by The JavaScript Source
No Spyware, No Trojans, No Spam, No Kidding!
Translate Website - Select Your Language
The Crusades
The Crusades - What were the Crusades?
The Crusades were a series of Holy Wars launched by the Christian states of Europe against the Saracens. The term 'Saracen' was the word used to describe a Moslem during the time of the Crusades. The Crusades started in 1095 when Pope Claremont preached the First Crusade at the Council of Claremont. The Pope's preaching led to thousands immediately affixing the cross to their garments - the name Crusade given to the Holy Wars came from old French word 'crois' meaning 'cross'. The Crusades were great military expeditions undertaken by the Christian nations of Europe for the purpose of rescuing the holy places of Palestine from the hands of the Mohammedans. They were eight in number, the first four being sometimes called the Principal Crusades, and the remaining four the Minor Crusades. In addition there was a Children's Crusade. There were several other expeditions which were insignificant in numbers or results.
What was the Cause for the Crusades?
The reason for the crusades was a war between Christians and Moslems which centered around the city of Jerusalem. The City of Jerusalem held a Holy significance to the Christian religion. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem commemorated the hill of crucifixion and the tomb of Christ's burial and was visited by Pilgrims. In 1065 Jerusalem was taken by the Turks and 3000 Christians were massacred starting a chain of events which contributed to the cause of the crusades.
What were the Objectives of the Crusades?
The Objectives of the crusades was at first to release the Holy Land, in particular Jerusalem, from the Saracens, but in time was extended to seizing Spain from the Moors, the Slavs and Pagans from eastern Europe, and the islands of the Mediterranean.
How many Crusades were there?
There were a total of nine crusades! The first four crusades were seen as the most import and scant reference is made to the other crusades - with the exception of the Children's crusade which effectively led to the decline of the crusades. For a period of two hundred years Europe and Asia were engaged in almost constant warfare. Throughout this period there was a continuous movement of crusaders
to and from the Moslem possessions in Asia Minor, Syria, and Egypt.
The First Crusade
The first crusade, which lasted from 1095-1099, established the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem,
providing more lands for the crusading knights, who often travelled across Europe to try
their fortunes and to visit the Holy Sepulchre.
The Fall of Jerusalem and Acre - the Last Crusades
The kingdom of Jerusalem was gradually lost until the last Christian city, Acre, fell in 1291. The dream of returning to the Holy Land nonetheless proved popular; the Kings of France and England frequently made such plans, though in nearly every case the crusades were redirected or derailed by regional tensions.
The Crusades and the Orders of Religious Knights
The crusades also gave rise to the important knightly orders, the Knights Templar, the Teutonic Knights and the Hospitallers. These were orders of religious knights, working from monastic
rule to defend the holy land and pilgrims en route to Jerusalem.
The Effects of the Crusades
The effects of the Crusades on Europe of the Middle Ages were an important factor in the history of the progress of civilization. The effects of the Crusades influenced the wealth and power of the Catholic Church, Political matters, commerce, feudalism, intellectual development, social effects, material effects and the effects of the crusades also prompted the famous Voyages of discovery.
The Crusades - The Kingdom of Jerusalem
The Kingdom of Jerusalem was ruled by European Kings and Queens between 1099 and 1291. This section details the founding of the Kingdom of Jerusalem by by Godfrey of Bouillon, the first ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and its fall into the hands of Saladin. The names of all the Kings and Queens of the Kingdom of Jerusalem are also listed on this section.
The Crusaders
The crusaders came from both the Upper and Lower classes. What prompted tens of thousands of people to travel 1000 miles to go on the First Crusade? What privileges were granted to crusaders?
Crusaders
What age were they? Did women travel to the crusades? And what prompted people to undertake the incredibly arduous journey from Europe to the Middle East?
The Numbers of Crusaders
What could possess tens of thousands of people to travel to a country over 1000 miles away when most people in the Middle Ages never left their villages? The first crusade was called the 'People's Crusade'. Men, women and children were so motivated by the preachings of men like Peter the Hermit and Walter the Penniless that they left their homes and followed the call to the crusades. The crusaders, consisting of ordinary people, who followed Peter the Hermit eventually numbered over 15,000. Other massive numbers of crusaders followed men like Walter the Penniless and the numbers increased to 80,000. The Knights and armies did not accompany these people - the military expeditions took far longer to organise. The estimated forces of the First Crusade numbered 4,500 cavalry and 30,000 foot soldiers.
