Crusades

What were the Crusades? Military expeditions undertaken by European Christians to regain Holy Land from Muslims

Motives Peasants Were promised salvation to anyone killed on a crusade Could escape manor life and the lord’s control Offered adventured Knights Could use their fighting skills Chance to gain land and wealth in the East Lords Political power Pope Free the Holy Land from the Muslims who didn’t believe in Christianity Help Christians in the Byzantine empire to defend their territory from the Seljuk Turks Cities Expanded their trading markets

Major Crusades First -Peasant’s Crusade Second Land route Captured Jerusalem temporarily Set up feudal estates to help defend the recaptured land Second Attempted to reinforce feudal states Made it as far as Turkey Spent more time fighting one another than the Muslims Jerusalem was lost to Muslims

Major Crusades Third – Crusade of the Kings Fourth Water route Led by the French, English, and German kings Attempted to regain Jerusalem Disaster from the beginning King Fredrick of Germany drowned in a river Failed to recapture the Holy Land Fourth Purpose was to gather works of art, jewels, and gold to pay off debt incurred on previous crusades Crusaders ransacked towns and sent their treasures home to Europe to be sold for cash

Outcomes Cities grew through increased trade Contact with more advanced civilizations had impact on European civilization Classical literature was rediscovered