Crusades

The Crusades were holy wars against the Seljuk Muslim Turks that were meant to recapture the holy land of Jerusalem and to defend the Christian world against Christ's enemies. The Crusades began in 1095 and ended in 1272. Most of these battles were fought in North Africa, Damietta, Jerusalem, and the Byzantine Empire. The Christians wanted to break Muslim power in Western Europe and North Africa. They also wanted to gain control of Jerusalem so some Christians could live there and protect Christianity from its enemies. The Christians lost most of the battles. These losses caused many crusader states to fall to the Muslims. After many years of battle, the Christians regained and lost Jerusalem many times, but in the end the Muslims kept control of Jerusalem. These wars became a popular subject for heroic poems and songs. Because of these battles, trading increased. Also, the religions of Islam and Christianity spread through Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa.

Most of the Crusades were called upon by Popes and Kings or Emperors. After the defeat of Emperor Alexios I, the first crusade was called by Pope Urban II. Peter the Hermit also encouraged peasants to form a crusade. King Richard I and Muslim leader, Saladin, signed a three-year truce during the third crusade. In the Fifth Crusade, Fredrick II signed a ten year peace treaty with the Muslims. Thibaut of Champagne gave aid to certain Muslim leaders while they were fighting against other Muslim rivals, and this caused Muslim leaders to turn on each other. King Louis IX started a Crusade and during most of his crusade he tried to improve fortifications of Christian crusader states. The Mongols and Christians teamed up during the Crusades because the Mongols were enemies of the Muslims. Later the Mamluks took control of Jerusalem from the Christians who regained it from the Muslims.

Works Cited
 * "Crusades." The Middle Ages: An Encyclopedia for Students. Ed. William Chester Jordan. Vol. 2. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1996. 8-15. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 4 Mar. 2010.
 * "File:1099jerusalem.jpg." Wikimedia Commons. Wikimedia Foundations, 2 Aug. 2009. Web. 4 May 2010. .
 * "File: Armories Jerusalem." Wikimedia Commons. Wikimedia Foundations, 19 Feb. 2010. Web. 1 Apr. 2010. .

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