The Crusaders of the First Crusade travelled overland to Jerusalem.
The Route of French Crusaders
The route of the French Crusaders of the First Crusade passed France, Italy
and Greece on to Palestine through the following cities:
Paris
Lyon
Genoa
Rome
Brandusium
Constantinople
Edessa
Antioch
Jerusalem
Mustering the Crusaders
Western Europe rang with the cry, "He who will not take up his cross and follow me, is not worthy of me." The contagion of enthusiasm seized all classes; for while the religious feelings of the age had been specially appealed to, all the various sentiments of ambition, chivalry, love of license,
had also been skilfully enlisted on the side of the undertaking.
Promises made to Crusaders
The council of Clermont had declared Europe to be in a state of peace.
The council took action to ensure that peace in Europe was maintained:
The council pronounced a formal ecclesiastical ban, curse, or excommunication against any one who should invade the possessions of a prince engaged in the holy war
By further edicts of the assembly:
all crusaders, were instantly absolved from all his sins, of whatever nature
any debtor was released from meeting his obligations whilst he was a soldier of the
Cross and the interest on any debts were to cease
Under such inducements princes and nobles, bishops and priests, monks and anchorites,
saints and sinners, rich and poor, hastened to enroll themselves beneath the consecrated banner.
Every one was eager to become crusaders
The Crusaders of the Upper Classes
The crusades were not simply an expression of the simple faith of the Middle Ages. Something more than religious enthusiasm sent an unending procession of crusaders along the highways of Europe and over the trackless wastes of Asia Minor to Jerusalem. The crusades, in fact, appealed strongly to the warlike instincts of the feudal nobles. They saw in an expedition against the East an unequalled opportunity for acquiring fame, riches, lands, and power. The Normans were especially stirred by the prospect of adventure and plunder which the crusading movement opened up. By the end of the eleventh century
they had established themselves in southern Italy and Sicily, from which they now
looked across the Mediterranean for further lands to conquer.
The Crusaders of the Lower Classes
The crusades also attracted the lower classes. So great was the misery of the common people in medieval Europe that for them it seemed not a hardship, but rather a relief, to leave their homes in order
to better themselves abroad. Famine and pestilence, poverty and oppression, drove
them to emigrate hopefully to the golden East.
The Privileges of the Crusaders
The Church, in order to foster the crusades, therefore promised both religious and secular benefits to those who took part in them. A warrior of the Cross was to enjoy forgiveness of all his past sins. If he died fighting for the faith, he was assured of an immediate entrance to the joys of Paradise. The Church also freed him from paying interest on his debts and threatened with excommunication anyone
who molested his wife, his children, or his property.
The Crusaders of the People's Crusade
Before the regular armies of the crusaders were ready to move, those who had gathered about Peter the Hermit, becoming impatient of delay, urged him to place himself at their head and lead them at once to the Holy Land - the People's Crusade. Dividing command of the mixed multitudes with a poor knight, called Walter the Penniless, and followed by a throng of about 80,000 persons, among whom were many women and children, the Hermit set out for Constantinople by the overland route through Germany and Hungary. Thousands of the crusaders fell in battle with the natives of the countries through which they marched, and thousands more perished miserably of hunger and exposure. Those that crossed the Bosporus were surprised by the Turks, and almost all were slaughtered.
What age were they? Did women travel to the crusades? And what prompted people to undertake the incredibly arduous journey from Europe to the Middle East?
The Numbers of Crusaders
What could possess tens of thousands of people to travel to a country over 1000 miles away when most people in the Middle Ages never left their villages? The first crusade was called the 'People's Crusade'. Men, women and children were so motivated by the preachings of men like Peter the Hermit and Walter the Penniless that they left their homes and followed the call to the crusades. The crusaders, consisting of ordinary people, who followed Peter the Hermit eventually numbered over 15,000. Other massive numbers of crusaders followed men like Walter the Penniless and the numbers increased to 80,000. The Knights and armies did not accompany these people - the military expeditions took far longer to organise. The estimated forces of the First Crusade numbered 4,500 cavalry and 30,000 foot soldiers.
The Crusaders of the First Crusade travelled overland to Jerusalem.
