Overview and Analysis of the Crusades
The Crusades were military expeditions planned and carried out by western European
Christians.
The crusades started around 1095. The purpose of these crusades was to overtake and gain
control
of the Holy Land from the Muslims. The Holy Land was Jerusalem and the Christians
believed that
gaining control of it was their fate. The pope would gather the people together and
incite them. The
origin of the crusades was a result of the expanding Turks in the middle east. These
Turkish forces
invaded Byzantium, a Christian empire. The crusaders were a militia, sent out to recover
what they
thought was theirs.
The first crusade was essentially started by Pope Urban II. On November 27, 1095, he
gathered his
followers outside the French city of Clermont-Ferrand. He preached to these people and
told them
that action needed to be taken. In response, the people cheered and planned their attack.
Urban II
brought together all of the bishops and urged them to talk to their friends and fellow
villagers and to
encourage them to participate in the crusades. Small groups started to form and each
group would
be self- directing. All the groups planned their own ways to the Constantinople, where
they would
meet and regroup. They would attack the Turkish forces in Constantinople and hope to
regain
control of the city.
The large Christian armies talked to Alexius I Comnenus, the Byzantium emperor, and
agreed to
return any of his old land that was recaptured. The armies were skeptical of this demand
but agreed
anyway. The first attack by the crusaders was on Anatolian, the Turkish capital.
Meanwhile the
Byzantians were also trying to recapture Anatolian, and later that year, the city
surrendered to the
Byzantians instead of the crusaders. The Byzantians were using the crusaders as pawns to
achieve
their own goals. The crusaders again met and crushed the Turkish army. The crusaders
scored a
great victory and boosted the troops' moral. The crusaders captured Antioch and also held
off relief
forces sent to help the Turks. The crusaders then moved on to their main goal-Jerusalem!
The city was under Egyptian control and was heavily guarded. The crusaders set up siege
machines
and called for reinforcements, finally forcing the Egyptians to surrender. Everyone in
the city was
massacred in the belief that the blood of the former holders purified it. The crusaders
kept control of
the city for the next generation or so and brought in people to inhabit the Holy Land.
Slowly the
Muslim forces started to rebuild and soon came back to take the Holy Land.
After the defeat of the Egyptians in Jerusalem, the crusaders started to colonize. The
Latin colonists
set up four states: Tripoli, which was on the Syrian coast, Antioch, centered near the
Orontes
Valley, Edessa, a far east state which held most of the Christians, and the Latin Kingdom
of
Jerusalem, the most powerful and centered between the other three states. The crusaders'
strategy
during the first crusade was to isolate the Muslims and Egyptians, and to cut off any
supplies or
reinforcements from strengthening their status. Once the original generation of crusaders
died, their
children were not as determined. They forgot about the Muslims that had escaped, and
because of
that, the Muslims had a new leader and were regaining power. Under their leader, Imad
ad-Din, the
Muslims regrouped and planned their attack against the colonies. After the passing of
Imad ad-Din,
a new radical leader emerged-Zangi. Zangi led his troops to a victory against the
crusaders and their
colonies by capturing the state of Edessa. The Muslims destroyed the Christians churches,
buildings,
and killed the crusaders. Back home, the Pope saw what was happening and declared a
second
crusade to recapture the territory that had been lost. King Louis VII, from France, set
out to meet
Conrad III army. The Holy Roman Emperor, Conrad III, set out from Germany and soon met
up
with Louis' men. With their armies, they left from their homeland to meet in Jerusalem.
Conrad's
army began their voyage, only to be ambushed. Afterwards, their supplies and cavalry
were
drastically depleted. The better half of the French army reached Jerusalem and met up
with the small
remains of the Germans and the old crusaders. Together they ventured to Damascus, but
failed to
take the city and were badly defeated. The French army and king had had enough and
returned
home. The small remnants of the Germans stayed with the colonies, along with the old
crusaders.
Slowly but surely, the states the crusaders had set up were systematically being
destroyed. The
failure of the second crusade brought on the third crusade.
The Muslims had named a new leader, Nur ad-Din, who regrouped the Muslims and motivated
them to take back what believed was theirs. Their leader died a few years later, and was
succeeded
by their military leader, Saladin. In 1187, Saladin took his now revived and recuperated
army to
recapture Jerusalem. In July, he crushed the crusaders front line army in Galilee.
Saladin then led his
troops throughout the area of Jerusalem and finally took Jerusalem in early October. This
led to
Pope Gregory VIII starting a third crusade. The people in the west knew that their time
had come to
defeat the Muslims once and for all. Included in the ranks of men going on the crusade
were Fredick
I, the Roman emperor; Philip II, the French king; and Richard I, of England. These forces
were
thought to be one of the most powerful armies assembled during the middle ages. Again,
this crusade
suffered misfortune. On his journey to Jerusalem, the Roman emperor died, and his army
accompanied the body back home for burial. Even with the size of Richard's and
Frederick's
remaining armies, they were not able to recapture Jerusalem. When the armies left
Jerusalem and its
surrounding areas to return home, they accomplished none of their goals.
Since none of the following crusades were successful or even important, not much is known
about
them. The later crusades also provided almost nothing for the Christians therefore much
time and
money was wasted on them.
I have several thoughts on the crusades. The first crusade was the most memorable. It was
the most
successful one, with a minimal amount of casualties. Its execution reflected well on the
leaders. The
Muslims and Turks were taken by surprise. They did not expect the Christians to bring
such a force
or such to Jerusalem. Later crusades were anticipated by the Muslims and very
predictable. After
the Muslims won control, the Christians initiated a new crusade within 10 years or so,
with the full
force unable to reach Jerusalem. I think the people were more pleased with the first
crusade not only
because of the outcome but because it was a new idea to the Christian faith. Christian
philosophy
did not espouse, "if there is something you want, take it forcefully." The crusades also
offered the
Christians a chance to vent their anger towards Jerusalem's possessors. It established a
routine and
thereby structure for their lives. Towards the end of the second or the third crusade,
the common
folk were becoming angry with the Pope and kings for their lack of results. Monies went
into the
preparation of the crusades with minimal return. The first crusade set a great example
for the others,
yet the next crusades didn't follow the same path. The later crusades lacked
organization. No one
wanted to provide leadership due to the uncertain outcome. Leadership demonstrated in
later years
was from Stephen and Nicholas in the Children's Crusade, however unfortunately young
children
were used in combat. This was a reflection of the moral character or lack of it, in their
leaders and
subsequently contributed to their failure.
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