Abstract The paper describes the period of the Crusades and Crusader rule in the Holy Land. The main focus is on their impact on Islam and the Middle East. Examines the concept of 'holy war' and how the battle between religious control of the masses developed.
From the Paper "Traditionally, authors have defined the Crusades as an expedition to the Holy Land. The clergy, on the other hand, have always referred to them as great pilgrimages. Both conveniently package these events into a number of numbered crusades, beginning in 1095 and ending in 1291. This approach, however, is quite simplified, given the fact that the Crusades were not discrete and unimportant pilgrimages, but a continuous stream of marching Western armies into the heart of the Muslim world, culminating in the creation and consequently the fall of the Latin Kingdoms in the Levant. The Crusades were a Holy War of Western Christianity against Islam, the first great clash of civilizations, in which the greater part of Western Europe united against the infidels East of the Bosporus."
Tags:crusaders, crusades, holy, islam, jerusalem, land
Abstract This paper examines the first and third Crusades in terms of their success and failure and ultimately their impact on Christian-Muslim relations in the Middle East. The author describes the first Crusade and the eventual internal conflicts among the Christians that allowed Muslims to rise up against the Europeans. Leaders on both sides are described, especially Saladin. The paper gives historic details of various battles, with particular emphasis on the fight for control of Jerusalem. The paper includes a discussion of anti-Western attitudes by Muslims that may have developed as a result of the Crusades.
From the Paper " Generally speaking, the First Crusade was ignited in 1095 by predominantly French Christians whose main intention was to seize the sacred city of Jerusalem from Muslim control. This First Crusade was considered as a magnificent success in 1099, due to the crusaders conquering Jerusalem and maintaining control of the Holy Land for seventy-eight years despite much Muslim restlessness and bitter resentment. Internal conflicts among these crusaders then began to increase as a result of more nations joining in their actions against the Muslims. Some of these conflicts include arguments on leadership, political differences and war strategies."
Abstract This paper compares Donald Queller's "The Fourth Crusade" to other contemporary books regarding the Fourth Crusade and contrasts between them.
From the Paper "In The Fourth Crusade, Donald E. Queller describes both the political and financial motives that led to the fourth crusade to Constantinople. Through heavy use of primary sources, the entire journey is told in a story-like fashion. Unfortunately, this story is not one without opinions. The Fourth Crusade is filled with Queller's personal opinions about both the historical event and contemporary historians. While these can sometimes be distracting, they neither take away from the significance of this study nor alter the historical facts. Queller's work, by all means, is one of the better historical studies of the events leading up to the sacking of Constantinople."
Abstract This essay examines the writings of Villehardouin in, Joinville and Villehardouin, "Chronicles of the Crusades". Great care is taken in examining this work from a militaristic approach with regards to Villehardouin's merits, biases, and historical accuracy. While a familiarity with the time period and the Fourth Crusade is helpful in gaining full understanding of this work, care has been taken to make the text usable for the layman as well.
From the Paper "The fourth crusade can be said to begin in 1198 when pope Innocent III encouraged yet another crusade into the holy lands. The merits of this individual crusade make defining an ending date rather hard. Possible dates for ending this crusade could range from its roots in 1201 with the deal struck with the Venetians, to as late as 1311 when the last of the Franks were destroyed by rebellious mercenaries, but most likely falls sometime in between. Villehardouin's account takes in to consideration the relatively small, but vastly important amount of time from 1198 to 1207. From its onset the crusade seemed to be doomed. Its chosen leader, Theobald of Champagne died before the expedition even began. Of not is that Villehardouin, writing his words years later, doesn?t connect the early misfortunes of the crusaders as signs of its eventual failure, though it is important to note that Villehardouin no where mentions that the crusade was a failure in anyway. Perhaps this is because of the rather abrupt ending to his book which may have been due to his death."
Abstract In this article, the writer discusses whether the First Crusade was based upon economic motives or upon genuine religious sentiments. The writer highlights that this issue of economic versus religious causes is controversial, but there is a general historical consensus that the First Crusade, initiated by Pope Urban II on November 27, 1095, was primarily motivated by religious fervor and determination to establish Christian control over Jerusalem and the Holy Land.