The Route of French Crusaders
The route of the French Crusaders of the First Crusade passed France, Italy
and Greece on to Palestine through the following cities:
Paris
Lyon
Genoa
Rome
Brandusium
Constantinople
Edessa
Antioch
Jerusalem
Mustering the Crusaders
Western Europe rang with the cry, "He who will not take up his cross and follow me, is not worthy of me." The contagion of enthusiasm seized all classes; for while the religious feelings of the age had been specially appealed to, all the various sentiments of ambition, chivalry, love of license,
had also been skilfully enlisted on the side of the undertaking.
Promises made to Crusaders
The council of Clermont had declared Europe to be in a state of peace.
The council took action to ensure that peace in Europe was maintained:
The council pronounced a formal ecclesiastical ban, curse, or excommunication against any one who should invade the possessions of a prince engaged in the holy war
By further edicts of the assembly:
all crusaders, were instantly absolved from all his sins, of whatever nature
any debtor was released from meeting his obligations whilst he was a soldier of the
Cross and the interest on any debts were to cease
Under such inducements princes and nobles, bishops and priests, monks and anchorites,
saints and sinners, rich and poor, hastened to enroll themselves beneath the consecrated banner.
Every one was eager to become crusaders
The Crusaders of the Upper Classes
The crusades were not simply an expression of the simple faith of the Middle Ages. Something more than religious enthusiasm sent an unending procession of crusaders along the highways of Europe and over the trackless wastes of Asia Minor to Jerusalem. The crusades, in fact, appealed strongly to the warlike instincts of the feudal nobles. They saw in an expedition against the East an unequalled opportunity for acquiring fame, riches, lands, and power. The Normans were especially stirred by the prospect of adventure and plunder which the crusading movement opened up. By the end of the eleventh century
they had established themselves in southern Italy and Sicily, from which they now
looked across the Mediterranean for further lands to conquer.
The Crusaders of the Lower Classes
The crusades also attracted the lower classes. So great was the misery of the common people in medieval Europe that for them it seemed not a hardship, but rather a relief, to leave their homes in order
to better themselves abroad. Famine and pestilence, poverty and oppression, drove
them to emigrate hopefully to the golden East.
The Privileges of the Crusaders
The Church, in order to foster the crusades, therefore promised both religious and secular benefits to those who took part in them. A warrior of the Cross was to enjoy forgiveness of all his past sins. If he died fighting for the faith, he was assured of an immediate entrance to the joys of Paradise. The Church also freed him from paying interest on his debts and threatened with excommunication anyone
who molested his wife, his children, or his property.
The Crusaders of the People's Crusade
Before the regular armies of the crusaders were ready to move, those who had gathered about Peter the Hermit, becoming impatient of delay, urged him to place himself at their head and lead them at once to the Holy Land - the People's Crusade. Dividing command of the mixed multitudes with a poor knight, called Walter the Penniless, and followed by a throng of about 80,000 persons, among whom were many women and children, the Hermit set out for Constantinople by the overland route through Germany and Hungary. Thousands of the crusaders fell in battle with the natives of the countries through which they marched, and thousands more perished miserably of hunger and exposure. Those that crossed the Bosporus were surprised by the Turks, and almost all were slaughtered.
The First Crusade
The First Crusade - 1096 - 1099
A brief description and outline of the Cause of the Crusades is as follows:
The massacre of 3000 Christian Pilgrims in Jerusalem prompted the first crusade
The Council of Clermont led by Pope Urban II - "It is the will of God"
Leaders of the First Crusade
The leaders of the First Crusade included some of the most distinguished representatives of European knighthood. Count Raymond of Toulouse headed a band of volunteers from Provence in southern France. Godfrey of Bouillon and his brother Baldwin commanded a force of French and Germans from the Rhinelands. Normandy sent Robert, William the Conqueror's eldest son. The Normans from Italy and Sicily were led by Bohemond, a son of Robert Guiscard, and his nephew Tancred.
