Jerusalem had fallen to the Muslims in 634, and christian Europeans had been allowed to make a PILGRIMAGE to the holy sites of christianity
within Jerusalem for centuries. In the late 11th century, the SELJUK TURKS forbade christians to enter Jerusalem, disrupting the ancient
pilgrimage route. Reform pope URBAN II. in 1095 called on christian nobility to end fighting each other and sign up for a holy crusade to
liberate the holy city (Jerusalem is sacred to Muslims and Jews, too, but that was of little concern to Urban).
The call, promoted by Cistercian abbot BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX, was widely successful. The first crusade arrived in Palestine in 1096,
Jerusalem was taken in 1099. Most of the city's Jewish and Muslim inhabitants were massacred. In the conquered lands, CRUSADER STATES
were established : the KINGDOM OF JERUSALEM, the DUCHY OF ANTIOCH and the COUNTIES OF TRIPOLIS (Lebanon) and EDESSA, feudal
statelets dominated by French-speaking knights.
In the 1140es the northern crusader states had come under heavy assault; the SECOND CRUSADE 1147-1149 barely was able to hold on to
what was still christian at the time of their arrival. Politically a success, it was a debacle for the participating crusaders, as they won neither a
fief for themselves nor rich booty to cover their enormous expenses - a number of crusaders had to sell their castles and lands. In 1187 the
King of Jerusalem and his knights were taken prisoner by SALADIN in the BATTLE OF HATTIN. In exchange for their release, they handed over
Jerusalem to Saladin.
The 3rd crusade 1189-1192 failed to retake Jerusalem; RICHARD THE LIONHEART signed a truce with Saladin. Jerusalem stayed Muslim, but
christian pilgrims were allowed to visit.
B.) The 4th to 7th Crusade
The 4th CRUSADE (1202-1204) met with organisatorical difficulties. Less crusaders showed up than expected (too many ships had been
signed up from the Venetians). The Venetians asked the Crusaders to conquer the (Byzantinian) city of ZARA for them in lieu of pay. Called for
help by Byzantinian prince ALEXIUS (who wanted to take the Imperial crown in a coup), the Crusaders took CONSTANTINOPLE in 1204 - a
remarkable achievement, for the city had not been taken since 330. Alexius was unable to pay them. So the Crusaders pushed him aside and
established CRUSADER STATES in what was the Byzantinian Empire - the LATIN EMPIRE, the DUCHIES OF ACHAIA, OF NAXOS, OF ATHENS.
Venice and Genova took a number of Aegaean islands. Only fringe regions of the Byzantinian Empire - the Despotats of Epirus, Nicaea and
Trapezunt, remained. In the Crusader States, the Orthodox church was placed under the popes.
The 5th CRUSADE 1228-1229. Excommunicated Emperor Frederick II. - he had grown up in Sicily and was a fluent speaker of Arabic - regained
Jerusalem by treaty.
1244 Jerusalem finally fell to the Arabs. Christian rule was soon reduced to Acre and Tyre, both fell in 1291.
The 6th Crusade 1248-1254, headed by King Louis IX France, targetted Egypt. DAMIETTE was taken, but then the King and his army were taken
prisoner, and were lucky to be released.
The 7th crusade 1270, again lead by King Louis IX of France, targetted Tunis.
C.) The Crusade Movement
During the early crusades there was an enormous enthusiasm. Being promised forgiveness of one's sins and direct entry into paradise, many
- even children (CHILDREN'S CRUSADE 1212) were willing to take the oath, travel to where they have never been before and fight.
After the initial success in the 1st crusade, it became evident that the costs were immense and the risks were high. Crusades to Palestine did
not pay (from the 2nd crusade onward), as the fiefs were already handed out, the richest cities plundered. So from the 4th crusade on,
crusaders preferred different targets.
Another problem was distrust between various groups of knights. When the CRUSADER STATES were established after the first crusade,
French-speaking knights claimed all the fiefs. After that, knights organized themselves in MILITANT ORDERS - the KNIGHTS TEMPLAR, the KNIGHTS
OF SAINT JOHN, THE TEUTONIC KNIGHTS etc.
Soon, these Militant Orders found new areas of activity : any war against heathen countries/peoples was declatred a crusade. So Spanish
militant Orders (ORDERS OF CALATRAVA, SANTIAGO, AVIZ etc.) took a leading part in the RECONQUISTA; the TEUTONIC KNIGHTS conquered
PRUSSIA (1226ff), the LIVONIAN KNIGHTS (they were Germans) LIVONIA (1200ff), Danish Crusaders ESTONIA (1218), Swedish crusaders FINLAND.
Early in the 13th century, Crusades were even declared against heretic groups or those suspected of heresy - against the STEDINGERS in 1234,
against the ALBIGENSIANS 1211.
The crusade movement had slipped out of the control of the papacy. High costs and the lack of pay, as well as grpup interests resulted in the
focus of the crusades turn away from Palestine to other aims. The crusades turned from all-Catholic to regional undertakings.
Although Constantinople had fallen to the Despot of Nicaia in 1261 and the Byzantine Empire was thus reestablished, Crusader states continued to
exist in southern Greece until the late 15th/early 16th century, on Malta until 1797 (Knights of St. John) and in Livonia/ Prussia until into the 16th
century.
D.) Impact
The impact of the Crusades on the Islamic world was limited - the Europeans were backward in science and technology, except maybe in armour.
There are illustrations showing Seljuk warriors wearing knightly armour.
After the 1st crusade, which took the Arabs by surprise, the crusades booked no more big victory over the Arabs; they were much more concerned
about the MONGOLS (Hulagu destroyed Baghdad in 1258).
On the other hand, the Europeans learned a lot from the Arabs. In science, for instance; the Europeans switched from using Roman numbers to
ARABIC CIPHERS and learned the concept of ZERO. They learned about Arabic MEDICINE (AVERROES) and received a number of Greek books in
Arabic translation, books unknown to the Catholic world before.
The Crusaders admired the noble manners of the Arabs; the concept of CHIVALRY, of COURTLY LOVE, of MINSTREL music is Arab, as is the custom
of wearing COATS OF ARMS, waving FLAGS (see chapter CHIVALRY).
Although the crusades ended, Europe and the Arab World would remain connected by trade, mainly conducted by merchants from Northern Italy
(VENICE, GENOVA, PISA, FLORENCE) and BARCELONA.
This page is part of World History at KMLA Last revised on September 18th 2001
