3.7 The Crusades

3.7 The Crusades

Christians in Europe fought non-Christians to conquer Palestine and retake Spain.

​BATTLE FOR PALESTINE

Specifically, the people Pope Urban had condemned were Seljuk Turks, Muslim rulers who had seized control of Jerusalem in 1071.

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Their takeover had made Christian pilgrimages to the

Holy Land—also called Palestine—almost impossible.

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The Holy Land included Jerusalem and the area around

the city, sites that were sacred to Christians, Jews, and Muslims.

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3.7 The Crusades

The Seljuks had also begun to attack the Christian Byzantine

Empire, once the eastern half of the Roman Empire.

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When the Byzantine emperor asked for help, Pope Urban seized his chance to rally Christians against the growing power of Islam.

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His words had the desired effect. In 1096, Christian armies set off to fight a series of wars called the Crusades to reclaim the Holy Land.

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Christian leaders and soldiers were motivated by a desire

to protect Christians and to slow the spread of Islam.

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3.7 The Crusades

Peasants, knights, and foot soldiers joined the fight, and they achieved victory. In 1099, the army retook Jerusalem and divided the Holy Land into four Crusader states. The triumph was short lived.

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In 1144, the Muslims fought back and conquered Edessa, one of the Crusader states. Soon after, a new pope launched the Second Crusade, but this ended in disaster for the Europeans.

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A Third and Fourth Crusade were fought, but these also failed to defeat the enemy. By 1291, the Muslims had defeated the Crusaders and taken control of Palestine. The Crusades were over.

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3.7 The Crusades

A SPANISH CRUSADE

The Crusades had an unexpected impact on Europe.

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During the wars, trade between Europe and the

eastern Mediterranean region greatly increased

because of greater contact between the two regions.

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After the wars, ideas as well as goods were exchanged.

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The trade led to the rise of a merchant class

in Europe and the further decline of feudalism.

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3.7 The Crusades

Still, crusading fever didn’t die, and hostility

toward any non-Christians increased.

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After the Crusades, many Jews were expelled from England and France. The greatest expulsion effort, however, took place on the Iberian Peninsula, which includes present-day Spain and Portugal.

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In the 700s, Muslims had conquered the entire Iberian peninsula.

When Islamic rule weakened in the 1000’s, Christian kings began a

long war, called the Reconquista, to drive the Muslims away.

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3.7 The Crusades