The Crusades were a series of military adventures carried out by Europeans through the 11th to 14th centuries. The campaigns began in France when Pope Urban II, at the Council of Clermont in 1095, called upon Christians to retake the Holy Land, particularly Jerusalem, from the Islamic people who then occupied it. While the Crusades began under religious considerations, they were often guided by typical human politics.

The First Crusade: 1096-1099

• Alexus Comnenus asked for mercenaries to defend Constantinople. Instead he received perhaps 12,000 commoners intent on liberating Jerusalem. The European nobility marched on Jerusalem.

The Second Crusade: 1147-1149

• Originally preached by Bernard of Clairvaux. Only a few Greek islands were taken.

The Third Crusade: 1189-1192

• Led by Frederick Barbarosa, Richard I of England and Philip II of France. Results in a truce which gives Christians access to Jerusalem and the Holy Places.

The Fourth Crusade: 1202-1204

• Instead of marching on Jerusalem, this crusade was diverted to Constantinople. The city remained in Latin hands until 1261.

The Albigensian Crusade: 1208

• Preached by Pope Innocent III against the Albigensian heretics in southern France.

The Children's Crusade: 1212

• Preached by Stephan of Vendome and by Nicholas of Koln. One group reached Marsailles and was sold into slavery; the other turned back.

The Fifith Crusade: 1218-1221

• An attack on Egypt.

The Sixth Crusade: 1228-1229

• Led by Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor. He negotiated a treaty which led to Christian control of several important holy sites, including Jerusalem. Jerusalem was retaken by Muslim mercenaries in 1244.

The Seventh Crusade: 1248-1254

• Led by King Louis IX of France (Saint Louis). He captured the Egyptian city of Damietta, but was himself taken captive in the battle for Cairo. He was eventually ransomed.

The Eighth Crusade: 1270

• An unsuccessful attack on Tunis.

The term crusade was also used for a number of other expeditions at various times, proclaimed by popes, against supposed "heretics and heathens." Most were simply a struggle to obtain, or keep, political power.

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MSN Encarta - Crusades
Article discusses the expeditions led by western Christians to conquer the Holy Land and provides links to related articles.

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Second and Third Crusades Map
Map of the Eastern Empire at the time of the second and third crusades shows Christian, Greek, Latin, and Moslem states.

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Fourth and Later Crusades - Map
Map from the time of the fourth crusades shows Christian, Greek, Latin, and Moslem states, Venetian dominions, and the last of the Roman Empire.

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Godfrey of Bouillon - MSN Encarta
Profiles the heroic French leader of the First Crusade who captured Jerusalem in 1099, becoming the first Christian ruler of the holy land.

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Pope Urban II - MSN Encarta
Pope tried to unite Western and Eastern Christians by declaring the First Crusade. Find an encyclopedia article about his papacy

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Pope Innocent III - Ecclesiology Homepage
Essay elaborates on this pontiff's role in the Great Schism, a conflict between Eastern and Western Christians resulting from the Fourth Crusade.

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The Christian Crusades: 1095-1291
There were seven Crusades, with the first beginning in 1095 and the last ending in 1291. The First Crusade was the most successful from a military point of view.

 

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Jews in The First Crusade
Describes the attacks against Jews during the Christian reclamation of the Holy Land. Provides details of Pope Urban's incitement to violence.

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Jerusalem and the Crusades
Offers an historical overview of the siege of Jerusalem by European Christian Crusaders and the later occupation by the Muslims.

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Islamic History - The Crusades
Concise analysis of the conflict cites the lasting effect on European trade as the most important legacy of the Crusades.

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Musei Vaticani
Artifacts and picture gallery from the Vatican museums. Highlights include art from the Christian crusades and early Christian pilgrimages.

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Third Crusade - Overview
Chronicles the events, key players, battles, results, and consequences of the third crusade of European Christians to the Holy Land.

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The Fourth Crusade

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Medieval Sourcebook: The Crusades

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The Christian Crusades And Inquistions

 

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Crusades and Islamic Contributions
Mr Downing's Virtual Sixth Grade Classroom presents an historical overview of the Crusades and the cultural contributions of Islam.

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How Crusades Positively Impacted the East and the West
Essay describes how the conflicts helped to open trade routes, how it refined warfare techniques, and how it united the Muslim world.

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Crusades in Art
Offers 12 illustrated manuscripts from 14th century France depicting images of the Crusades. Includes the siege of Tunis and Constantinople.

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