The Crusades Military expeditions from Christian Europe to

The Crusades: Military expeditions from Christian Europe to Palestine between the 11 th and 13 th centuries. 7 th Grade World History

First Crusade

Reasons for the Crusades (Reasons to go to war)

(1) The Pope calls for Christians to reclaim the Holy Land • The Holy Land is the city of Jerusalem and the area around it, also called Palestine • It is sacred to Christians, Jews, and Muslims, who ALL make pilgrimages there • The Seljuk Turks (Muslims) had captured Palestine making Christian pilgrimages to the Holy Land impossible. • The Turks started to attack the Christian cities of the Byzantine Empire and the Byzantine Emperor asked the Pope for help.

The Holy Land

Other reasons for the Crusades… • (2) Success in warfare is a way for European feudal nobles (princes) to gain power • (3) Merchants wanted to gain access to rich trade routes to the east • (4) Peasants wanted a chance for adventure, treasures, and win favor with God.

The First Crusade

The First Crusade • 1096 – 1099, the war lasted 4 years • In 1099, the Christian forces finally captured the city of Jerusalem • They divided the conquered land into 4 Crusader states: Edessa, Antioch, Tripoli, and Jerusalem

The Second Crusade • 1147 – 1149, Muslim Turks recaptured Edessa, one of the Crusader states • Christians kept control of the other states because Muslim leaders were not united, but that is about to change… – Saladin was a powerful Muslim leader who began to unify the Muslims in the region

Saladin

The Third Crusade • 1189 – 1192, Saladin had recaptured Jerusalem • Richard the Lion-Hearted was a powerful Christian leader for the crusade because of his courage and skill • After 3 years of fighting, Saladin and Richard agreed on a truce in 1192 – Muslims keep control of Jerusalem, but Christians are allowed to make pilgrimages.

Richard the Lion-Hearted

End of the Crusades • There were more crusades • By 1270, the Muslims drove the Crusaders out of Palestine

Effects of the Crusades Good… Bad… Traders and pilgrims Christians increased maintained an intolerance toward exchange of cultural non-Christians ideas between Europe Reconquista and Asia Inquisition are Increased trade helped examples of this towns to grow intolerance