A thirteenth century painting depicting the siege of Damascus
The word "crusade" comes from the Spanish word cruzade, meaning "marked with the cross." As you will learn in this topic, the Crusades were a series of holy wars between the Christians and Muslims that began in 1095 A.D. (C.E.). The Byzantine Empire of Constantinople needed the Pope to protect its people from increasing attacks by the Muslim Turks. The Pope agreed, hoping this would strengthen the church and expand Christianity. What followed was a long series of unsuccessful holy wars that weakened the Byzantine Empire and promoted trade with Europe and the Middle East.
Even today, you can find countless news reports about southwest Asia being a hot spot in terms of politics and religion. This is because Jews, Christians, and Muslims all consider this region of the world their homeland, or holy land. Since the time of the Crusades, violent control of this land has continued, and many historians credit the Crusades as the start of the delicate conflict among these three monotheistic world religions.
Essential Questions
- What factors drove the Crusades?
- What were the long-term and short-term effects of the Crusades?
Warm-Up
Peter the Hermit during the First Crusade
leading knights, soldiers, and women to Jerusalem
Throughout history, humans have fought wars over land, politics, religion, revenge, and even love. In this course, you have studied several such wars, and you will do so again in this topic. Do you believe war is necessary? If so, when is it necessary? If not, what are some alternatives to war?
Post your responses to these questions in the discussion area. Then, return to the topic discussion several times over the next few days to read your coursemates' posts. Reply to at least two of them, making sure to ask questions and encourage further conversation.