1. The Crusades
The Crusades were wars in which the Christians of Europe fought against the Muslims for control of the Holy land.
This is the home of modern day Israel
Jesus lived and died there

2. The Holy Lands
The Holy Lands were filled with sacred places and pilgrimage sites
They were once under the power of the Christian Byzantine Empire, that was until the eleventh century when this area – also known as Palestine – came under control of the Seljuk Turks
These Turks were Muslims
The Crusades were a battle rooted in the deep religious feelings of the Medieval Christians in conjunction with prejudice against those of another religion
Also involved a lust for booty

3. The Church and it’s influence
The Crusades were yet another example of how much influence that the Church had over the people of the Middle Ages
Knights – much like the Muslims they fought against – looked on fighting in such a “holy war” as a way of guaranteeing themselves a place in heaven
Pope Urban II called for the first crusade in 1095, telling the Knights that their sins would be forgiven and they would find paradise if they were able to free the holy land.

4. The “People’s Crusade”
Prior to the first military crusade in 1095, there was a crusade to the Middle East to fight the Muslims, this crusade was undertaken by “ordinary people”
Thousands of men, women, and children walked across Europe in response to the Pope’s message
This group made their way across Europe, engaging in numerous massacres of Jews and fellow Christians
Their success was short lived, as a Turkish Army wiped them out in Asia minor

5. Bring on the Knights
With the arrival of armed knights, the Crusade movement had more success; the Knights Templar were examples of these fighters
The first Crusade of 1187 involving knights came with it a Christian Kingdom in the Middle East. This Kingdom lasted for about 100 years

6. The Muslims: More than just Warriors
Due to a unified resistance against the Crusaders, the Muslim people, lead by Sultan Saladin, were able to regain all of their lands
While unsuccessful, the Christians that returned to Europe did not come empty handed
The knowledge gained from the scholarly Muslims regarding medicine, astronomy, philosophy, mathematics, and literature was very beneficial to Europe
Sparked what was to become the Renaissance

7. More than Intellectual gains
Further to intellectual wealth Europeans gained many products from the Muslim world including silk, silkworms, spices, and new varieties of fruit
This created a new desire for foreign goods that would later lead to the European voyages of discovery, opening up the European standard of living