The First Crusade - The People's Crusade
The months which followed the Council of Clermont were marked by an epidemic of religious excitement in western Europe. Popular preachers everywhere took up the cry "God wills it!" and urged their hearers to start for Jerusalem. A monk named Peter the Hermit aroused large parts of France with his passionate eloquence, as he rode from town to town, carrying a huge cross before him and preaching to vast crowds. Without waiting for the main body of nobles, which was to assemble at Constantinople in the summer of 1096 a horde of poor men, women, and children set out, unorganized and almost unarmed, on the road to the Holy Land. This was called the Peoples Crusade, it is also referred to as the Peasants Crusade. Dividing command of the mixed multitudes with a poor knight, called Walter the Penniless, and followed by a throng of about 80,000 persons, among whom were many women and children, Peter the Hermit set out for Constantinople leading the Peoples Crusade via an overland route through Germany and Hungary. Thousands of the Peoples Crusade fell in battle with the natives of the countries through which they marched, and thousands more perished miserably of hunger and exposure. The Peoples Crusade was badly organised - most of the people were unarmed and lacked the command and discipline of the military crusaders. The Byzantium emperor Alexius I sent his ragged allies as quickly as possible to Asia Minor, where most of them were slaughtered by the Turks. The daughter of Alexius, called Anna Comnena wrote a book about her father and the crusaders called the Alexiad which provides historical details about the first crusaders. Those crusaders who crossed the Bosphorus were surprised by the Turks, and almost all of the Peoples Crusade were slaughtered. Peter the Hermit did survive and eventually led the Crusaders in a procession around the walls of Jerusalem just before the city was taken.
The Main Body of the First Crusade
Meanwhile real armies were gathering in the West. Recruits came in greater numbers from France than from any other country, a circumstance which resulted in the crusaders being generally called "Franks" by their Moslem foes. They had no single commander, but each contingent set out for
Constantinople by its own route and at its own time.
The First Crusade - The Siege of Antioch
Godfrey of Bouillon, Duke of Lorraine, and Tancred, "the mirror of knighthood," were among the most noted of the leaders of the different divisions of the army. The expedition numbered about 700,000 men, of whom fully 100,000 were mailed knights. The crusaders traversed Europe by different routes and reassembled at Constantinople. Crossing the Bosphorus, they first captured Nicaea, the Turkish capital, in Bithynia, and then set out across Asia Minor for Syria. Arriving at Antioch, the survivors
captured that place, and then, after some delays, pushed on towards Jerusalem.
The Siege of Antioch had lasted from October 1097 to June 1098.
The First Crusade - The City of Jerusalem
Reduced now to perhaps one-fourth of their original numbers, the crusaders advanced slowly to the city which formed the goal of all their efforts. When at length the Holy City burst upon their view, a perfect delirium of joy seized the crusaders. They embraced one another with tears of joy, and even embraced and kissed the ground on which they stood. As they passed on, they took off their shoes, and marched with uncovered head and bare feet, singing the words of the prophet: "Jerusalem, lift up thine eyes, and behold the liberator who comes to break thy chains." Before attacking it they marched barefoot in religious procession around the walls, with Peter the Hermit at their head. Then came the grand assault.
The First Crusade - The Capture of Jerusalem
The first assault made by the Christians upon the walls of the city was repulsed; but the second was successful, and the city was in the hands of the crusaders by July 1099. Godfrey of Bouillon and Tancred were among the first to mount the ramparts. Once inside the city, the crusaders massacred their enemies without mercy. A terrible slaughter of the infidels took place. For seven days the carnage went on, at the end of which time scarcely any of the Moslem faith were left alive. The Christians took
possession of the houses and property of the infidels, each soldier having a
right to that which he had first seized and placed his mark upon.
Timeline First Crusade
The following Timeline of the First Crusade provides the basic dates and key events of the First Crusade which initiated the two hundred years of constant warfare between Europe and Asia.
