report

The crusades stared in the year 1095, provoked by Pope Urban II. He got Christians to come together and join armies to fight the Muslims and get the Holy city back (Jerusalem)and free Eastern Christians from Islamic rule. Most of the Christian crusaders actually only fought for wealth, as Jerusalem was quite a wealthy city so if if was conquered the Christians would get that wealth. This caused fights among the Christians when they defeat other cities, they fought about who got what and the amount of things.

In the crusades there were many battles as it was between the years 1095 and 1270. But ther first Crusades are represented by the battles at Antioch in 1098, Jerusalem in 1099. In 1099 the Christian crusades reached Jerusalem and started building three buildings big enough for the crusaders they were for protection and housing. When they were finished they fought there way over Jerusalems walls to let all the knights in. When the gates opened thousands of Muslims were slaughtered. The Christian crusaders took over the Holy city then a few weeks later they were tested by Egyptian forces. The the battle of harran in 1104. While battles between Crusader states and their muslim neighbours include Sarmada in 1119, Montgisard in 1177 and Saladins destruction of the Crusader army at Hattin in 1187.

There were many significant people that were involved in the Crusades. Such as Pope Urban II. Pope Urban II was the pope at the time of the first Crusade. He was a main part of the Crusades because he was the person who called all the Christians together to fight against the turks. Another key person in the battles of the Crusades was Saladin. Saladin, The Sultan of Egypt was the man behind the Muslims winnign back Jerusalem after the Battle of Hattin. A key figure in the third crusade was Richard of England. After his brother died it left Richard the heir to the throne of England. When he heard of the loss to Saladin in Hattin. Richard took up the cross of the Crusade. Then after Henry II dies he was crowned the king of England. One of his first act was to free his mother from prison and then he started to raise funds for his crusade. It was known as the Third Crusade.

Jerusalem ended up being split at the end of the first crusade. After the city fell to the Crusaders in 1099, only a few thousand remained in Jerusalem and the other Crusader states, including Antioch, Edessa, and Tripoli. Jerusalem remained defended by only about three hundred knights.