Crusades
The Crusades
The Crusades were a series of Holy Wars launched by the Christian states of Europe against the Saracens which were Moslems. The Crusades started in 1095 when Pope Claremont preached the First Crusade at the Council of Claremont. The name Crusade given to the Holy Wars came from old French word 'crois' meaning 'cross'. The Crusades were military expeditions by the Christian nations of Europe for the purpose of rescuing the holy places of Palestine from the hands of the Mohammedans. They were eight in number, the first four being sometimes called the Principal Crusades, and the remaining four the Minor Crusades. In addition there was a Children's Crusade. There were several other expeditions which were insignificant in numbers or results.
On Tuesday, November 27, 1095, Pope Urban II launched a series of battles known as the Crusades. The goal was to launch a counterattack against the Seljuks in Anatolia then defeat the Muslims in Syria and Palestine and eventually retake Jerusalem from the Egyptians. Most of the crusaders were nobles. By 1096, five major armies of noblemen--mainly French--had been assembled and set out on their journey.
The common people also got caught up in the excitement and organized their own "popular Crusade" led by a preacher known as Peter the Hermit. Very few of the popular Crusaders made it to the Middle East and even less lasted until Jerusalem.
This First Crusade was successful in its holy war, slaughtering Muslims everywhere they went and taking many cities. But after these attacks, the Muslims became more unified and organized under Imad ad-Din Sangi, ruler of Al Mawsil and Halab (Aleppo). They fought back and retook the city of Edessa in 1144.
So in 1145 the Second Crusade was launched. These Crusaders fell into ambushes and lost battles and basically failed. The Muslims regrouped again and began retaking more territory from the Crusaders. In 1187, they took back Jerusalem, leaving Typre in Lebanon as the
The Crusades were a series of Holy Wars launched by the Christian states of Europe against the Saracens which were Moslems. The Crusades started in 1095 when Pope Claremont preached the First Crusade at the Council of Claremont. The name Crusade given to the Holy Wars came from old French word 'crois' meaning 'cross'. The Crusades were military expeditions by the Christian nations of Europe for the purpose of rescuing the holy places of Palestine from the hands of the Mohammedans. They were eight in number, the first four being sometimes called the Principal Crusades, and the remaining four the Minor Crusades. In addition there was a Children's Crusade. There were several other expeditions which were insignificant in numbers or results.
On Tuesday, November 27, 1095, Pope Urban II launched a series of battles known as the Crusades. The goal was to launch a counterattack against the Seljuks in Anatolia then defeat the Muslims in Syria and Palestine and eventually retake Jerusalem from the Egyptians. Most of the crusaders were nobles. By 1096, five major armies of noblemen--mainly French--had been assembled and set out on their journey.
The common people also got caught up in the excitement and organized their own "popular Crusade" led by a preacher known as Peter the Hermit. Very few of the popular Crusaders made it to the Middle East and even less lasted until Jerusalem.
This First Crusade was successful in its holy war, slaughtering Muslims everywhere they went and taking many cities. But after these attacks, the Muslims became more unified and organized under Imad ad-Din Sangi, ruler of Al Mawsil and Halab (Aleppo). They fought back and retook the city of Edessa in 1144.
So in 1145 the Second Crusade was launched. These Crusaders fell into ambushes and lost battles and basically failed. The Muslims regrouped again and began retaking more territory from the Crusaders. In 1187, they took back Jerusalem, leaving Typre in Lebanon as the