What Were the Crusades

1
What Were the Crusades?

• A series of military expeditions from Western
  Europe
• Launched by Popes
• Originally directed at reconquering the Holy Land
  
• Later included other goals like elimination of
  heretics, reconquest of Spain, and consolidation
  of Papal States
• Lasted from 1095 to as late as 1798

2
Importance of the Crusades

• Continuing influence on global politics
• Islamic anger and Christian guilt

3
Political Background

• Original extent of Christian lands
• Original conquest by Islam
• Stated global aspirations of Islam

4
Sword Passages in Islam

• Quran Sura 929-31 "Fight those who believe
  not in God nor the last day, nor hold that
  forbidden which hath been forbidden by God and
  His Apostle, nor acknowledge the religion of
  truth, (even if they are) of the people of the
  Book, until they pay the jizya with willing
  submission, and feel themselves subdued.
• The Hadeeth Ibn Haban in his Sahih, vol. 14, p.
  529, narrates Muhammad said I swear by Him who
  has my soul in his hands, I was sent to you with
  nothing but slaughter.
• Quran Sura 95 But when the forbidden months
  are past, then fight and slay the pagans wherever
  ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and
  lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war)
  but if they repent, and establish regular Prayers
  and practise regular Charity, then open the way
  for them

5
Peace Passages

• Sura 1091,2,6 "Say, O ye that reject faith! I
  worship not that which ye worship... To you be
  your way, and to me mine.
• Sura 4388,89 "(God has knowledge) of the
  (Prophet's) cry, O my Lord! Truly these are a
  people who will not believe! But turn away from
  them, and say, Peace!
• Sura 6726 "Say ...I am (sent) only to warn
  plainly in public."

6
Who Went?

• EVERYONE
• An extension of the pilgrimage movement
• Peasants' Crusade
• Shepards' Crusade
• Military Crusaders--knights along with support
  staff, infantrymen, etc.
• Kings and great lords were the leaders

7
Motives

• Not usually greed crusading was actually an
  extremely expensive business, though there was
  some chance of booty or a gain of lands
• Piety
• Indulgences
• Social pressure

8
Crusader Behavior

• As with all armies of their time, the Crusaders
  were ruthless, rapacious, and bloodthirsty in
  dealing with conquered peoples
• When a city fell, many of the inhabitants would
  be put to the sword and all valuables would be
  looted
• The Crusaders were also troublesome to lands they
  passed through on their way, often stealing
  provisions and causing problems
• Jews were often persecuted and their money taken
  to help fund the armies

9
First Crusade

• Launched by Pope Urban II in 1095
• Included the disastrous Peasants' Crusade
• Captured Antioch, Edessa, Jerusalem, and
  neighboring areas against high odds
• Established the Crusader States

10
Second Crusade

• Triggered by loss of Edessa in 1144
• A 3-pronged Crusade was planned against Edessa in
  the Holy Land, the Moors in Spain, and the pagan
  Wendish tribes in Germany
• Successful advances were made in Spain
• Holy Land armies partly melted away en route, and
  the remaining army of about 50,000 was
  disastrously defeated attempting to capture
  Damascus

11
Third Crusade

• The Muslim armies of Saladin reconquered most of
  the Latin East including Jerusalem
• A German army led by Emperor Frederick arrived at
  the Holy Land in good order but disintigrated
  upon Fredericks death in a swimming accident
• Richard the Lionheart ammassed a large Crusading
  treasury partly by selling nearly all he had, he
  was joined by King Phillip of France in a fragile
  alliance
• Richard eventually reached the Holy Land and had
  several military successes, but failed to
  recapture Jerusalem

12
Fourth Crusade

• Begun by Pope Innocent III with the singular goal
  of recapturing Jerusalem in 1204
• Armies were diverted en route through logistical
  failures and the intrigues of the Venetian state
• Against the orders of the Pope, the armies ended
  up sacking Constantinople
• Establishment of the Latin Emperors in
  Constantinople
• Cemented the East-West schism in the Church
• No move on Jerusalem was made

13
Fifth Crusade

• Preached in 1213 by Pope Innocent III
• A Christian naval fleet arrived at Egyptian city
  of Damietta and captured it, but was defeated on
  the road to Cairo and subsequently lost Damietta
• Emperor Frederick of Germany arrived in the Holy
  Land by a different route and, through a bluff
  and show of force succeeded in negotiating the
  surrender of Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Nazareth

14
Eventual Defeat of the Crusades

• Crusades continued to occur for centuries
• Greeks reconquered Constantinople in 1261, then
  it fell to the Muslim Turks in 1453
• Jerusalem was lost for the final time in 1244
• All the Crusader States were eventually defeated
• Spain, however, was fully re-conquered and held
  by Christians

15
Discussion Questions

• Do you feel that the Crusades were justified? All
  of them? Some of them?
• Is there a "statute of limitations" on
  justifiable re-conquering of conquered territory?
  That is, most people agree that it was just in
  World War Two for the Allies to liberate France
  from Germany with the use of force. Would this
  still have been true if we had waited 50 years?
  300 years? Is the "statute of limitations"
  dependent on ability? That is, would it have been
  OK to wait 50 years if military reality demanded
  it?
• What creates a just claim to ownership/rulership
  of an area of land or a country? Is there any
  such thing, or is it all simply the use of force?
  Examples to consider does the US have a just
  claim to land we occupy? How about the
  Israli/Palestinian conflicting claims?