The Crusades

The Crusades were numerous Holy Wars led by the Christian European countries against the Saracens or Muslims.  The Crusades began in 1095. The Crusades were a series of military journey by the Christian nations of Europe in the attempt to rescue the holy places of Palestine from the rule of the Mohammedans. There were eight in crusades, the first were called the Principal Crusades, and the last four the Minor Crusades.  There were several other missions.

The cause of the crusades was a war between Christians and Moslems revolved around the city of Jerusalem. The City of Jerusalem was holy to the Christian religion. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem honored the hill of the crucifixion and the tomb of Christ and was visited by Pilgrims. In 1065 Jerusalem fell to the Turks and thousands of Christians were massacred setting off the events which contributed to the cause of the crusades.

The purpose of the crusades was at first to release the Holy Land, in namely Jerusalem, from the Saracens, but as time progressed it was extended to taking control Spain from the Moors, the Slavs and Pagans from Eastern Europe, and the islands of the Mediterranean.

There were nine crusades. The first four crusades were the most important. For a two hundred years Europe and Asia were engaged almost constant battles.  The first crusade lasted from 1095-1099, and established the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem.

The kingdom of Jerusalem was slowly lost until the last Christian city, Acre, went under in 1291. The hopes of returning to the Holy Land persevered; the Kings of France and England often made plans, although the endeavors were not successful.

The crusades also started the important knightly orders, the Knights Templar, the Teutonic Knights. These were orders of religious knights, working from monastic rule to defend the holy land and pilgrims in making retreats to Jerusalem.

The effects of the Crusades on Europe of the Middle Ages were a major factor in the progress of the history of civilization. The effects influenced the wealth and power of the Catholic Church politically, commerce, intellectual development, social and material effects brought about the famous Voyages of discovery. The crusaders came from both the Upper and Lower classes. The Holy Land Pilgrimages movement came from the pilgrimages which Christians had long been accustomed to make to the scenes of Christ's life on earth.

All of Europe was in turmoil for two centuries because of the crusades and cost several millions of lives, and vast depletions in treasure and suffering. But the Holy Wars were productive in many ways the permanent effects of the good of the crusades influenced civilization on a whole. It gave the beginning of  the incentive given to geographical discovery led various travelers, such as the famous explorer Marco Polo and others to explore the most remote countries of Asia. And so began the age of exploration of the world and a beginning to a new era in civilization.