THE MIDDLE AGES THE MIDDLE AGES • Aka the Medieval Period • Lasted from 5th to 15th centuries • Began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire to Germanic tribes • Ended with the beginning of the Renaissance THE MIDDLE AGES IN THE WESTERN ROMAN EMPIRE • Invasion by Germanic tribes • Rise of Carolingian Empire • Fall of Carolingian empire by invaders leads to feudalism and manorialism • Depopulation and deurbanization • No central authority • Allegiance to local lords • Chaos and constant warfare • Catholic church becomes dominant force in European society THE MIDDLE AGES IN THE EASTERN ROMAN EMPIRE • Eastern Roman Empire, centered around Constantinople, existed long after Western Roman Empire • Became known as the Byzantine Empire • Lasted until 1453 • Both Greek and Christian state • Christian Church of Byzantine Empire came to be known as Eastern Orthodox Church • Did not believe that pope was the sole head of Christianity • Caused them to have a schism (separation) with the Roman Catholic Church • The Byzantine Empire’s greatest external threat came from the Seljuk Turks in Asia Minor • 1071: Seljuk Turks take over • Leads to the Crusades WHAT WERE THE CRUSADES? • Military expeditions • Launched by European Christians • Goal was to win back the Holy Land from Muslim control • Holy Land = Jerusalem and surrounding areas • This is where Jesus lived: sacred to Christians BEFORE THE CRUSADES… • Muslims had conquered the holy land many years before • Muslims allowed Christian pilgrims to Jerusalem because it brought them trade • Christians made pilgrimages because it was a way of being forgiven for your sins • Violence is ripping apart Europe as nobles are sending their knights to attack each other WHO WERE THE SELJUK TURKS AND WHAT DID THEY DO? • Persian Muslims • Did not allow Christian pilgrims into Jerusalem • Persecuted Christians who were there • Violence escalates and 3,000 Christians are massacred • Causes the Byzantine emperor Alexis to send a letter to Pope Urban asking for help POPE URBAN II AND THE START OF THE CRUSADES • 1095: Pope Urban II gives a speech at Clermont, France • Calls for European knights to go and free Holy Land from Muslims • Saw this as a great way for the knights to stop fighting each other • Promises anyone who goes on the Crusade that all their sins will be forgiven and that they are guaranteed to get into heaven THE KNIGHTS’ CRUSADE VS. THE PEOPLE’S CRUSADE • The knights take time to organize their crusade • While they are preparing, a preacher named Peter the Hermit calls for a “People’s Crusade” • Peasants and serfs leave their manors to join him • Peter leads the unorganized mob towards the Holy Land • Loot towns and kill Jews along their journey • Their reasoning is that if they are going to attack Muslims they should be punishing the Jews for what they did to Jesus as well • Muslim Turks ambush People’s Crusade • 20,000 Crusaders are executed or sold into slavery THE FIRST CRUSADE • Knights finally get organized and begin march towards Holy Land • Journey lasts 3 years • Fight many battles along the way • 1099: Jerusalem falls to Crusaders • Crusaders show no mercy • 10,000 inhabitants of Jerusalem are slaughtered THE SECOND CRUSADE • Muslims counterattack and regain land from Crusaders • King Louis VII of France leads Second Crusade • Muslim armies united under great new leader named Saladin • Calls for jihad, or Muslim Holy War • 1187: Saladin recaptures Jerusalem for Muslims • Spares the lives of the Crusaders inside the city THE THIRD CRUSADE • Crusaders led by King Richard “The Lion Heart” of England • Richard and Saladin fight to a draw • Agree that Jerusalem will remain under Muslim control • Unarmed Christian pilgrims will be allowed in Jerusalem • There would be several other attempts at Crusades, all of which failed • Including Children’s Crusades EFFECTS OF THE CRUSADES • Increased trade with the East • Introduced the use of money instead of bartering • New ideas and technology from Muslims were brought back to Europe • Broke down feudalism • Allowed kings to create stronger central governments • Paved way for development of nation-states • By mid-1400s, 4 strong nation-states emerged in Europe • Portugal • Spain • England • France OVERVIEW OF THE CRUSADES • Crusades Overview Video