Timeline of the First Crusade
Timeline Key Dates Crusades Timeline of Events
1071 Byzantine army is destroyed by Turks
1071 - 1085 Mercenary Seljuk Turks conquer Syria and Palestine. The City of Jerusalem
is taken from the more civilised Saracen caliphs
1085 - 1095 3000 Christian Pilgrims were massacred in Jerusalem and the
Christian churches were destroyed or used as stables
1095 Emperor Alexius I sent an embassy to Pope Urban II regarding the atrocities in Jerusalem
and the growing threat of the Turks to Constantinople and the whole of Europe
1095 Pope Urban II called a great council of the Church at Placentia, in Italy,
to consider the appeal - decisions were deferred until later in the year
1095 November 27 Pope Urban II called a great council of clergy and nobles to meet at Clermont
in France called the Council of Clermont. He called for a crusade against the Infidels
1095 - Spring 1096 Peter the Hermit took up the cry "God wills it!" and ordinary
people join in the 'People's Crusade' - most were unarmed
Summer 1096 Armed forces gathered at Constantinople to embark on the First Crusade
August 1096 Emperor Alexius I shipped the Peoples Crusade over the Bosphorus
October 1096 The Peoples Crusade were annihilated by the Turks in Anatolia
May – June 1097 Siege of Nicacea
July 1097 Battle of Dorylaeum
Oct 1097 - June 1098 The Siege of Antioch
1098 June 1 Stephen of Blois and numerous French crusaders flee the siege of
Antioch with news of the arrival of Emir Kerboga of Mosul
1098 June 3 Bohemond I, elder son of Robert Guiscard, led the capture of Antioch
1098 June 5 Emir Kerboga of Mosul and his army of 75,000 lays siege to the crusaders led by Bohemond
1099 Feb 14 - June The siege of Arqah, near Tripoli
1098 June 28 The Battle of Orontes. The First Crusade wins a victory forcing
Emir Kerboga to lift the siege of Antioch
1099 June 13 Raymond of Toulouse leads the crusaders from Antioch and to Jerusalem
1099 July 15 The soldiers of the First Crusade successfully scale the
walls of Jerusalem and take the Holy city
The following Timeline of the First Crusade provides the basic dates and key events of the First Crusade which initiated the two hundred years of constant warfare between Europe and Asia.
Timeline of the First Crusade
Timeline Key Dates Crusades Timeline of Events
1071 Byzantine army is destroyed by Turks
1071 - 1085 Mercenary Seljuk Turks conquer Syria and Palestine. The City of Jerusalem
is taken from the more civilised Saracen caliphs
1085 - 1095 3000 Christian Pilgrims were massacred in Jerusalem and the
Christian churches were destroyed or used as stables
1095 Emperor Alexius I sent an embassy to Pope Urban II regarding the atrocities in Jerusalem
and the growing threat of the Turks to Constantinople and the whole of Europe
1095 Pope Urban II called a great council of the Church at Placentia, in Italy,
to consider the appeal - decisions were deferred until later in the year
1095 November 27 Pope Urban II called a great council of clergy and nobles to meet at Clermont
in France called the Council of Clermont. He called for a crusade against the Infidels
1095 - Spring 1096 Peter the Hermit took up the cry "God wills it!" and ordinary
people join in the 'People's Crusade' - most were unarmed
Summer 1096 Armed forces gathered at Constantinople to embark on the First Crusade
August 1096 Emperor Alexius I shipped the Peoples Crusade over the Bosphorus
October 1096 The Peoples Crusade were annihilated by the Turks in Anatolia
May – June 1097 Siege of Nicacea
July 1097 Battle of Dorylaeum
Oct 1097 - June 1098 The Siege of Antioch
1098 June 1 Stephen of Blois and numerous French crusaders flee the siege of
Antioch with news of the arrival of Emir Kerboga of Mosul
1098 June 3 Bohemond I, elder son of Robert Guiscard, led the capture of Antioch
1098 June 5 Emir Kerboga of Mosul and his army of 75,000 lays siege to the crusaders led by Bohemond
1099 Feb 14 - June The siege of Arqah, near Tripoli
1098 June 28 The Battle of Orontes. The First Crusade wins a victory forcing
Emir Kerboga to lift the siege of Antioch
1099 June 13 Raymond of Toulouse leads the crusaders from Antioch and to Jerusalem
1099 July 15 The soldiers of the First Crusade successfully scale the
walls of Jerusalem and take the Holy city
The Second Crusade
The Second Crusade - 1147 - 1149
The success of the Christians in the First Crusade had been largely due to the disunion among their enemies. But the Moslems learned in time the value of united action, and in 1144 A.D. succeeded in capturing Edessa, one of the principal Christian outposts in the East. The fall of the city of Edessa,
followed by the loss of the entire county of Edessa, aroused western Europe to the danger which
threatened the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem and led to another crusading enterprise.
