Crusades
The crusades were a series of undertakings to capture the Holy Land from the Muslims. They started in the 11th Century and continued all the way to the 14th Century.
It was Byzantine Emperor Alexius Comnenus who was the initiator of these wars that later on came to be termed ,”The Crusades”. Emperor Alexius Comnenus appealed for assistance from the western world for support against the muslims (the Selijuk Turks) who made it difficult for the Christian pilgrims to visit the Holy Land. Alexius Comnenus was also besieged by the Seljuk Turks.
Emperor Alexius Comnenus made an appeal to the pope (Pope Urban II)to free the Holy Land. It was at the Council of Clermont in November 1095 that Pope Urban II promoted the capture of the Holy Land.
The First crusade (1096 – 1099) is often termed the peasants crusade because of the many poor peasants who answered the popes call. The first crusade was the only crusade that succeeded in capturing the Holy Land and Jerusalem. All the other subsequent crusades failed to reach their objective with some not even leaving Europe.
The Second crusade (1147- 1149) began after the Turks captured the Crusader state of Edessa and its main proponent was Bernard of Clairveaux. Unsuccessful in defending Jerusalem the crusaders were unsuccessful in standing up to the muslims for control of the latin states.
The Third crusade (1189- 1192) was marked by the conflict between Sultan Salladin against Emperor 1 Frederick of Barbarossa of Germany and King Richard the lion Heart of England.
The Fourth Crusade (1202-1204) never even left Europe and led to the fall of Byzantine empire.
The Children’s crusade (1212). French and German children thought that god would help them free the Holy Land. Most of the children died of starvation or disease and those that survived were sold into slavery.
The Fifth crusade (1217- 1221) resulted in the capture of Damietta in Egypt.
The Sixth crusade (1228-1229) ended with the Sultan giving control of Jerusalem to the Christians.
When Jerusalem fell in 1244 to the muslims King Louis IX of France initiated the Seventh Crusade. This ended in disaster with King Louis and his army being captured and imprisoned. They were released after a huge ransom was paid.
Four years later King Louis IX led the Eighth Crusade (1270). It was cut short by his death in Tunisia.
The Ninth crusade (1271 – 72) failed after the muslims seized both Tripoli and Acre.
The crusading spirit waned in the 1300s leaving the Holy Land in Muslim hands thereafter.