The CrusadesThe CrusadesA Brief LookA Brief Look

The CrusadesThe Crusades • A series of military campaigns from the 1090s to the 1400s by a variety of European military groups into parts of the Byzantine Empire and Muslim controlled Middle East.

THE CRUSADESTHE CRUSADES• The Islamic groups holding the regions

of the Middle East were not unified at the time.

• Massacres were committed by Muslim and Christian armies during the wars.

Crusader Crusader KingdomsKingdoms

European armies European armies took and held took and held regions in the regions in the

Middle East for Middle East for nearly a century.nearly a century.

Events that may have led to the Events that may have led to the CrusadesCrusades

Christian Church in Jerusalem was destroyed.

Pilgrim routes (to the Holy Land) were closed for a period of time.

Byzantine Empire was losing territory to Islamic Turks and the Byzantine leaders requested assistance from other Christian kingdoms.

Reasons to go on CRUSADEReasons to go on CRUSADE

Read Pope Urban II’s speech –

Summarize the main ideas of the speech by listing in your notebook the:

“The top 5 reasons to go on Crusades.”

Categorize your five reasons.Categorize your five reasons.

What are the political, economic, social, and religious reasons he gives?

RELIGIOUS CausesRELIGIOUS Causes• God, through the Pope, commanded it

• Regain Holy Lands and pilgrim routes

• Automatic forgiveness of sins

POLITICAL CausesPOLITICAL Causes• End fighting among Europeans (civil

wars)

• Help defend Byzantine Empire which will keep Muslim armies from Europe.

• Gain power / territory at the expense of Islamic groups

ECONOMIC CausesECONOMIC Causes

• Chance for wealth and land! (Especially for knights who are little brothers.)

SOCIAL CausesSOCIAL Causes

• Chance to improve social status.

And so they fought . . .And so they fought . . .

RESULTS of the CRUSADESRESULTS of the CRUSADES

On the Byzantine Empire

• Weakening of the Empire due to the pillaging of Constantinople and taking of Byzantine lands.

• Severed political and religious connections to Western Europe.

Siege of ConstantinopleSiege of Constantinople

RESULTS of the CRUSADESRESULTS of the CRUSADES

On western Europe:

• Nationalism within Europe

• Increased desire for “eastern” goods and increased trade connections with the Islamic markets.

Late Medieval Trade RoutesLate Medieval Trade Routes

RESULTS of the CRUSADESRESULTS of the CRUSADES

On western Europe:

• Exposure to Islamic learning, innovation, and technological advancements

RESULTS of the CRUSADESRESULTS of the CRUSADES

On the Islamic groups of the Middle East

• Very little change in politics or culture

– Saladin helped unify Muslim forces and retook the Middle East and Asia Minor.