The Crusades • Pope Urban II called for a Crusade (holy war) to gain

control of the Holy Land• The Crusades had economic, social, and political goals. • Muslims controlled Palestine and threaten

Constantinople. The emperor wanted Christians to stop Muslim attacks. • Many of the people who participated in the Crusades

were knights, people looking for adventure, younger sons (who would not gain land), and merchants looking to make a profit.

Why did they go???• Religion: God willed that they should do so.

• Escape: Peasants could escape the bondage of manor life.

• Commerce: Merchants wished to expand their commercial influence to new parts of the world.

• New goods: Merchants also wished to expand their inventories by purchasing exotic middle eastern and far eastern goods.

• New land: Nobles and Knights saw a chance to increase their wealth through the conquering of new lands.

• Improve economic status: Many Europeans saw all types of career opportunities available to them, especially in the area of commercial trade.

What did they achieve?• The original goal of the Crusades was to re-capture the

Holy Land (Jerusalem) from the Muslims. • Was it ever recaptured by the Christians? • – The Holy Land was never re- captured.

How long did they last?? • The Crusades continued for approximately 200 years. • The main reason they lasted so long was no crusader was

able to dislodge the Muslims from the Holy Land. • Also, it was during this time period that the Catholic

Church, led by the pope, had tremendous political influence which was used to pressure various kings, etc., to seek the church’s favor

1st Crusade• About 1/4 of the original army reached the city. In about a month they captured it and acquired a narrow strip of land in Edessa of about 650 miles.• However, they were vulnerable to Muslim attacks and Edessa was reconquered by the Truks.

Problems • Many of the Crusaders were ill prepared for the 1st

Crusade and did not know anything about the geography, climate or culture of the Holy Land.• They did not have a grand strategy to capture Jerusalem. • They could not agree on a leader� Do you believe that they will be successful

In what part of the world is the Holy Land? Why is that area so significant in world history today? • The Holy Land is in the Middle East, on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean sea. • The area is important because it is generally regarded as the birthplace of western civilization. • It is also the Holy Land for Muslims, Jews, and Christians which continues to make it a “trouble spot” today.

Why did the Crusades End?• After 200 years of war, the Western Europeans lost interest in the Middle East. • The economic promise of the Americas and Asia became far more appealing. • The church was also losing its political clout.

In what ways did the Crusades have a significant impact on the development of Western Europe in the Middle Ages? • New trade routes opened to the east • New goods to choose from • Exposure to new cultures • Broader perspective of the world • Better understanding of geography • Decline in Feudalism • Increased desire for travel and exploration

End of the Crusades•The Crusades left a bitter legacy of religious hatred behind them. The Crusades failed to conquer the Holy Land, however they did have significant effects on life in Europe.

Create an Advertisement• The church offered powerful incentives to those who

joined the Crusades. The pope promised forgiveness of sins and entrance into the kingdom of heaven for anyone who died in the Crusades. Serfs could obtain freedom from their lords. Citizen who enlisted were freed form paying taxes. Those who owed debts were allowed to pay them back without additional fees. Prisoners were release form jails. • Create an advertisement to convince people to join the

crusades. Must have a colored picture, a slogan, mention one of the reasons above and one from notes, have correct spelling and grammar.