Crusades

Introduction: The 11th Century saw the largest Military operation to date with the calling of the crusades and around 600,000 crusaders were involved in all the crusades. The Crusades were an example of the power the Roman Catholic Church had at the time. The Church made every idea, wish, or even occasion, appear to be Gods will. The church had great power and wealth at the time and that made the Pope the most powerful person in the west. The First Crusade. When the 11th century came to a close; the western part of Europe had become a power of its own but still was way behind the Mediterranean civilizations. These civilizations were the former eastern half of the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic empire. The Seljuk Turks were at war with the Byzantine Empire and at the battle of Manzikirt defeated the Byzantine Empire in 1071. Alexius Comnenus finally regained the Byzantine power of the throne and over the remaining empires in 1081 after years of civil war and unrest. The Turkish again began to become unstable; prompting Alexius to ask Pope Urban II for help in the form of mercenary soldiers in 1095. The relationship of the Christians between the east and west were never great; but at the time of the request they had been improving, so the request was granted. The Pope at the time, Urban II at the council of Clermont called for all the Christians in the west to go help the eastern empire defeat the Muslims, recapture the holy land, and Aid the Byzantines. The response was great as many westerners were eager to fight in the name of the church, so much so, they wore the cross as a symbol of the Church. “To provide a focus for commitment and a sign of distinction, Urban instituted the ceremonial granting of crosses to those who had sworn to undertake the Jerusalem journey. Thus, they became ‘signed with the cross’, crucesignati.” [1] The First crusades were led by Hugh of Vermandios, Godfrey of Bouillon, Raymond of Saint Gilles, and Bohemond of Taranto and they formed four Western Regions into four different armies. They departed in August of 1096 but not before a smaller group of less organized crusaders known as the “People’s Crusade” had already departed; they were led by Peter the Hermit. Peter had it in for the Turks and apparently he had been treated badly on a pilgrimage in Jerusalem years earlier. As they made their way through the Byzantine Empire destroying everything in their path, they were warned to wait for the four other armies of crusaders. After not heeding the warning of Alexius, the People Crusade met the Turkish forces at Cibotus for their first major battle but they suffered a crippling defeat at the hands of the Turkish Army. The four armies arrived at Constantinople from late 1096 to the middle of 1097, not with one organized commander, but several different commanders. “Arriving at Constantinople between November 1096 and June 1097, each leader was persuaded or forced to offer an oath of fealty to Alexius I, who, in return, provided money, provisions, guides, and a regiment of troops. After the capture of Nicaea, capital of the Turkish sultanate of Rum (Asia Minor) in June 1097, the campaign fell into four distinct phases.”[2] The First major battle of the four army Crusaders was the battle of Nicea, in the Seljuk capital. This city is known today as Iznik Turkey, at the end of June the city fell to the Crusaders and the Byzantines. Even with tensions high between the Byznatines and the Crusaders they still fought as one army through Anatolia, but it was not until June 1098 that they seized the city of Antioch. This struggle over power of Antioch put a great strain on the relationship of the Byznatines and the Crusaders. Finally, the crusaders moved on toward Jerusalem which was controlled by the Shi’ite Muslim Egyptians at the time. The crusaders arrived in May of 1099 and the governor formulated surrender by mid-July, even though the surrender granted protection to the citizens. Many Crusaders as an act of anger killed men, women, and children upon their entrance to the city. Many did not expected to win the eastern territories so quickly, so they went home to their families. The others stayed in the territories and established settlements to control the conquered lands. The four main settlements were Tripoli, Antioch, Edessa, and Jerusalem, the Crusaders held control of these settlements until 1144 when general Zangi, captured the northern Crusader state of Edessa. The Second Crusade started in 1147 as the news of the fall of Edessa spread across Europe and the call for another crusade began. This time there was only two leaders the French had King Louis VII of and King Conrad III led the Germans. Conrad did not have the same result as the first crusaders; he suffered a massive defeat at the hands of the Turks. “Conrad’s army left for Asia Minor. Ignoring the Byzantine Emperor Manuel’s suggestion that they travel as far as possible through his territory on the way to the Holy Land, the over-confident Germans set off straight into Seldjuk country. They were not prepared with sufficient supplies for the journey, and were certainly not prepared for the reception they would receive. At the first opportunity to obtain water, thirsty, they broke formation. The knights climbed down from their horses, and without any semblance of order, stumbled towards the river before them. The Turks were waiting. They descended upon the German rabble and a tremendous slaughter ensued.”