The Second Crusade and the Origin of the Religious Orders of Knighthood
In the interval between the Second and the Third Crusade, the two famed religious military orders, known as the Hospitallers and the Templars, were formed. A little later, during the Third Crusade, still another fraternity, known as the Teutonic Knights was established. The objects of all the orders were the care of the sick and wounded crusaders, the entertainment of Christian pilgrims, the guarding of the holy places, and ceaseless battling for the Cross. These fraternities soon acquired a military fame that was spread throughout the Christian world. They were joined by many of the most illustrious knights of the West,
and through the gifts of the pious acquired great wealth, and became possessed of
numerous estates and castles in Europe as well as in Asia.
Religious Knights
Teutonic Knights
Knights Hospitaller
Templar Knights
The Cause of the Second Crusade - The Fall and Massacre at Edessa
In the year 1146, the city of Edessa, the bulwark of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem on the side towards Mesopotamia, was taken by the Turks, and the entire population was slaughtered, or sold into slavery. This disaster threw the entire West into a state of the greatest alarm, lest the little Christian state,
established at such cost of tears and suffering, should be completely overwhelmed, and all the holy
places should again fall into the hands of the infidels.
The Second Crusade - The Preaching of St. Bernard
The apostle of the Second Crusade was the great abbot of Clairvaux, St. Bernard. Scenes of the wildest enthusiasm marked his preaching. The scenes that marked the opening of the First Crusade were now repeated in all the countries of the West. St. Bernard, an eloquent monk, was the second Peter the Hermit, who went everywhere, arousing the warriors of the Cross to the defence of the birthplace of their religion. When the churches were not large enough to hold the crowds which flocked to
hear him, he spoke from platforms erected in the fields.
The Second Crusade & King Louis VII of France and Conrad III of Germany
The contagion of the holy enthusiasm seized not only barons, knights, and the common people, which classes alone participated in the First Crusade, but kings and emperors were now infected with the sacred frenzy. St. Bernard's eloquence induced two monarchs, Louis VII of France and Conrad III of Germany, to take the blood-red cross of a crusader. Conrad III., emperor of Germany, was persuaded to leave the affairs of his distracted empire in the hands of God, and consecrate himself to the defence of the sepulchre of Christ. Louis VII., king of France, was led to undertake the crusade through remorse for an act of great cruelty that he had perpetrated upon some of his revolted subjects.
The Failure of the Second Crusade
The Second Crusade, though begun under the most favorable auspices, had an unhappy ending. Of the great host that set out from Europe, only a few thousands escaped annihilation in Asia Minor at the hands of the Turks. Louis and Conrad, with the remnants of their armies, made a joint attack on Damascus, but had to raise the siege after a few days. This closed the crusade. As a chronicler of the expedition remarked, "having practically accomplished nothing, the inglorious ones returned home."
The strength of both the French and the German division of the expedition
was wasted in Asia Minor,and the crusade accomplished nothing.
The Third Crusade
The Third Crusade 1189 - 1192
Not many years after the Second Crusade, the Moslem world found in the famous Saladin a leader for a holy war against the Christians. Saladin in character was a typical Mohammedan, very devout in prayers and fasting, fiercely hostile toward unbelievers, and full of the pride of race. To these qualities he added a kindliness and humanity not surpassed, if equaled, by any of his Christian foes. The Third Crusade was caused by the capture of Jerusalem in 1187 by Saladin, the sultan of Egypt.
The capture of Jerusalem by Saladin in 1187
Having made himself sultan of Egypt, Saladin united the Moslems of Syria under his sway and then advanced against the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Christians met him in a great battle near the lake of Galilee. It ended in the rout of their army and the capture of their king. Even the Holy Cross, which they had carried in the midst of the fight, became the spoil of the conqueror. Saladin quickly reaped the fruits of victory. The Christian cities of Syria opened their gates to him, and at last Jerusalem itself surrendered after a short siege. Little now remained of the possessions which the crusaders had won in the East.
The Third Crusade is organised
The news of the taking of Jerusalem spread consternation throughout western Christendom. The cry for another crusade arose on all sides. Once more thousands of men sewed the cross in gold, or silk, or cloth upon their garments and set out for the Holy Land. When the three greatest rulers of Europe - King Philip Augustus of France, King Richard I of England, and the German emperor, Frederick Barbarossa assumed the cross, it seemed that nothing could prevent the restoration of Christian supremacy in Syria. These great rulers set out, each at the head of a large army, for the recovery of the Holy City of Jerusalem.
Biography of Richard the Lionheart
King Richard raises Money for the Third Crusade
King Richard I of England (afterwards given the title of 'Coeur de Lion', the "Lion-hearted," in memory of his heroic exploits in Palestine) was the central figure among the Christian knights of this crusade.
