Paolo

How The Crusades Ended

The crusading movement came to an end by the close of the thirteenth century. The emperor Frederick II for a short time recovered Jerusalem by a treaty, but in 1244 A.D. the Holy City became again a possession of the Moslems. They have never since relinquished it. Acre, the last Christian post in Syria, fell in 1291 A.D., and with this event the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem ceased to exist. The Hospitallers, or Knights of St. John, still kept possession of the important islands of Cyprus and Rhodes, which long served as a barrier to

Reasons why the crusades failed. Of the many reasons for the failure of the crusades, three require special consideration. In the first place, there was the inability of eastern and western Europe to cooperate in supporting the holy wars. A united Christendom might well have been invincible. But the bitter antagonism between the Greek and Roman churches effectually prevented all unity of action. The emperors at Constantinople, after the First Crusade, rarely assisted the crusaders and often secretly hindered them. In the second place, the lack of sea-power, as seen in the earlier crusades, worked against their success. Instead of being able to go by water directly to Syria, it was necessary to follow the long, overland route from France or Germany through Hungary, Bulgaria, the territory of the Roman Empire in the East, and the deserts and mountains of Asia Minor. The armies that reached their destination after this toilsome march were in no condition for effective campaigning. In the third place, the crusaders were never numerous enough to colonize so large a country as Syria and absorb its Moslem population. They conquered part of Syria in the First Crusade, but could not hold it permanently in the face of determined resistance.

Why the Crusades stopped. In spite of the above reasons the Christians of Europe might have continued much longer their efforts to recover the Holy Land, had they not lost faith in the movement. But after two centuries the old crusading enthusiasm died out, the old ideal of the crusade as "the way of God" lost its spell. Men had begun to think less of winning future salvation by visits to distant shrines and to think more of their present duties to the world about them. They came to believe that Jerusalem could best be won as Christ and the Apostles had won it "by love, by prayers, and by the shedding of tears."

**Blog Entry 1**

1. What are the crusades? Originally the crusades had the aim of taking Jerusalem from Muslim control. The Eastern Orthodox Byzantine Empire asked for help in stoping the Muslim Seljuk Turks expanding their influence into Anatolia. Needless to say the European powers that involved them selves in the crusades were not above rape looting and pillage as were their opponents when the opportunity presented. T hey were a religion driven military campaign.

2. When did the crusades occur? The crusades started in 1095 CE

3. Name at least one major event in the crusades. Battle for Jerusalem

4. How many Crusades were there? Total of nine Crusades


 * Blog Entry 2**

1. Get a picture of how crusaders looked like (Armour, clothes, etc)

2. Explain why the Crusades took place. So they could take over Jerusalem.

3. Who became the first ruler over Jerusalem after the capture?

4. Which Pope called for the Crusades?


 * Blog Entry 3**

1. Which crusading order was abolished by the King of France?

2. Which Caliphate had the OFFICIAL power in Bagdad at the time of the first Crusade (tricky)?

3. What was the last Christian possession in the Levant to fall to Islamic forces?

4. What is notable about the King of Jerusalem, Baldwin IV?


 * Blog Entry 4**

1. What happened to Richard I (Lionheart) on his return from the crusade?

2. This Muslim leader declared a Islamic Holy War (1187 AD) to crush the Crusader States established in the Holy Land after the First Crusade. Which individual was it?

3. This famous city of the Byzantine Empire fell to the Fourth Crusade (1202-1204 AD) after only a six day siege and was systematically plundered. Which Imperial city was it?

4. This French King was the other famous leader of the Third Crusade (1189-1192 AD). During his reign (1180-1223 AD) he would greatly consolidate and strengthen the French monarchy. Which King of France was it?


 * Blog Entry 5**

1. This crusade was preached in France and Germany by two young boys (1212 AD) and was not officially sanctioned by Pope Innocent III. Can you name this famous 'Crusade?'

2. The Sixth Crusade (1228-1229 AD) was led by this excommunicated Holy Roman Emperor. His prestige (he was known as 'Stupor Mundi' Wonder of the World) quickly gained him a peaceful settlement with Sultan al-Kamil after being in the Holy Land for only five months. Which Emperor was it?

3. The German Crusaders of the Second Crusade (1147-1149 AD) were led by the Holy Roman Emperor. Which Emperor was it?


 * Blog Entry 6**

1. On what date did Jerusalem fall?

2. How did the crusading emperor Fredrick Barbarossa meet his end?

3. Did the Roman Empire have any thing to do with the Crusades in 1090?

4. What were the results of the Crusades?


 * Blog Entry 7**

1. What weapons were used in the Crusades?

2. What were some initial success despite the crusades late failure?

3. What is the route the Christian Knights used when traveling during the Crusades to the Holy Land?

4. How did the crusades lead to the renaissance?