The Crusades

Deus Vult
Lesson 7 30 October 2011

Jihad Against the Jews and Crusaders

The Arabian Peninsula has never since Allah made it flat, created its desert, and encircled it with seas been stormed by any forces like the crusader armies spreading it like locusts, eating its riches and wiping out its plantations. All this is happening at a time in which nations are attacking Muslims like people fighting over a plate of food. if the Americans aim behind these wars are religious and economic, the aim is also to serve the Jews petty state and divert attention from its occupation of Jerusalem and murder of the Muslims there. The best proof of this is their eagerness to destroy Iraq, the strongest neighboring Arab state, and their endeavor to fragment all of the states of the region such as Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Sudan into paper statelets and through their disunion and weakness to guarantee Israels survival and the continuation of the brutal crusader occupation of the Peninsula. World Islamic Front Against Jews and Crusaders 23 February 1998

The Crusades
Definition: A series of migrations and wars in both the West and the East in order to push back Muslim encroachment and to regain control of the Holy Lands for Christian use Total Number of Crusades is disputed between 12 15 Time Period: 1095 AD to about 1400 AD Later Crusades were called as internal actions against heresy within Christian Europe Pope Urban II in 1095 AD at the Council of Clermont
Received a Request from the Byzantine Emperor for Help Preached a sermon stating it was the duty of the Christian world to regain control of the Holy Land The people responded with Deus Vult God wills it!

Why the Crusades?

Religious Reasons
Religious Fervor surrounding the end of the first 1000 years of the Church Pilgrimages to Jerusalem the Arabs allowed it for a fee; the Seljuk Turks prevented it and killed the pilgrims Viewed as an opportunity to reunify the Church after 1054 AD

Political Reasons
Byzantine Emperor Alexius I request support against Muslim invasion An opportunity in the West to regain the Empire Enhances the power of the Pope

Economic Reasons
Opportunity to expand trade with the East (the Silk Road)

Social Reasons
Population increase after the Dark Ages, migratory A desire for adventure, especially among the Knight class and aristocracy

The Campaigns of the Crusades

(1/3)
The First Crusade (1097 1100 AD) the most successful
Called for by Pope Urban II and Preached by Peter the Hermit Estimated 1,000,000 people began the march to the Holy Land Leaders: Godfrey of Bullion, Raymond of Toulouse, Robert of Normandy Captured Jerusalem after a three month siege on 15 JUL 1099; sacked the city and killed Christians, Jews and Muslims, established a Latin Kingdom Established the Latin Crusader states of Antioch, Tripoli, Jerusalem and Edessa Fought in response to the Seljuk Turks expansion and capture of Edessa Preached by St. Bernard of Clairveaux Led by Louis VII of France and Conrad III the Holy Roman Emperor Failed to recapture Edessa and stop the Turkish expansion

The Second Crusade (1144 1146 AD) - fails

The Third Crusade (1189 1192 AD) The Kings Crusade - fails
In response to Saladins capture of Jerusalem and the Latin States Led by: Richard I of England, Philip II of France and Frederick Barbarossa Holy Roman Emperor Barbarossa drowns at a river crossing, Philip II abandons the fight, Richard successful in recapturing the Levant, but not Jerusalem Negotiates with Saladin to allow pilgrims

The Campaigns of the Crusades

(2/3)
The Fourth Crusade (1202 1206 AD) - fails
Called by Pope Innocent III Venetian businessmen hijack the Crusade and sacks Constantinople Establishes a Latin Kingdom 1204 1260 AD Hardens the divide between the Eastern and Western Church

The Fifth Crusade (1218 1221 AD) fails

Focuses on Egypt in order to gain control of Jerusalem Captured the Egyptian city of Damietta after long siege then falls apart

The Sixth Crusade (1228 1229 AD) successful

Led by the excommunicated Emperor Frederick II of Germany Focuses again of Egypt Gets an agreement for a Christian king of Jerusalem, Nazareth and Bethlehem, but Muslims retain all rights w/o restrictions Muslims retake Jerusalem in 1244 AD and burn the Church of the Holy Sepulcher

The Seventh Crusade (1248 1250 AD) - fails

Led by Louis IX (St. Louis) best equipped Attempts to take Cairo, defeated, Louis captured and ransomed

The Campaigns of the Crusades

(3/3)
The Childrens Crusade (1212 AD)
Estimated 100,000 French and German children participate Led by 12 year old Stephen (French) and Nicholas (German) Board ships in Rome and Marseilles, sail to Egypt and sold into slavery

1291 AD The City of Acre falls to the Muslims and the Crusader states cease to exist After 1291 AD
Crusades shift focus and deals with internal heresies within Europe 1198 AD Innocent III calls for Crusade against the Cathars (Albegensians) of S. France by French officials French king raises an army and destroys them

Spain the Reconquista (1002 to 1492 AD)

Focused against the Moors and the Kingdom of Andalusia Completed under King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella in 1492 with the Fall of Grenada

The Effects of the Crusades

Religious
Popes power is weakened Use of Crusades and political power to fight internal dissent The concepts of indulgences, holy war, the Inquisition and dying in war as martyrdom are established The rise of the military orders
The Order of the Knights of the Hospital of St. John The Knights Templar

The Division between the Latin and Greek Church is hardened

Political/Economic
The Byzantine Empire is fatally weakened (falls in 1453) Kings Power is enhanced paving the way for the nation-state The Rise of the Trading States (Venice, Florence, Genoa)

Social
The rediscovery of Aristotle resulting in the Renaissance and modern science A breakdown in the Feudal system with a rise of an entrepreneurial middle class The Plague

The Monastic Reforms

The Rise of the Augustinian Order est. 1119 AD
Follows the Rule of Augustine; focuses on secular orders into the monasteries (priests become monks and still have churches)

The Cistercians organized in 1098

Reform the monasteries in France Emphasize simplicity, draws monks from the peasant class Establishes a council of abbots that act as a corporate body St. Bernard of Clairveaux

The Mendicant Orders wandering preachers and beggars

The Franciscans the Brown Friars organized in 1209
Founded by St. Francis of Assisi (1182 1226 AD) Focused on preaching and studying, mission-minded and science minded The Crusader Hymn

The Dominicans the Black Friars organized in 1216

Founded by the Spanish monk St. Dominic (1170 1221 AD) Believed preaching and education best remedy for heresy the Hounds of the Lord formed the basis of the Inquisition

The Inquisition
Definition The use of ecclesiastical courts to find and punish heresy Origin:
Originally established by Frederick II for political purposes in 1232 AD Pope Gregory IX takes it as an office of the Church and appoints inquisitors Appoints friars, not Bishops

Procedures
Called for confession and repentance; usually had a grace period prior to trial Required two witnesses Accused allowed counsel An appeals process existed to the Appeals Court in Rome Trial by Ordeal Guilty excommunicated and imprisoned by the state state viewed them as traitors
Established by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella after the Reconquista Directed against Muslims who claimed conversion to Christianity but still practiced Islam and Jews initially (resulted in the expulsion of the Jews from Spain) Later expanded to Protestants Single Inquisitor General appointed by the King Torquemada the first and most infamous

The Spanish Inquisition (1492 1808 AD)

References
Cairns, Earle E. Christianity Through the Centuries Cross, F. L. and E. A. Livingstone ed. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church McGrath, Alister E. Historical Theology: An Introduction to the History of Christian Thought Spencer, Robert The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam and the Crusades