Holy Land

Byzantine Empire never recovered; significantly weakened until its capture by the Turks two centuries later

Failures Jerusalem was in Muslim hands The Muslim powers became more intolerant of

religious diversity The influence of the Catholic Church and the

the pope declined - due to nationalistic ambitions and widening schism between Eastern Orthodox and Rome

Indigenous eastern Christians were caught in the middle between Crusaders and Moslems (most sided with Muslims)

Successes Serfs used the Crusades to leave their

lands and many found new opportunities Trade and exploration were enhanced

Feudalism declines because Feudal lords die or spend too much money on military.

Increased Travel – Europeans want to travel more

Increased Trade – Europeans want product from the East such as sugar, cotton, silk, spices, etc.

Exchange of Technology– Ships, Maps, Explorers

Exchange of Ideas – Aristotle, Astronomy, Science, Mathematics

Crusades inspired attacks on “infidels” in Europe

Jewish Communities in Europe were vulnerable to attack

Sicily – conquered by Muslims in the 9th century, regained by Christians warriors in 1090s

Spain- in 1060s small Christian states began attacking Muslim lands; conquest wasn’t completed until 1492

After the successful Reconquista, the devoutly Christian rulers of Spain and Portugal were eager to dominate the Islamic states in North Africa and to convert non-Christians

The desire to spread Christianity would be one of the motives for the European explorations ….

1492 was the year of both the completion of the Reconquista and Columbus’ voyage to the

New World