Crusade Summary

The Crusades Overview The Crusades were a series of eight military campaigns between the years 1096 and 1270 in which Europeans attempted to wrest control of the Holy Land from the Muslims who ruled t... Read more

In the following essay, James offers an overview of the history of the Second Crusade, which began in 1145. James notes the societal developments that occurred between the First and Second Crusades, a... Read more

In the following essay, Cox reviews the events preceding Pope Urban II's call for a Holy War in 1095, focusing on the ongoing pilgrimages to Palestine and their relationship to the call-to-arms... Read more

In the following essay, Atiya argues that while many critics cite the late thirteenth century as the end of the Crusades, following the “tragic exit of the Franks from Palestine,” the cr... Read more

In the essay that follows, Oldenbourg provides an overview of the history of the early Crusades, examining, in particular, the social effects of the warfare. Legends and Disasters The Crusades have... Read more

In the following prologue, Fulcher outlines the story that will be told in his A History of the Expedition to Jerusalem and describes the Crusade as a “pilgrimage in arms.” Here Beginn... Read more

In the following essay, Throop examines the songs and poetry written and performed in opposition to the Crusades and papal policy. The political difficulties encountered by Gregory X in launching h... Read more

In the following essay, Goitein attempts to explain the dearth of Jewish accounts of the First Crusade. After examining a letter written in 1100, Goitein theorizes that the lack of Jewish narratives a... Read more

In the following essay, Foulet examines the content and form of two epic cycles about the Crusades—the first written at the end of the twelfth century, and the second composed during the 1350s.... Read more

In the following essay, Erdmann analyzes the various elements—including religious and literary developments—that enabled the “general idea of crusade and war upon the heathen ... Read more

The Crusades were a series of eight wars that European Christians fought for a religious cause, in attempt to seize the Holy Land and drive out the Muslim Turks. Although their effect greatly differe... Read more

Some of the most influential times in early history have been the times at which to cultures have come into contact with each other, whether through trade, war, or other events. The reason why the int... Read more

The crusades brought big changes for Europe. The political system in Europe changed from feudalism to monarchy. The economic system went from the manorial system, where manors were self-sufficient a... Read more