history of mankind - this is, unfortunately, not always the world of discoveries and advances, and often the chain myriad wars.These include the Crusades made with XI to XIII century.To understand the causes and motives, as well as to trace the chronology of this article will help you.It shall be accompanied compiled on "The Crusades" table containing the most important dates, names and events.
Definitions "Crusade" and "crusader»
Crusade - is an armed attack of the army of Christians in the Muslim East, which lasted a total of more than 200 years (1096-1270) and expressed in no less than eight organized action troops from the Westerncountries.In the later period was the name of any military campaign with the purpose of conversion to Christianity and expanding the influence of the medieval Catholic Church.
Crusader - participant of the campaign.On the right shoulder patch he had a Catholic cross.The same image is applied to the helmet and flags.
reasons, motives, goals, campaigns
military performances were organized by the Catholic Church.The formal reason was the fight with the Muslims to liberate the Holy Sepulchre, located in the Holy Land (Palestine).In the modern sense, this territory includes countries such as Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Gaza, Jordan and others.
Nobody doubted of success.At the time, it was believed that anyone who becomes a crusader, receive forgiveness of all sins.Therefore, joining the ranks of those were popular with knights and urban dwellers, peasants.Latest in exchange for participation in the crusade is liberated from serfdom.In addition, for European kings crusade it was an opportunity to get rid of powerful feudal lords, whose power has grown with the increase of their possessions.Rich merchants and townspeople have seen economic opportunities in the military conquests.A very high clergy, led by popes considered the crusades as a way of strengthening the power of the church.
beginning and end of the era of the Crusaders
1 Crusade began August 15, 1096, when unorganized 50000th crowd of peasants and urban poor to go camping without supplies and training.They are mostly engaged in looting (as they considered themselves warriors of God, which belongs to everything in this world), and attacked the Jews (who were considered descendants of the killers of Christ).But over the years it was destroyed by the army met on the way Hungarians and then the Turks.Following the poor crowd crusade went well trained knights.Already in 1099 they reached Jerusalem, capturing the city and killing large numbers of people.These events and the formation of the territory with the name of the Kingdom of Jerusalem was completed active period of the first campaign.Further gains (up to 1101) had the objective of strengthening the borders of the conquered.
Last Crusade (eighth) began June 18, 1270 with the landing of the army of the French ruler Louis IX in Tunis.However, this performance ended badly: even before the battle the king died of the pestilence that has forced the Crusaders to return home.During this period, the influence of Christianity in Palestine was minimal, and the Muslims, on the contrary, strengthened their positions.As a result, they had captured the city of Acre, which put an end to the era of the Crusades.
1-4-th crusades (table)
| Years of Crusades | leader and / or major events | Results | |
| 1 Crusadehike | 1096-1101 | Duke Godfrey of Bouillon, Duke of Normandy, Robert et al. take the city of Nicaea, Edessa, Jerusalem and others. | proclamation of the Kingdom of Jerusalem |
| 2ndCrusade | 1147-1148 | King of France, Louis VII, King of Germany, Conrad III | Crusaders defeat, surrender Jerusalem army Egyptian ruler Saladin |
| 3rd Crusade | 1189-1192 | King of Germany and Emperor of the Roman Empire, Frederick I Barbarossa, the French King Philip II and the English King Richard I of England Taking the port city of Acre, June 11, 1191 | Conclusion Richard Itreaty with Saladin (unfavorable hristan) |
| 4th Crusade | 1202-1204 | Taking and looting of the Byzantine city of Constantinople, April 13, 1204 | Byzantine Separationland |
5-8-th crusades (table)
| Years of Crusades | leader and major events | Results | |
| 5thCrusade | 1217-1221 | Duke of Austria, Leopold VI, King of Hungary Andras II and others. Hike in Palestine and Egypt. | failure occurrence in Egypt and the negotiations on Jerusalem because of the lack of unity in the leadership |
| 6th crusade | 1228-1229 | German kings and emperors of the Roman Empire, Frederick II of Staufen March 18, 1229 taken Jerusalem | the capture of Jerusalem by the contract with the Egyptian Sultan In 1244 the city was again passed into the hands of Muslims |
| 7th crusade | 1248-1254 |
French King Louis IX Holy Trip to Egypt | defeat of the Crusaders capture the king with a subsequent purchase, and return home |
| 8th crusade | 1270 | LouisIX Saint 18 June 1270 - landing in Tunisia. | Folding hike due to the epidemic of pestilence and death of King |
Results
How successful were the numerous crusades, the table shows clearly.Among historians, there is no unequivocal opinion, what impact these events on the life of the Western European nations.
Some experts believe that the Crusades opened the way to the East, establishing new economic and cultural ties.Others note that it is more successful than could have been done peacefully.Especially since the last crusade ended with outright defeat.
way or another, in most of Western Europe, there have been significant changes: the growing influence of the popes, as well as the power of kings;impoverishment of the nobility and the rise of urban communities;the emergence of a class of free farmers from the former serfs who received free by participating in the Crusades.
