Overview of the Crusades
1st Crusade- On the first crusade the crusaders (mostly peasants) embarked by land across Europe.
They were untrained and lacked military equipment. The journey was thousands of miles long and took
over a year to accomplish. The crusaders spoke several different languages, but were united by their
common goal of recapturing the holy land (Jerusalem) from the Muslims. On the journey the crusaders
attacked Jewish villages and massacred the “unbelievers” in religious fervor. Once they arrived in the
holy land they were met with divided Muslim forces. The Knights were able to conquer the city of
Jerusalem and regain the holy sites of Christianity. They expelled non-Christians from within the city
and ruled Jerusalem from 1099-1187.
2nd Crusade- After the victory of the first crusade, many Christians went back home The Turks
eventually took back much of the territory. The pope called for the second crusade in 1182 to defend
the city of Jerusalem. Muslim forces had united under the leader Saladin and were threatening to
recapture the holy city under their own holy war of Jihad. The crusaders traveled by boat from Italy and
were able to reach Jerusalem before Saladin reconquered it. The Christians and the Muslims fought
until 1187 when Saladin and his forces were able to reconquer the city of Jerusalem for the Muslims.
3rd Crusade- The third Crusade was known as the “Kings Crusade” because it was led by three European
monarchs. Richard of England, known as Richard the Lion-Hearted, was the most famous of the
Crusader kings. Richard the Lion-Hearted confronted Saladin and his forces on the battlefield outside of
Jerusalem. The Christians failed to regain Jerusalem, but signed a truce agreement with the Muslims in
1192. The truce agreement allowed for unarmed Christians to visit the holy city as pilgrims, but
Jerusalem would remain in the hands of the Muslims.
4th Crusade- The fourth Crusade was called by the Pope after atrocities were reported of unarmed
Christian pilgrims being attacked by Muslim forces in the holy land. However, the Crusaders never reach
Jerusalem. The Crusaders stopped in the Byzantine Empire to resupply for the rest of their journey and
the Byzantine emperor refused to grant them access to Constantinople. Angered at what they
perceived to be an insult the crusaders attacked Constantinople. They invaded and looted the city
stealing priceless artwork and sculptures. The Fourth Crusade is considered to be one of the final acts in
the Great Schism between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, and is a key
turning point in the decline of the Byzantine Empire. The Crusaders returned home without ever
reaching Jerusalem.
Children’s Crusade- 30,000 children, many of them under 12 years old, set out to conquer Jerusalem.
They were armed only with the belief that God would give them Jerusalem. Many of them died from
cold and starvation. The rest drowned or were sold into slavery. They never made it to the Holy Land.
Your Task:
Choose one of the Crusades and write an account of the Crusade from one of the following peoples
perspective (serf, religiously devout Christian, Knight, Crusader King, Muslim in the holy land, Jew in
Europe, or inhabitant of Constantinople.) In your account include:
a) Your opinion about the call for the crusade
b) A short description of the crusade through your eyes
c) The effect you believe the crusade will have