He raised money for the enterprise by
the persecution and robbery of the Jews
the imposition of an unusual tax upon all classes
the sale of offices, dignities, and the royal lands
When some one expostulated with him on the means employed to raise money,
he declared that "he would sell the city of London, if he could find a purchaser."
The Death of Frederick Barbarossa, the German Emperor
The German crusaders, attempting the overland route, was consumed in Asia Minor by the hardships of the march and the swords of the Turks. The Germans under Frederick Barbarossa were the first to start. This great emperor was now nearly seventy years old, yet age had not lessened his crusading zeal. The Emperor Frederick, according to the most probable accounts, was drowned while crossing a swollen stream, and the most of the survivors of his army, disheartened by the loss of their leader, returned to Germany.
The Third Crusade - the Siege of Acre
The English and French kings finally mustered their forces beneath the walls of Acre, which city the Christians were then besieging. It is estimated that 600,000 men were engaged in the investment of the place. After one of the longest and most costly sieges they ever carried on in Asia, the crusaders at last forced the place to capitulate, in spite of all the efforts of Saladin to render the garrison relief.
The Third Crusade - the Capture of Acre in 1191
The expedition of the French and English achieved little, other than the capture of Acre. Philip and Richard, who came by sea, captured Acre after a hard siege, but their quarrels prevented them from following up this initial success. King Philip soon went home, leaving the further
conduct of the crusade in Richard's hands.
The Third Crusade - King Richard and Saladin
The knightly adventures and chivalrous exploits which mark the career of Richard in the Holy Land read like a romance. Nor was the chief of the Mohammedans, the renowned Saladin, lacking in any of those knightly virtues with which the writers of the time invested the character of the English hero. At one time, when Richard was sick with a fever, Saladin, knowing that he was poorly supplied with delicacies, sent him a gift of the choicest fruits of the land. And on another occasion, Richard's horse having been killed in battle, the sultan caused a fine Arabian steed to be led to the Christian camp as a present for his rival.
For two years did Richard the Lion-hearted vainly contend in almost daily combat with
his generous antagonist for the possession of the tomb of Christ.
King Richard in the Holy Land 1191 - 1192
The English king remained in the Holy Land. His campaigns during this time gained for him the title of "Lion-hearted," by which he is always known. He had many adventures and performed knightly exploits without number, but could not capture Jerusalem. Tradition declares that when, during a truce, some crusaders went up to Jerusalem, Richard refused to accompany them, saying that he would not
enter as a pilgrim the city which he could not rescue as a conqueror.
The Truce between King Richard and Saladin
The English king remained for longer in the Holy Land than the other leaders. King Richard and Saladin finally concluded a truce by the terms of which Christians were permitted to visit Jerusalem without paying tribute, that they should have free access to the holy places, and remain in undisturbed possession of the coast from Jaffa to Tyre. King Richard then set sail for England, and with his
departure from the Holy Land the Third Crusade came to an end.
The Ransom of King Richard
King Richard on his return from the Holy Land was shipwrecked off the coast of the Adriatic. Attempting to travel through Austria in disguise, he was captured by the duke of Austria, whom he had offended at the siege of Acre. The king regained his liberty only by paying a ransom equivalent
to more than twice the annual revenues of England.
The Third Crusade 1189 - 1192
Not many years after the Second Crusade, the Moslem world found in the famous Saladin a leader for a holy war against the Christians. Saladin in character was a typical Mohammedan, very devout in prayers and fasting, fiercely hostile toward unbelievers, and full of the pride of race. To these qualities he added a kindliness and humanity not surpassed, if equaled, by any of his Christian foes. The Third Crusade was caused by the capture of Jerusalem in 1187 by Saladin, the sultan of Egypt.
The capture of Jerusalem by Saladin in 1187
Having made himself sultan of Egypt, Saladin united the Moslems of Syria under his sway and then advanced against the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Christians met him in a great battle near the lake of Galilee. It ended in the rout of their army and the capture of their king. Even the Holy Cross, which they had carried in the midst of the fight, became the spoil of the conqueror. Saladin quickly reaped the fruits of victory. The Christian cities of Syria opened their gates to him, and at last Jerusalem itself surrendered after a short siege. Little now remained of the possessions which the crusaders had won in the East.
