For an excellent PowerPoint on Christendom, click here.
The Crusades: 1100-1300 AD The crusades all occurred in Europe and the Middle East, primarily the Middle East (Palestine, etc.) After the rise of Christianity and Islam, but before the Rise of the Ottoman Turks and before Columbus At first, everyone was (relatively) peaceful in the holy land. Then Seljuk Turks (Muslim) came into the M.E. and oppressed Christians. V. intolerant 8 crusades, but only the first four were significant The Peregrine Christi came from all around to protect and control Jerusalem, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the tomb of Christ These Christians were attempting to take control of the Holy Land The aim of the first crusade was stated as: "To Liberate Israel" The Pope Urban the Second called for the first crusade (1095 AD) against the Turks It was a French Idea Crusaders were told that they would go to heaven for fighting 1/4 died on the way there (mostly over land, except for Aegean Sea) Afterwards, Huge slaughter Crusaders established four states One state (County of Edessa) was conquered by Turks in 1144, another (Jerusalem) in 1187 AD Second crusade (1147) was prompted by the Turkish conquest They got there by sea Turks won over crusaders easily Tens of thousands of crusaders dies before their monarch leaders surrendered The Third Crusade (1188) was an attempt to regain the Holy Land After Saladin recaptured Jerusalem in 1187, England and France vowed to regain it Richard the Lionhearted was an English king who was involved with the Crusades It ended in a draw Rest of Crusades were unsuccessful Influence of Crusades: Though the Crusades were kind of a pointless bloodbath, it whetted the appetite of the Europeans for riches and created other things: Began European Pressure on Islamic World Established trade routes Cosmopolitanism Geographic Knowledge European Assault Psychology (around the WORLD!) Crusader Spirit Muslim infusion in the Middle East The Crusades led to European domination
