The Crusades - 1095-c. 1250
I have heard many a bad rap about the Crusades. People use the Crusades as an excuse to reject God. But just exactly what were the Crusades and why did they happen? Who were the people involved in these Crusades?
The main reason for the Crusades was to take back Jerusalem from the Muslim's possession. It started with Pope Urban's sermon at Clermont, France. The people responded to this message with 'Deus Vult! Deus Vult' which means 'God wills it'. Pope Urban had a vision of the people going over to Jerusalem and taking back the land. There were about 5,000 people ready to go and they ventured out. Some of their motivations were to have a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, the prospect of recapturing the pilgrimage sites, the opportunity to strike back because of dishonor done to Christ's name, the receipt of an indulgence and the possibility of acquiring land.
There were eight Crusades altogether. The first Crusade actually did recapture Jerusalem, but, those who would now be ruling this area were too weak to establish a strong government, and that is why the Second Crusade went out. They were there to assist in this endeavor. The Third Crusade came as a result of the loss of Jerusalem to Saladin in 1187. Saladin was the sultan of Egypt at the time. This Crusade only resulted in gaining a treaty to allow Christians to visit the Holy Sepulcher. There also was a Children's Crusade, in which many children lost their lives. Some of the children were sold into slavery. The children never made it to Jerusalem. So, all in all, the First Crusade was really the only successful one.
The people were no longer inspired to go on Crusades. The popes could no longer persuade the people to go on them, so the idea of crusades fizzled out by the mid 1200s.
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