The Crusades

For European Christians, the Crusades were holy wars, with the promise of plunder in the service of the Church. For more than 200 years, Christian and Muslim armies fought for control of the Holy Land, the territory around Jerusalem in the Middle East.

Many Christian pilgrims visited Jerusalem, which was a holy city to Jews and Muslims, as well as to Christians. But Jerusalem was held by Muslim Turks, and in 1095 they banned Christian pilgrims from the city. This angered both the western Christian Church, based in Rome, and the eastern Christian Church in Constantinople. From Rome, Pope Urban II called on Christians to free Jerusalem, and so launched the First Crusade, or war of the cross. In 1096, a European force joined with an army from Constantinople. Their leaders were inspired by religious faith, but also by a desire to increase territory and wealth. In three years, they captured Jerusalem and went on to set up Christian kingdoms in Palestine. None of the seven later crusades matched this success.

CHILDREN’S CRUSADE OF 1212

Inspired by two boy preachers, 50,000 children in two groups, one from France and one from Germany, set off for the Holy Land. Some died on the journey, and many others were sold as slaves in North Africa.

The Crusades inspired many stories of bravery and honour on both sides. But disasters also happened. Before the First Crusade even set out, a peasant army known as the People’s Crusade wandered across Europe and was eventually massacred by the Turks. Then the Fourth Crusade of 1202 turned aside to loot the Christian city of Constantinople.

The Crusaders never did win back the Holy Land. But Europeans learned more about eastern science, food and medicine as trade between Europe and Asia grew.