[3] Louis and Conrad finally gathered their Armies in Jerusalem, and being over confident with the largest crusader army to date numbering 50,000, they planned to overthrow the city of Damascus. A combined Muslim Army led by Franks and Nur al-din crushed the crusaders and ended the second crusade in 1154. The Third Crusade, there were several attempts from the crusaders to take Egypt but could never actually gain control and were completely removed in 1169 by general Shirkuh. Saladin, the second in command, and Shirkuh’s nephew gained control after his uncle’s death and set the crusaders of Jerusalem in his sights. In the battle of Hattin the Muslims completely devastated the Christian Army and the news of this defeat again spread through Europe and inspired a third crusade. The leaders of the third crusade were Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, King Richard I (Lion Heart) and King Phillip III. The one and only third crusade battle of Arsuf would leave Richard’s forces victorious over Saladin forces. The kingdom of Jerusalem was won without a fight, a treaty was signed in 1192 to prevent Richards’s forces from physically taking the city and the third crusade ended. Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Crusades, In 1198, Pope Innocent III called for a new Crusade and again the crusades headed toward the Byzantium Empire. In 1203, the new Alexius IV came into power and tries to present the Byzantine church to the European church but it was met with opposition. The Emperor Alexius IV was killed in a coup in 1204, the crusaders took the Byzantine capita,l and ended the Forth crusade. Pope Innocent III also called for the Fifth Crusade and then he died in 1216. Egypt was the target for this crusade; the crusaders attacked from land and sea but were defeated, they were forced to surrender to Al-Malik al Kamil in 1221. “A bizarre episode of the Crusades, in which some 50, 000 children set out from France and Germany to capture Jerusalem. None reached their destination and few returned home, most being sold into slavery. The enthusiasm aroused by the Children's Crusade encouraged Pope Innocent III to summon the fifth Crusade.”[4]
Frederick II obtained Jerusalem without bloodshed through a peaceful compromise with Al-Malik in 1229; this was the start and the end of the sixth crusade. Ten years later when the treaty ended the Muslims again gained control of Jerusalem. The Seventh Crusade lasted years and recaptured Jerusalem for a short period, but lost it in 1244 to the sultan of Egypt. The eighth crusade also ended without victory at Mansura a year after it started. The last crusade was started in 1289 when Qalawan forces overran Tripoli and Venice sent a fleet of ships to defend the Crusaders territory. The Crusader were defeated seven weeks after arriving at the port of Acre, this ended the major crusades and only minor ones would assembled mainly to annoy the Muslims. The desire for crusade completely vanished in 16th century because decrease in the power of the Pope and the new Reformation was taking place. | | The Crusades effects of the cultures involved: The West built trade routes to the east and purchased glass, silks, spices, and other items the Europeans had never seen. This was the beginning of the hatred of the Muslims toward the Christians after centuries of war. The crusade also improved the innovation of combat effectiveness by involving in new technology on the battlefield. Most important it also spread the teachings of Jesus Christ as the crusaders entered new lands.

[1]Tyerman, Christopher. Crusades : A Very Short Introduction.
Oxford, GBR: Oxford University Press, UK, 2006. p 12. http://site.ebrary.com/lib/liberty/Doc?id=10177882&ppg=29 Copyright © 2006. Oxford University Press, UK. All rights reserved
[2]Tyerman, Christopher. Crusades : A Very Short Introduction.
Oxford, GBR: Oxford University Press, UK, 2006. p 23. http://site.ebrary.com/lib/liberty/Doc?id=10177882&ppg=40 Copyright © 2006. Oxford University Press, UK. All rights reserved.

[3]Paine, Mike. The Crusades eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) 2005 p 65-66 http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/ehost/detail?sid=707e7d6a-6e6f-470b-a415-70db7b0a5e89@sessionmgr13&vid=1#db=nlebk&AN=148599 Harpenden : Pocket Essentials, 2005

[4]"Children's Crusade (1212)." The Macmillan Encyclopedia. Basingstoke: Macmillan No page number! http://www.credoreference.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/entry.do?id=3295592 Publishers Ltd, 2003. Credo Reference. Web. 01 July 2013.