The Third Crusade is organised
The news of the taking of Jerusalem spread consternation throughout western Christendom. The cry for another crusade arose on all sides. Once more thousands of men sewed the cross in gold, or silk, or cloth upon their garments and set out for the Holy Land. When the three greatest rulers of Europe - King Philip Augustus of France, King Richard I of England, and the German emperor, Frederick Barbarossa assumed the cross, it seemed that nothing could prevent the restoration of Christian supremacy in Syria. These great rulers set out, each at the head of a large army, for the recovery of the Holy City of Jerusalem.
Biography of Richard the Lionheart
King Richard raises Money for the Third Crusade
King Richard I of England (afterwards given the title of 'Coeur de Lion', the "Lion-hearted," in memory of his heroic exploits in Palestine) was the central figure among the Christian knights of this crusade.
He raised money for the enterprise by
the persecution and robbery of the Jews
the imposition of an unusual tax upon all classes
the sale of offices, dignities, and the royal lands
When some one expostulated with him on the means employed to raise money,
he declared that "he would sell the city of London, if he could find a purchaser."
The Death of Frederick Barbarossa, the German Emperor
The German crusaders, attempting the overland route, was consumed in Asia Minor by the hardships of the march and the swords of the Turks. The Germans under Frederick Barbarossa were the first to start. This great emperor was now nearly seventy years old, yet age had not lessened his crusading zeal. The Emperor Frederick, according to the most probable accounts, was drowned while crossing a swollen stream, and the most of the survivors of his army, disheartened by the loss of their leader, returned to Germany.
The Third Crusade - the Siege of Acre
The English and French kings finally mustered their forces beneath the walls of Acre, which city the Christians were then besieging. It is estimated that 600,000 men were engaged in the investment of the place. After one of the longest and most costly sieges they ever carried on in Asia, the crusaders at last forced the place to capitulate, in spite of all the efforts of Saladin to render the garrison relief.
The Third Crusade - the Capture of Acre in 1191
The expedition of the French and English achieved little, other than the capture of Acre. Philip and Richard, who came by sea, captured Acre after a hard siege, but their quarrels prevented them from following up this initial success. King Philip soon went home, leaving the further
conduct of the crusade in Richard's hands.
The Third Crusade - King Richard and Saladin
The knightly adventures and chivalrous exploits which mark the career of Richard in the Holy Land read like a romance. Nor was the chief of the Mohammedans, the renowned Saladin, lacking in any of those knightly virtues with which the writers of the time invested the character of the English hero. At one time, when Richard was sick with a fever, Saladin, knowing that he was poorly supplied with delicacies, sent him a gift of the choicest fruits of the land. And on another occasion, Richard's horse having been killed in battle, the sultan caused a fine Arabian steed to be led to the Christian camp as a present for his rival.
For two years did Richard the Lion-hearted vainly contend in almost daily combat with
his generous antagonist for the possession of the tomb of Christ.
King Richard in the Holy Land 1191 - 1192
The English king remained in the Holy Land. His campaigns during this time gained for him the title of "Lion-hearted," by which he is always known. He had many adventures and performed knightly exploits without number, but could not capture Jerusalem. Tradition declares that when, during a truce, some crusaders went up to Jerusalem, Richard refused to accompany them, saying that he would not
enter as a pilgrim the city which he could not rescue as a conqueror.
The Truce between King Richard and Saladin
The English king remained for longer in the Holy Land than the other leaders. King Richard and Saladin finally concluded a truce by the terms of which Christians were permitted to visit Jerusalem without paying tribute, that they should have free access to the holy places, and remain in undisturbed possession of the coast from Jaffa to Tyre. King Richard then set sail for England, and with his
departure from the Holy Land the Third Crusade came to an end.
The Ransom of King Richard
King Richard on his return from the Holy Land was shipwrecked off the coast of the Adriatic. Attempting to travel through Austria in disguise, he was captured by the duke of Austria, whom he had offended at the siege of Acre. The king regained his liberty only by paying a ransom equivalent
to more than twice the annual revenues of England.
All materials ( video clips, flash animation, flash games, pictures ) come from public sources on the Internet. If you are the owner of some material and feel it is used unknowingly please contact me so I can immediately remove it from my site.
I do not intend to display any copyright protected materials.
I do not intend to display any copyright protected materials.
