Who are the Crusades? what did they want?

Question

Thank you so much!!

Answer 1

The Crusades were a series of conflicts over the control of Jerusalem between Christians and Muslims. They occured between the 11th and 13th century (ie. 1000's to 1200's). There were a whole series of them, mostly numbered, but a few others such as the Children's crusade. Try Wikipedia or Google for in depth info.

Answer 2

Surely RSM is talking of the Crusades, and the people (called Crusaders) during the Middle Ages. The Crusades were not called "Crusades" at the time, since the reasons for going to the Holy Land (Jerusalem) were religious, they were known as 'pilgrimmages'. People (whether they are Buddhists, Christians, Jews, or Muslims) still do this today. Unfortunately, the city of Jerusalem is the home of the religious sites for the Christians, Jews, and Muslims. A conflict for control of such a place was bound to happen considering the previous wars that were fought in this part of the world. So, to make this incredibly long and complex story short - for the Europeans the Crusades were Holy Wars, they wanted control and free access to the city of Jerusalem and its holy sites.

Answer 3

In the short run, the Crusades were an attempt by the Western European countries, primarily France, to recapture the Holy Land (today Israel and the West Bank of Palestine) from the Muslims.

The Arab Muslims had captured Jerusalem from the Christian Byzantine Empire (basically a Greek Empire) as early as 637 A.D. However, they still respected the teachings of Jesus Christ and allowed Christian Pilgrims from Western Europe to visit the Holy land regularly.

However, 400 years later the wild Seljuk Turks swept out of Central Asia and conquered the entire Middle East. Although the Turks were Muslims too, they were stricter Muslims than the Arabs. They had no use for Christianity and even considered it to be a grave heresy. Pretty soon, they began attacking, killing and robbing Christian Pilgrims who traveled to Jerusalem.

Finally, in 1096 Pope Urban II gave a famous speech talking about what the Turks were doing to Christian travelers in Palestine and calling for Crusades (Wars carried on under papal sanction) against them. The word "crusade" comes from the Latin word for "cross" crux. Most of the Crusaders were French but sizeable numbers of Normans, Anglo-Normans (English), Flemings (Belgians) and Germans also participated. The Spanish at this time, were waging their own "crusades" in Andalusia against the Moors. The 1963 movie, "El Cid" was a story about these Spanish wars against the Muslims.

The Crusaders were knights who wore red crosses (the symbol of Chrrristianity) on their breast plates and shields and swore an oath to God to free the Holy Land from the infidel (i.e. Muslims).

The first group of Crusaders to arrive in Asia Minor, led by Peter the Hermit and Walter the Pennyless were massacred by the Turks. However, the second group ("The First Crusade") which arrived a few months later was much better armed and prepared. They pushed the Turks back hundreds of miles to Iconium (Modern day Konya).

They would wage wars against Muslim Turks, Kurds and Arabs for almost another 200 years when King Louis IX of France led the 6th Crusade, which ended in failure.

In the long run, however, as pointed out by the great British historian Arnold Toynbee, the Crusades were not only religious in nature but an attempt by the Europeans to reopen the trade routes to the East (Persia, India, Sri Lanka, China) which the Turks had closed off. Even the Voyages of Christopher Columbus to America and Vasco Da Gama to India were attempts to find new trade routes to East Asia because the Turks had closed off the traditional ones just before the Crusades.


Below are two web links worth checking out.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crusades
http://www.crisismagazine.com/april2002/cover.htm

Answer 4

Who?? I think you mean "What?" The Crusades were not a person. They were a series of events. Unless you meant "Crusaders." If that is the case, you should have typed "Who WERE the Crusaders." They are not around anymore. In any case, I recommend Wikipedia for a question like this. You'll get a better answer there than you'll get here. I am proof of that!

Answer 5

Mercenaries from Europe looking for LOOT. Promised, sold, or given indulgences by the Pope, they had nothing to lose. No matter how much they sinned, the Pope had already forgiven them.

Answer 6

Are you talking about some band? Or are you talking about the religious wars in Europe in which they fought over Jerusalem.

Answer 7

How about doing your own homework instead?

Answer 8

To protect pilgrams from Europe to the Holyland from Muslim terrorist murderers. The fight goes on.....