Crusades , a serial of military campaigns that the Christian rural area of Europe wag to conquer the Holy Land from the Muslims . The name came from the Latin crux ( cross ) , and referred to the emblem worn by the warriors . The Muslims address the Crusaders " Franks , " even though they came not only from France but from many other part of Europe as well . The Muslims were known to the Crusaders as " Saracens , " which is Hellenic for " easterner . "
There were eight major Crusades , which are referred to by turn , and there were less one as well . The First Crusade start in 1096 , the Eighth in 1270 . The Crusaders get ahead some former triumph but were finally driven from the Holy Land .
The Crusades contribute to many social and political modification that were take place in Europe . Western peoples make geographic knowledge of the East . touch with Arab culture encouraged the intellectual awakening that was already under way . Europeans gained easterly products and plant life , adopt Arabic words , and benefited from Arab acquisition in such line of business as mathematics and astronomy . Commerce and business deal expanded .
The cause were one phase of the long struggle between Christians and Muslims . This flow came after centuries of Moslem advance , during which time many Christian lands had been run over by successive intrusion of Arabs and Seljuk Turks .
There were various rationality for the Crusades . They started as a upshot of a proclamation by Pope Urban II in 1095 , declare holy warfare against the Muslims in an movement to relinquish Palestine from their dominance . The pope ’s proclamation came in response to an solicitation by Alexius I Comnenus , the knotty emperor butterfly , for military aid against the Seljuk Turks , who had conquered much of the Byzantine Empire .
Local church officials made impassioned supplication for volunteer . masses unite the Crusades for a variety of reasons . Some conjoin out of spiritual devotion . Others get together for the prospect of military gloriole . Still others joined for the luck of develop sugar or state .
Peasants' Crusade
( 1096 ) . Peter the Hermit , a Gallic Thelonious Monk , enroll thousands of peasants for a march on the Saracens . His force were reduced on the march toConstantinopleas a result of thirstiness , disease , and skirmish with Bulgarians . At Constantinople , Peter link his power with a ring lead by Walter the Penniless , a knight . Against Peter ’s advice , the Crusaders crossed the Bosporus . They were massacre by Seljuk Turks at Nicaea .
First Crusade
( 1096 - 99 ) . This junket was led by feudal lords , most of whom were French . The chieftain , leaders were Bohemund of Taranto , Robert of Flanders , Robert of Normandy , Raymond of Toulouse , and Godfrey of Bouillon . Their forces defeated the Turks , get Antioch , and in 1099 took Jerusalem .
The victor created the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem and the less states of Antioch , Tripoli , and Edessa . The Byzantine Empire regain much of Asia Minor . The Turks were disorganized and poorly take , but the Muslims continued the battle over the Holy Land . The European feudal lords quarreled among themselves and with the Byzantine emperor moth . The spiritual military orders , the Hospitalers ( Knights of the Hospital of St. John ) and the Templars ( Knights of the Temple ) , protect Palestine but were bitter rival .
Second Crusade
( 1147 - 49 ) . When the Muslims captured Edessa in 1144 , Bernard of Clairvaux . an influential French monk , led the call for a new Crusade . Conrad III of Germany and Louis MI of France led the campaign . This Crusade break down after its siege of Damascus failed .
Third Crusade
( 1189 - 92 ) . The Muslims , run by Saladin , had recaptured Jerusalem after the Battle of Hattin in 1187 . This defeat inspired a new outing , lead by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I ( Barbarossa ) , Richard the Lion - Hearted of England , and Philip Augustus of France . Frederick break down in Asia Minor , and Richard became the leader of the expedition . His forces captured the port of Acre in 1191 . Saladin then grant Richard a truce that let Christians to visit Jerusalem .
Fourth Crusade
( 1202 - 04 ) . This military campaign was intend to strengthen Crusader positions at Acre On their way to Accho , however , the Crusaders , prompted by their desire for loot and unexampled lands to rule , decided to dismiss Constantinople , the capital of the knotty conglomerate . They captured the metropolis and established the Latin Kingdom of Constantinople , which lasted until 1261 .
Children’s Crusade
( 1212 ) . Two bands of children were organized , one French , the other German . Many thousand died of hardships , and others were sold into slaveholding . Both ring were destroyed before they turn over Constantinople .
Fifth Crusade
( 1218 - 21 ) . This Crusade attacked the center of Muslim power in Egypt . The Muslims book off the attackers .
Sixth Crusade
( 1228 - 29 ) . Frederick II of the Holy Roman Empire led this military expedition , and by dialogue won control of Jerusalem .
Seventh Crusade
( 1248 - 54 ) . In 1244 the Muslims recaptured Jerusalem . Louis IX of France ( Saint Louis ) organise a new expedition that assail Egypt . The French king was captured and force to pay a overweight ransom .
Eighth Crusade
( 1270 ) . In 1268 the Muslims captured Antioch , which the Crusaders had harbor since 1098 . Louis IX then organize his 2d Crusade , which assail Tunis in North Africa . This effort ended when the Gallic Martin Luther King died of the plague .
Other Crusades were planned but never extend out . When the Muslims captured Acre in 1291 , the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem was ended .
