1. The Crusades

2. Crusaders Invade the Holy Land
The Crusades were a long series of wars between the Christians and Muslims
The Holy Land is the region where Jesus had lived, preached and died

3. Causes of the Crusades
In the late 1000a a group of Turkish Muslims captured the city of Jerusalem
Christian Pilgrims returning to Europe claimed they had been attacked and that the Holy Land was no longer safe for Christians
The Byzantine Emperor, fearing an attack on Constantinople asked for the popes help.
Pope Urban II made a call to arms

4. The Call to Arms
Pope Urban called on all Christians to take back the Holy Land from the Muslim Turks
In response people joined the pope’s armies by the thousands
They sewed crosses on their clothes to show they were fighting for God
Many were so willing to fight because they may have thought that God would look favorably on them for fighting his enemies.
Some were looking for land and treasure
Still others were looking for an adventure

5. The First Crusade
Most of the people who left were initially peasants, not soldiers
They were not equipped to handle the Turkish troops, even before they reached the Holy Land
The noble and knights did better and in 1099 were able to take Jerusalem
They then set up for small kingdoms in the holy land and began to trade with the Europeans back home

6. Later Crusades Fail
Within 50 years the Muslims had started taking land back from the Christians
The Second crusade was a huge failure: poor planning and heavy losses lead to the defeat
The third crusade began in 1189 pitting King Richard I of England against Saladin, a strong Muslim leader
The two respected each other, yet fought and negotiated for months
In the end the Muslims were the victors

7. The Fourth Crusade
In the year 1201French crusaders made their way to Italy to begin the 4th crusade
When they arrived they did not have enough money to pay for the voyage, so the Venetians made them attack a rival city, Zara, which they did
They also attacked Constantinople and took many treasures.
“The city that had been threatened by Muslims before the Crusades had been sacked by the Christians!”

8. The End of the Crusades
By 1291The Muslim armies had taken back all of the holy land and the Crusades had ended
Here are some reasons why the Crusades failed
The Crusaders had to travel huge distances just to reach the war. Many died along the way.
Crusaders weren’t prepared to fight in Palestine’s desert climate.
The Christians were outnumbered by their well-led and organized Muslim foes.
Christian leaders fought among themselves and planned poorly

9. Crusades Change Europe
Even thought eh Crusades were a failure, they results changes trade between the two continents forever
Cultural diffusion was inescapable
In Europe kings gained more power and land due to the loss of nobles and knights
Popes had wanted to be in charge of the Crusades, but rulers and noble took over, due to having experience with war, this caused more tension
The Crusades had a lasting effect on people as well
The Jews distrusted the Christians because the crusaders had attacked them.
The Eastern Europeans did not trust the Westerner because they had sacked Constantinople

10. Christian and Muslim Relationships
Positive
Each group learned about the others religion and culture
This led to a mutual respect
Negative
In general, most Crusaders viewed the Muslims as nonbelievers who threatened innocent Christians
Most Muslims viewed the Crusaders as vicious invaders
Some historians believe that the distrust that began during the Crusades still affects Christian and Muslim relationships today