14 Things You Ought to Know about the Crusades

There are certain moments in history that can be difficult to understand or to reconcile. Most of history is complicated, with multiple sides and perspectives. From 1091-1291, there were conflicts between greater Christianity and Muslims about access to, and control of, the Holy Lands.

Both religions have significant ties to Jerusalem and surrounding areas according to their sacred texts. They believe that important spiritual and historical events happened there, and wanted access to the city for their adherents. But they did not agree on who should have control or how much access the other should have.

There are many myths and many truths about the Crusades, but it is a fascinating yet complicated period of religious fanaticism, interesting players, and long-lasting ramifications.

What Were the Crusades?

The Crusades were a series of eight major, and several minor, conflicts for control of the Holy Land around Jerusalem. They occurred mostly between 1091 and 1291.

They began with the Arab-Byzantine Wars, where the Byzantine Empire conquered much of what is today known as the Middle East, as far out as Iran. During this period, the political situation began to change as Turkish Muslims migrated eastward. One powerful group, the Seljuks, grew in power and eventually took control of Jerusalem from the Fatimid Caliphate. They proceeded to take control of much of the region. Slowly, reports began to make their way back to Rome - the seat of the Roman Catholic Church - that Christian pilgrims travelling to visit the Holy Land were encountering hostility, and that Christians in the region were being oppressed. This oppression included jizya - a tax on non-Muslims living in areas under Islamic theocratic control.

From a Biblical perspective, while Jerusalem does have many locations in and around it that are significant to Christians, the Bible does not require a pilgrimage to it. There is also not a call at any point in the Bible for Christians to maintain control of the city. In fact, Jesus predicted the destruction of the Second Temple, and Jerusalem is not brought up as a significant player in history until the End of Days prophecies in the Book of Revelation. Christians do not need to control Jerusalem or surrounding territories to be fulfilling the Great Commission.

A Breakdown of the Various Crusades

The following is a brief summary of each Crusade, along with key players.

The First Crusade: Started by Pope Urban II following twenty years of planning begun by his predecessor to take back the Holy Lands. The first major action was started because Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos asked Urban for help because he was worried about the encroaching Seljuks. The advancing Crusaders took Nicea, marched on Antioch, and eventually took Jerusalem. The victors started the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Various European monarchs, mostly French or Italian, claimed the title of King of Jerusalem.

Crusade of 1101: One of the smaller crusades, Pope Paschal II did not want to lose ground won during the First Crusade. Many of the soldiers were called back from the First Crusade.

Second Crusade: This Crusade lasted from 1147-1150. Pope Eugene III called for another crusade in 1145, one which would be better organized. He called on Christian nations to sign on. Louis VII, King of the Franks, and Conrad III in present-day Germany both sent troops. While the troops from Europe went to Antioch, King of Jerusalem Baldwin III sent them to Damascus. This Crusade faced many defeats and damaged the reputation of the Pope.

Third Crusade: After the disastrous Second Crusade, Jerusalem fell to a powerful Muslim leader named Saladin in 1187. Kings in Europe were the primary advocates for this campaign. Generally, the Christian forces did not make much progress. Notably, this campaign featured the English King Richard the Lionheart, who only spent six months in England. Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI died on Crusade. This crusade lasted from 1186-1189.

Fourth Crusade: The Fourth Crusade lasted from 1202-1204. Its most notable event was the Sacking of Constantinople by the Crusaders. Despite being the seat of the Byzantine Church, Crusaders spent three days looting the city and killing Greek Christians. Both Christians and Muslims, such as Pope Innocent III an Ali ibn al-Athir, saw this event as an atrocity.

Fifth Crusade: Religious and political leaders in Europe spent 1217-1221 trying to reconquer the Holy Lands by going through Egypt. This effort was a failure.

Sixth Crusade: The King of Sicily took diplomatic efforts during the Sixth Crusade to keep this effort more peaceful. The Kingdom of Jerusalem had some control of the city due to these efforts. This Crusade, which lasted from 1228-1229, has mixed emotions on both sides, with some Christians seeing it as a victory, and others seeing it as a failure. Muslim leader Ayyubid sultan al-Kamil saw it as a victory, while other Muslims disagreed.

Baron’s Crusades: This campaign was the most successful since the first. In 1234, Pope Gregory IX encouraged European rulers to launch it after the expiration of a ten-year truce between Frederick II and Sultan al-Kamil. They gained a lot of territory, but it was lost soon after, and during a siege in 1244 many Christians in Jerusalem were massacred by the Khwarazmian Army.

Seventh and Last Crusades: Both these Crusades were launched by Louis IX of France, attempting to retake the Holy Land through Egypt. They took place in 1248-1254 and 1270 respectively. Neither succeeded in their political or religious goals.

14 Things to Know about the Crusades

1. Islamic military forces had been making efforts to conquer and subjugate Christian Europe and northern Africa for centuries prior to the First Crusade.

2. The motto Deus Io Vult, which means God wills it, was cried by a crowd after hearing about the plan for the Crusades from Pope Urban II. 

3. The streets of Jerusalem were not so filled with blood the Crusaders had blood up to their knees. This myth became common many years after the Crusades.

4. While the massacres were never as dramatic as described by some chroniclers on either side, both sides would often kill indiscriminately. In the chaos, Muslims would kill Muslims and Christians would kill Christians.

5. Richard the Lionheart, a king of England, only spent six months of his reign in England because he wanted to be in the Holy Land on Crusade instead. He developed a unique respect for Saladin, and died on his way back to England. The Robin Hood myth features this king.

6. Many of the Christians who went on the early Crusades really believed they were doing something righteous and holy, and it was not seen as a cynical, political move. 

7. Much of what drove the later Crusades were political, not religious. Some kings wanted to gain favor with Rome, while others felt they had claim to the title King of Jerusalem. While religious zeal may have played a role in why they went, the reasons were not wholly religious. 

8. The Crusaders who participated in the Sacking of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade were excommunicated.

9. Historians used to believe that part of the motivation for the Crusades was to give rowdy soldiers, and second sons something to do. Some newer evidence suggests that many oldest sons participated in the First Crusades.

10. Women went on Crusade. Queen Elinor of Aquitaine (a fascinating woman who was the Queen of France when she went on Crusade but went on to leave her husband for the King of England) and Margaret of France were just two famous Queens who went to Jerusalem on campaign with their husbands.

11. During the First Crusade, crusaders claimed to have found the Holy Lance, the lance which was said to have been the one which pierced the side of Christ. 

12. These campaigns were not always called the Crusades, instead they were sometimes called journeys or pilgrimages. 

13. While the Roman Catholic Church most consistently participated, at various points the Eastern Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Russian, and Armenian Christians also participated.

14. The Fourth Crusade is the one that ultimately deepened the divide between the Byzantium Church and the Roman Catholic Church beyond repair.

The Crusades are a fascinating and long period of history that took place on three continents and involved multiple kings and nations. From politics, religions, and personal vendettas, exploring this period reveals the complexities of human nature.

Sources

Asbridge, Thomas. The Crusades The Authoritative History of the War for the Holy Land. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 2010.

Maalouf, Amin. The Crusades through Arab Eyes. New York: Al-Saqi Books,1984.

Madden, Thomas. The Concise History of the Crusades. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publisher, 2013.

Riley-Smith, Jonathan Simon Christopher. The Crusades A History. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2005.

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Bethany Verrett is a freelance writer who uses her passion for God, reading, and writing to glorify God. She and her husband have lived all over the country serving their Lord and Savior in ministry. She has a blog on graceandgrowing.com.