From the Paper "For decades, most Western historians considered the First Crusade and subsequent crusades to be colonial ventures based upon economic motives, and dismissed the idea that the Crusades were motivated by genuine religious sentiments. It is only recently that modern scholars have acknowledged that Christian faith may have been the primary motivation, and that the economic advantages Europe gained after the First Crusade were of secondary consideration for the Crusaders."
Abstract This paper gives a historic overview of the Crusades from an Islamic perspective. Additionally, the author considers the Crusades from political and religious perspectives. The paper traces the consolidation of the Muslim world and the mass conversions to Islam. Also presented are the changes in Islamic outlooks from being open to outside influences such as science to a more dogmatic faith. The paper concludes by contrasting the centralized European church with the more factional Islamic world.
From the Paper "The Western powers fought the Crusades against the Muslims for several reasons, of which the religious element was only one. The Muslim world at the time was divided into factions, and Muslim Spain had started to go its own way in the eighth century. Much of the Muslim world was by then under attack from the Seljuk Turks, but the Muslims were also in control of the Holy Lands, the seat of Christianity. In the eleventh century, European Christians set out on the Crusades to recapture the Holy lands, especially the city of Jerusalem. The Crusaders saw an opportunity because of the divisions within the Muslim world at that time. The Christian world also suffered its own divisions, such as the splitting off of the Byzantine Empire because of the disintegration of the Holy Roman Empire. This left the Greeks in power in the East, while the remains of the Roman world were in power in the West. The Church now had eastern and western factions."
Abstract The paper examines the events experienced by Eleanor of Aquitaine and her first husband Louis while on route to Jerusalem during the Second Crusade. Although Louis would be viewed favorably for his efforts, Eleanor would be plagued for the rest of her life with rumors of impropriety and incest.
From the Paper "Pernoud records the couple's stay at Antioch in much the same way as Seward. However, Pernoud seems to give more credence to the possibility that an unnatural closeness may have existed between Eleanor and her Uncle. ?If we adhere to historical fact, it seems unquestionable that Eleanor acquired a bad reputation at Antioch.?(Pernoud,72) He states that the charge of incest was leveled by the chronicler, "William of Tyr, who cannot be dismissed lightly" (Pernoud,72) Despite this assertion, Pernoud also insinuates that Eleanor's reputation may have been the result of her open disputes and disagreements with her husband Louis while displaying complete agreement with her Uncle. Seward does not mention William of Tyr by name, his account states that the only chronicler to make this allegation wrote of them forty-years later. Seward also relays that contemporary authorities have found no evidence to conclude the possibility of incestuous behavior on behalf of Eleanor or her Uncle. "
Tags: antioche, aquitaine, armour, christianity, constantinople, crusade, eleanor, france, holy, jerusalem, knights, land, louis, queen, religion, war
Abstract The paper discusses the main motivators of the Crusades. The paper further examines how the historian Riley-Smith reminds us that violence was normal and widespread during this historical period and how the Church was unable to distance itself from this violence. The paper analyzes the historical relationship between the Christians and the Muslims.
From the Paper "The main motivators of the Crusades were many and various. The historian Riley-Smith reminds us that violence was normal and widespread during this historical period (i.e. the Middle Ages), and furthermore that the Church was unable to distance itself from this violence. He also points out that although the common people of the time had some prejudices against Muslims, regarding them as idolatrous polygamists, they did not have such a complete set of prejudices that they would have been motivated to go off and fight a long way from home. However, what was important was that over a period of centuries, society had become thoroughly militarized."
Abstract The paper explores the Children's Crusade in 1212, when thousands of children in Germany and in France marched willingly to their deaths in the horrifyingly naive belief that they could return the Holy Sepulcher into Christian hands. The paper discusses how this is among the more lugubrious tales that have been passed down to us from the Middle Ages. The paper reviews what made these children believe they could do what battle hardened armies could not and it examines how they behaved on their fateful march and what ultimately became of them.
Abstract This paper reviews 'The New Crusade' by Rahul Mahajan, a book about the war on Terrorism. The paper holds the perspective of the United States elites wanting this war so that they could make an example of Afghanistan.
