{"id":2603,"date":"2016-07-26T01:57:40","date_gmt":"2016-07-26T01:57:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crunchlearning.com\/website_ec2cbfb0\/?p=2603"},"modified":"2026-03-18T02:55:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T02:55:22","slug":"crusades-overview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crunchlearning.com\/website_ec2cbfb0\/crusades-overview\/","title":{"rendered":"Crusades: A Detailed Overview"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The crusades<\/a> are one of the most significant events in the history of Europe and the Middle East.  They were a series of religious wars carried out by Christian crusaders<\/a> from Europe during the timeframe of the Middle Ages<\/a>.  Beginning in 1095 CE, the crusades saw European knights and noblemen travel to the Middle East in an attempt to capture the Holy Land<\/a> away from Muslim people that had controlled the region for the previous centuries.  The term crusade means \u2018cross\u2019.  Therefore, the Europeans that became crusaders viewed themselves as \u2018taking up the cross\u2019.  In fact, many of the crusaders wore crosses on their clothing and armor as they made their pilgrimage to the Holy Land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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CAUSES OF THE CRUSADES<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On November 27th 1095 CE, Pope Urban II called for a crusade to the Holy Land as part of a sermon at the Council of Clermont.  In the speech, Pope Urban II argued for many different things, but one particular passage called for Europeans to assist the Byzantine Empire in the battle against Muslim civilizations to the east.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFreshly quickened by the divine correction, you must apply the strength of your righteousness to another matter which concerns you as well as God. For your brethren who live in the east are in urgent need of your help, and you must hasten to give them the aid which has often been promised them. For, as the most of you have heard, the Turks and Arabs have attacked them and have conquered the territory of Romania [the Greek empire] as far west as the shore of the Mediterranean and the Hellespont, which is called the Arm of St. George. They have occupied more and more of the lands of those Christians, and have overcome them in seven battles. They have killed and captured many, and have destroyed the churches and devastated the empire. If you permit them to continue thus for awhile with impunity, the faithful of God will be much more widely attacked by them. On this account I, or rather the Lord, beseech you as Christ’s heralds to publish this everywhere and to persuade all people of whatever rank, foot-soldiers and knights, poor and rich, to carry aid promptly to those Christians and to destroy that vile race from the lands of our friends.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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‘Pope Urban II at the Council of Clermont’ by Jean Colombe. (1474)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Historians consider this speech to be the event that sparked the first crusade<\/a> and began the movement of European Christians into the Middle East. As such, it was an important cause of the Crusades<\/a>.  There were several key reasons for the pope to call for the crusades.  First, the Byzantine Empire (which was the remains of the former Roman Empire) was under attack from Muslim Civilization to the east.  Since, the Byzantine Empire was centered in Eastern Europe and parts of the Middle East it was in direct contact with other eastern civilizations and they often clashed.  Second, the Roman Catholic Church wanted to secure and protect Christian churches and holy sites in the region and sought soldiers to help.  Third, Islam emerged in the 7th century in the Arabian Peninsula and quickly spread to surrounding areas, such as: Northern Africa, the Middle East and Europe.  The Roman Catholic Church felt that Christianity<\/a> was under attack from the spread of Islam and the crusades represented an attempt to stop it from spreading into European strongholds.  Fourth, the city of Jerusalem<\/a>, which was the center of the main conflict of the crusades, was considered to be important territory for Christian faith (and also Muslim and Jewish faith).  As a result, many Christians wanted it \u2018freed\u2019 from Muslim control and sought to gain control over the area for religious and territorial reasons.  Fifth, Europe had a long and bloody history that saw kingdoms and noblemen attack each other.  Pope Urban II\u2019s call for a crusade was an attempt to end aggression between European kingdoms and instead direct the violence towards Muslin-held areas in the Middle East.  In general, the main causes of the crusades combined and led to the several different waves of the crusades that followed.  However, Pope Urban II\u2019s Council of Clermont speech is considered to be the spark that inspired many to take up the mission and was a cause of the crusades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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People’s Crusade with Peter the Hermit<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\u200bTHE FIRST CRUSADE<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In reality, there were many different crusades<\/a>.  Historians disagree on the exact number but in general, there were nine main crusades and many other smaller ones which occurred over a period of two centuries.  The first crusade began in 1096 CE following the Council of Clermont speech by Pope Urban II in 1095 CE, which was discussed previously.  During the First Crusade<\/a>, which took place from 1096 CE to 1099 CE, thousands of Europeans migrated from Europe to the kingdoms of the Middle East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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First Crusade Map created by History Crunch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The first example of this is referred to as the People\u2019s Crusade and took place from April to October of 1096.  During this event, European peasants attacked and killed populations of Jewish people in Europe before finally travelling to Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) where they faced off against Muslim Turks.  They were eventually defeated by the Turks, but set the stage for the crusades that followed.  For example, the first official crusade (meaning it was supported and led by the Catholic Church) began soon after in 1096.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This first official crusade saw European nobles, knights, and peasants<\/a> travel by land and sea to the Middle East in an attempt to free the Holy Land from Muslim control.\u00a0 During their travels, the crusaders followed a path that thousands of others would follow in the decades and centuries that followed.\u00a0 For instance, they first made their way to the city of Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), which was the capital of the Byzantine Empire, before finally attacking into the societies of the Middle East and the Holy Land.\u00a0 On route to Jerusalem<\/a> from Constantinople, the crusaders captured several key territories which they later turned into \u2018crusader states<\/a>\u2019.\u00a0 These states were controlled by the crusaders for their benefit and used as a way of carrying out further attacks in the Middle East.\u00a0 The main crusader states established at the time were: \u00a0the\u00a0County of Edessa, the\u00a0Principality of Antioch, the\u00a0Kingdom of Jerusalem\u00a0and the\u00a0County of Tripoli.\u00a0 All of these states are in the area of the Eastern Mediterranean and were vital routes towards the Holy Land for European crusaders.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u200bThe fighting of the first crusade continued until 1099 and saw the European crusaders face off against the Muslim fighters in a series of brutal battles.  Eventually, the crusaders captured Jerusalem in July of 1099 and immediately slaughtered many of the Muslims and Jewish people living in the city.  This victory served as inspiration for the crusades that followed, but in reality, Jerusalem and the Holy Land changed sides many times throughout the two centuries in which the crusades took place.  As stated previously, several other main crusades took place in the decades and centuries after the first crusade and continued until 1272 when the crusades finally concluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Crusader States Map created by History Crunch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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OTHER CRUSADES (SECOND CRUSADE TO NINTH CRUSADE)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u200bHistorians agree that there were approximately nine main crusades that occurred from 1095 until 1272 CE, with each crusade consisting of different motives and goals.  Furthermore, the first four crusade were the most involved and the ones which are most often referenced or discussed when learning about the Crusades.  Click on the links below to read more detailed information about each of the other Crusades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n