Transcript The Significance of THE CRUSADES in World History

The Significance of the
Crusades in World History
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What were the Crusades?
• “A series of military expeditions (11th-13th centuries) from
Christian Europe to recover the Holy Land (Palestine)
from the Muslims” – Moreover, they were undertaken,
“in fulfillment of a solemn vow, to deliver” these Holy
Places from “Mohammedan tyranny.”
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Christianity and Islam
• Generally hostile to one another
• The Muslims were known to attack
Christian coasts and shipping
• European pilgrims were permitted to visit
the Christian holy sites in Palestine
• Early on, Muslims had acknowledged the
right of them to do so – this perspective
would change with the emergence of the
Seljuk Turks
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Seljuk Turks
• Changed the dynamic of Christian and
Islamic relations
• Followers of the Sunni branch of Islam
• Took control of Jerusalem in 1071
• Had enough might to actually threaten
Christendom
• Pilgrims to the Holy Land were being
harmed – thus, the Turks were viewed as
obstacles and oppressors
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Constantinople Requests Help
• The threat of the Turks became so urgent that
Byzantine Emperor Alexius I appealed to the
West for assistance
• Pope Gregory VII made a plan that included
leading 50,000 men to help re-establish
Christian unity and repulse the Turks
• In Europe, the concept of a holy war against
Islam was given credence after Muslim defeats
in both Spain and the Mediterranean
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The Council of Clermont (1095)
• Pope Urban II called for
an end of the constant
feuding among European
nobles
– He adapted the plan from
Gregory VII.
– He suggested that they
band together against
Mohammedans to free the
Holy Land.
– He described the plight of
the the eastern Christians.
Pope Urban II at Clermont Cathedral
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The Response: Enthusiastic
• This was due to…
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Increase in population & prosperity of W. Europe
Intense religious devotion during that time
Prospect of territorial expansion
Prospect of riches for nobles
Desire for freedom for the lower classes
Desire to expand trading with the East
General allurement to travel and adventure
“The Crusaders were motivated by a desire to earn
salvation and the promise of land, wealth, and fame.” 7
The First Crusade 1095-1099
• The only truly
“successful” military
crusade
• It established four
“Crusader states” and
captured Jerusalem in
1099
• Muslims were
massacred in
Jerusalem as the city
was taken
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Route of the First Crusade
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The Second Crusade 1147-1149
• Edessa captured by the Turks in 1144
• Pope Eugenius III persuaded Bernard of
Clairvaux to preach the Second Crusade
• King Louis VII of France & King Conrad III of
Germany met with their armies in Acre
• There was, however, poor cooperation – and
Edessa was never reached
• Poorly disciplined armies slaughtered Jews in
the Rhineland
• The Crusade was a complete failure
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The Third Crusade 1189-1192
• The Turks re-captured Jerusalem in 1187
• Led by King Richard I of England (with other
European kings participating )
• Captured Cyprus and Acre, but failed in its
attempt to take Jerusalem
• Army decimated by shipwreck and battle
• A three-year truce and the right of unarmed
Christians to visit Jerusalem resulted
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The Fourth Crusade 1202-1204
• Commissioned by Pope Innocent III since
Jerusalem was still under Muslim control
• Planned to attack Egypt first to divide the Muslim
world
• Never reached the Holy Land
• Instead, Crusaders were persuaded to
attack/sack Constantinople and capture its
treasures
• Helped widen the division between Eastern &
Western churches
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Other Crusades
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The Fifth Crusade
The Sixth Crusade
The Seventh Crusade
The Eighth Crusade
The Children’s Crusade
None of these Crusades
were as significant as the
first four
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The Crusades are
significant in World
History because…
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Thesis Statements
• The opposition between Christianity and Islam
intensified
• Commercialism was expanded
• The Crusades embarrassed the Church
• The Crusades increased the use of money
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The opposition between
Christianity and Islam intensified
Ramification:
• There would never be real peace between these
two groups. The Crusades brought the conflict
between Christianity and Islam to a head.
In essence, the Crusades hardened the edge of
the conflict. It became clear that the differences
would not be politically negotiated. Both sides
were religiously motivated to fight fiercely for
what they considered to be theirs. Neither side
would compromise. Each demanded exclusive
rights to certain areas.
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Commercialism was expanded
Ramification:
• Europe started to realize the benefits of
trade with the East. The Crusades
exposed many Europeans to the culture
and merchandise of the East. Europeans
had to go to the East to get the sugar, tea
and spices they wanted. This concept of
trading with the East was fairly
revolutionary at the time.
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The Crusades embarrassed
the Church
Ramification:
• Many began to doubt the authority and
correctness of the pope. The Roman Catholic
Church lost much of its credibility since the
Crusades were in many aspects a fruitless,
bloody, waste. The pope had given the Church
a divinely inspired cause to fight for; yet, it did
not succeed. The pope had apparently
manipulated the people and bribed them into
participating by offering to pardon certain sins.
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The Crusades increased
the use of money
Ramification:
• Money would continue to be used to fund
church and government projects. Money
had not been necessary in the feudal
system, but money became a convenient
way to exchange value. Obviously, money
has long since replaced any bartering
system in Western cultures. The
Crusades were part of bringing this about.
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The End
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H212.1
May 27, 2010
SU 2010
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