What Were the Crusades?

1. What Were the Crusades? • A series of military expeditions from Western Europe • Launched by Popes • Originally directed at reconquering the Holy Land • Later included other goals like elimination of heretics, reconquest of Spain, and consolidation of Papal States • Lasted from 1095 to as late as 1798

2. Importance of the Crusades • Continuing influence on global politics • Islamic anger and Christian guilt

3. Political Background • Original extent of Christian lands • Original conquest by Islam • Stated global aspirations of Islam

4. “Sword Passages” in Islam • Qur’an Sura 9:29-31: "Fight those who believe not in God nor the last day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by God and His Apostle, nor acknowledge the religion of truth, (even if they are) of the people of the Book, until they pay the jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued. • The Hadeeth: Ibn Haban in his Sahih, vol. 14, p. 529, narrates: Muhammad said: “I swear by Him who has my soul in his hands, I was sent to you with nothing but slaughter.” • Qur’an Sura 9:5: But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the pagans wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent, and establish regular Prayers and practise regular Charity, then open the way for them

5. “Peace” Passages • Sura 109:1,2,6 "Say, O ye that reject faith! I worship not that which ye worship... To you be your way, and to me mine.” • Sura 43:88,89 "(God has knowledge) of the (Prophet's) cry, ‘O my Lord! Truly these are a people who will not believe!’ But turn away from them, and say, ‘Peace!’ • Sura 67:26 "Say ‘...I am (sent) only to warn plainly in public.’"

6. Who Went? • EVERYONE • An extension of the pilgrimage movement • Peasants' Crusade • Shepards' Crusade • Military Crusaders--knights along with support staff, infantrymen, etc. • Kings and great lords were the leaders

7. Motives • Not usually greed: crusading was actually an extremely expensive business, though there was some chance of booty or a gain of lands • Piety • Indulgences • Social pressure

8. Crusader Behavior • As with all armies of their time, the Crusaders were ruthless, rapacious, and bloodthirsty in dealing with conquered peoples • When a city fell, many of the inhabitants would be put to the sword and all valuables would be looted • The Crusaders were also troublesome to lands they passed through on their way, often stealing provisions and causing problems • Jews were often persecuted and their money taken to help fund the armies

9. First Crusade • Launched by Pope Urban II in 1095 • Included the disastrous Peasants' Crusade • Captured Antioch, Edessa, Jerusalem, and neighboring areas against high odds • Established the Crusader States

10. Second Crusade • Triggered by loss of Edessa in 1144 • A 3-pronged Crusade was planned against Edessa in the Holy Land, the Moors in Spain, and the pagan Wendish tribes in Germany • Successful advances were made in Spain • Holy Land armies partly melted away en route, and the remaining army of about 50,000 was disastrously defeated attempting to capture Damascus

11. Third Crusade • The Muslim armies of Saladin reconquered most of the Latin East including Jerusalem • A German army led by Emperor Frederick arrived at the Holy Land in good order but disintigrated upon Frederick’s death in a swimming accident • Richard the Lionheart ammassed a large Crusading treasury partly by selling nearly all he had, he was joined by King Phillip of France in a fragile alliance • Richard eventually reached the Holy Land and had several military successes, but failed to recapture Jerusalem

12. Fourth Crusade • Begun by Pope Innocent III with the singular goal of recapturing Jerusalem in 1204 • Armies were diverted en route through logistical failures and the intrigues of the Venetian state • Against the orders of the Pope, the armies ended up sacking Constantinople • Establishment of the Latin Emperors in Constantinople • Cemented the East-West schism in the Church • No move on Jerusalem was made

13. Fifth Crusade • Preached in 1213 by Pope Innocent III • A Christian naval fleet arrived at Egyptian city of Damietta and captured it, but was defeated on the road to Cairo and subsequently lost Damietta • Emperor Frederick of Germany arrived in the Holy Land by a different route and, through a bluff and show of force succeeded in negotiating the surrender of Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Nazareth

14. Eventual Defeat of the Crusades • Crusades continued to occur for centuries • Greeks reconquered Constantinople in 1261, then it fell to the Muslim Turks in 1453 • Jerusalem was lost for the final time in 1244 • All the Crusader States were eventually defeated • Spain, however, was fully re-conquered and held by Christians

15. Discussion Questions • Do you feel that the Crusades were justified? All of them? Some of them? • Is there a "statute of limitations" on justifiable re-conquering of conquered territory? That is, most people agree that it was just in World War Two for the Allies to liberate France from Germany with the use of force. Would this still have been true if we had waited 50 years? 300 years? Is the "statute of limitations" dependent on ability? That is, would it have been OK to wait 50 years if military reality demanded it? • What creates a just claim to ownership/rulership of an area of land or a country? Is there any such thing, or is it all simply the use of force? Examples to consider: does the US have a just claim to land we occupy? How about the Israli/Palestinian conflicting claims?