The Crusades

Image Credit: The Church of the Holy Sepulchre Depicts: The Garden of Gethsemane

By: Aidan Jenkinson

The Crusades were military campaigns between the 11th and 13th centuries that primarily aimed to reclaim the Holy Lands from the Muslims who had centuries of prior expansions. Before the Christians involved themselves, the Muslims had taken over two-thirds of the Christian land. These expansions, after reaching the Christian land, soon created tension between the Muslimas and Christians. The crusades reshaped the Western and Eastern churches by reigniting the faith and reshaping religions. There were eight different crusades over 200 years. The First Crusade was started by Pope Urban II in 1095 and lasted until 1099. He called on Christians to aid the Byzantine Empire under threat from Muslim Seljuk Turks. He also sent them to reclaim Jerusalem and other holy sites. This calling to fight for the religion that they believe in inspired thousands of Europeans to go on a journey to the Holy Lands to reclaim them from the Muslims. The First Crusade ended with the capture of Jerusalem in 1099.

The second crusade began when the church received urgent pleas for help from Europe. This crusade was made to bring supplies to protect the Crusaders’ families and those in poverty. The Crusade was preached by St. Bernard of Clairvaux. He preached that the Crusades were an act of redemption and not only an act of war or charity. Unlike the pilgrimage in the first crusade, two great rulers led in the second crusade. These great leaders were King Louis VII of France and Emperor Conrad III of Germany. The Second Crusade ended terribly at the Siege of Damascus and the retreat of the Crusader armies. The end of the Second Crusade left the Holy Land vulnerable and began the fall of Jerusalem. That was the start of the upcoming Six Crusades. Some people saw the Crusades as a way of redeeming themselves from their past sins. The succeeding six crusades happened from the years 1147-1291. Though there are eight main crusades, over the years, they have evolved into much smaller ones that didn’t have as significant of an impact on our religion. The crusades ultimately slowed the advance of Islam. The slowing of the Muslims prevented Western Europe from falling under the authority of the Muslims. 

Works Cited

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "How many Crusades were there, and when did they take place?". Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Feb. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/question/How-many-Crusades-were-there-and-when-did-they-take-place. Accessed 7 April 2025.

Baldwin, Marshall W., Dickson, Gary, Madden, Thomas F.. "Crusades". Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Feb. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/event/Crusades. Accessed 7 April 2025.