Notes
The Crusades (1096 to 1291) were a series of wars in which Western European Christians tried to control the Holy Land around Jerusalem.
- In 1095, Pope Urban II called for a crusade after the Byzantine emperor asked for help against the Seljuk Turks.
- Motives: religious devotion, winning land and wealth, adventure and the pope's desire to increase his power.
- The First Crusade captured Jerusalem in 1099. The Muslim leader Saladin retook it in 1187.
- The Fourth Crusade turned against fellow Christians and sacked Constantinople in 1204.
- Crusaders also attacked Jewish communities in Europe.
- Effects: increased trade with the East (spices, silk), growth of Italian cities like Venice, weaker feudal lords, stronger kings, and lasting mistrust among Christians, Muslims and Jews.
- In Spain, Christian kingdoms fought the Reconquista against Muslim rulers, ending with the fall of Granada in 1492.
Practice
What was the main goal of the Crusades?
Christians sought to control holy sites, though motives varied.
Which was a lasting effect of the Crusades on Europe?
Contact with the East boosted trade and cities like Venice.
The Fourth Crusade is notable because crusaders:
The sack of 1204 deepened the split between Catholic and Orthodox Christians.
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