Church Reform and the
Crusades
Between 1095 and 1291, the
Catholic Church launched the
Crusades against the Muslims for
supremacy in the Holy Land
The Guy Who Started it
• In 1093, the Byzantine emperor
Alexis Comnenus sent an appeal
to Robert, Count of Flanders and
to Pope Urban II.
• The plea was to send soldiers to
help defend his capital city of
Constantinople against waves of
invading Muslim Turks.
Urban II Declares a Holy War
• After the pope had read
this appeal, he declared
a holy war, a crusade, to
regain control of the
Holy Lands from the
Muslims.
• “God Wills It!”
Did You Bring the Map?
• In 1096, between 50,000 and
60,000 knights joined the
Crusades. Mostly Frenchmen
and Normans.
• Kings saw the crusades as an
opportunity to get rid of some
of the quarrelsome knights
who were always picking
fights with each other.
• Pope Urban promised the
knights that if they died in
battle, they were assured a
place in heaven.
Motives for the Crusades
• Many of the knights thought it was
an opportunity to better their place
in society. They believed that they
might acquire land and property
through battle.
• Leave the manor, see the world,
participate in an incredible
adventure… sure beats being a serf!
• Religious motives – liberate the Holy
Land from the Muslims.
The First Crusade: Recipe for
Disaster
• 1097, three armies of European
knights gathered in Constantinople
but were not equipped to fight in the
desert environment or familiar with
the geography or culture of the Holy
Land.
• Due to supply line problems, only
12,000 of the original 60,000 were
able to fight.
• Muslims were not the best hosts…
Victory is Ours! Um, er… kinda
• In 1099, Christians concentrate
their forces on Jerusalem and
take the city after weeks of a
vicious seige. Plunder away!
• The crusaders won Jerusalem and
a narrow strip of land, called
Edessa, where four feudal
crusader estates were established.
• Muslims easily conquer
everything outside of Edessa, and
by 1144, take that too (setting up
the Second Crusade).
The Second Crusade
• A Second Crusade was organized
in 1147 to recapture Edessa with
the scraps of troops that were left,
plus 35,000 reinforcement troops
from Western Europe.
• These Crusaders were
unsuccessful. Only about 30% of
the defeated army returned to
Europe (but they had some cool
relics).
• For those of you keeping score:
Muslims 2, Christians 0
The Third Crusade:
This time it’s Personal
• Europe reacts with wild enthusiasm.
“We must regain the Holy Land!”
• The Third Crusade was launched in
1187 by three of Europe’s most
powerful kings:
– Philip Augustus (France)
– Frederick I Barbarossa (Germany)
– Richard IIIthe Lion-hearted (England)
Survivor: Jerusalem?
• Barbarossa drowned on the
journey. How sad.
• Philip Augustus had a falling
out with Richard and went
home. Quitter.
• Richard is left to regain
Jerusalem from the great
Muslim leader, Saladin. This
would be no easy task.
Deal or No Deal?
• After the armies of Richard and
Saladin had fought many battles,
the two leaders, who respected
each other a great deal, agreed
on a truce.
• The agreement was that
Jerusalem would remain under
Muslim control, but that
Christian pilgrims could freely
visit the holy city in safety.
The Fourth Crusade
• In 1198, Pope Innocent III,
appealed for yet another crusade
to capture Jerusalem.
• The knights met in Italy to prepare
for war, however, during their
stay they became entangled in the
politics of the Church.
Sore Losers: The Sack of Constantinople
• Instead of going to the Holy
Lands, they ended up
attacking the city of
Constantinople.
• This attack solidified the
permanent split between the
western and eastern branches
of Christianity.
• Victory: Islam (by default)
Later Crusades: More of the S(h)ame
• Other Crusades were launched to the
Holy Lands and North Africa.
• Children’s Crusade- in 1212,
thousands of children from Europe
marched to the Holy Lands to fight the
Muslims. God would turn Jerusalem
over to them! (Muslims fight to hold
back laughter).
• 5th Crusade: Loss
• 6th Crusade: Loss
• 7th Crusade: Loss
• 8th Crusade: Do you see a pattern here?
• Final Record: Christians 0-8-1
The Lasting Impact of the
Crusades
1. Because of the failure of the Crusades,
the Pope’s power was lessened.
2. Feudal nobility was weakened because
so many knights died in the wars.
3. The crusades stimulated trade between
Europe and Southwest Asia.
4. Fostered a lasting intolerance and
prejudice between Muslims and
Christians.
5. Alliances were formed of former rival
nations. New politics of diplomacy.
Impact of the Crusades
• Literature: Sinbad the Sailor, Ali
Baba, Aladdin, Arabian Nights
• Food: sugar cane, syrup, nutmeg,
saffron, pepper
• Cosmetics: rouge, henna, glass
mirrors
• Music: guitar and violin introduced
• Art: stained glass windows
• Math: Arabic numbers, decimals,
algebra, sine and tangent