From the Paper "Books about the political and social effects of September 11th, 2001 are very common. The books tend to be either very conservative and defend the actions of the United States. Or they tend to be very liberal and criticize the action of the United States through out the world. In 'The New Crusade' Rahul Mahajan has written a very liberal book that criticizes the leaders and other elites in the United States. Mahajan's major criticism of the leaders and other elites in the United States is that they are more then willing to sacrifice innocent people to further their own goals."
Abstract This paper contends that the cause-and-effect patterns of the crusades are the most critical observations for the analytical observer and historian of the period. The paper explains that the crusades was a period of closely linked causes and effects. Malcolm Billings, in his historical work, "The Crusades: Five Centuries of Holy Wars," attacks and categorizes these causes and effects with gusto and relentless energy. The paper examines how Billings diffuses myths that the crusades was a dark ages type period.
Outline
Introduction
Cause/Effect in The Crusades Change and Continuity
Ideas in The Crusades Interpretations of The Crusades
From the Paper "Another strength of the narrative is the way in which Billings deals with change and continuity and also the concept of ideas. The crusades period, after all, was a period of immense technological and social change against the continuity of five centuries of war, so any examination of the period must include an analysis and commentary on the juxtaposition of the two. Also, with that backdrop of religious fervor and the missionary belief structure, the crusades also were one of the first eras with respect for new ideas in western history. Billings deals with the concept of ideas and their ramifications and their acceptance or denial throughout the work."
Abstract The Crusades refers to a series of nine separate military campaigns, which took place during the Middle Ages, and were generally considered to be religious in nature. The paper shows that when the Crusades began, they were a Roman Catholic effort against the Muslims and were aimed at recapturing the Holy Land. However, later Crusades were directed against other Europeans. The paper argues that the only Crusade that accomplished its stated goal was the First Crusade. While later Crusades met with varying success, they also created a strong anti-West sentiment in much of the world.
From the Paper "In fact, the First Crusade was characterized by a tremendous religious fervor. Not only were the Crusaders set to attack the Muslim occupants of Jerusalem, but they also violently attacked non-Christians on their way to the Holy Land. For example, Jews were massacred by mobs of Crusaders passing through Europe and Orthodox Christians were subjected to violence by Western Christians. However, these Crusaders were successful in reaching Jerusalem. Once there, they massacred the state's Muslim population. The First Crusade was the only successful Crusade, because the Crusaders achieved their objective, which was to recapture the Holy Land."
Tags: Urban, Hold, Land, Jerusalem, Bernard, Muslim
Abstract The paper discusses motivations, reasons and causative factors for the Crusades. The paper describes the seven crusades and their outcomes. The paper examines the view that the Crusades were a power-driven and imperialistic attempt to take over other regions under the guise of religion. The paper shows how the various Crusades had a profound effect on the social, cultural and political development of the world and were possibly the precursor to the era of European expansionism and eventual colonization.
Outline:
Abstract
Introduction
Motivations, Reasons and Causative Factors for the Crusades Consequences of the Crusades Conclusion
From the Paper "The Crusades were an historical event that are often understood in conventional terms to have been a "fulfillment of a solemn vow, to deliver the Holy Places from Mohammedan tyranny." (Crusades) However the crusades from a contemporary point of view are often debated and seen from different perspectives. For example, the Crusades are also described as "...war-pilgrimages proclaimed by the Popes on Christ's behalf and waged for the recovery of Christian territory or people, or in their defense." ( Riley-Smith, J. 2000, p.20) The reasons and the underlying historical facets are complex and the historical significance of the various crusades has had a profound and complex effect on the modern world."
Abstract The paper reveals that although many people have romantic notions of the Crusades, in reality, the Crusades were a series of military campaigns. The paper describes the nine Crusades that were religious in nature. The paper explains that the Crusades began as a Roman Catholic effort to recapture the Holy Land from the Muslims, but also targeted other religions and minority groups within Europe, including Jews and non-Roman Catholic Christians. The paper explains that while the Crusades were unsuccessful at their goals of ending Muslim occupation of the Holy Lands, they did play an important role in the history of Western Europe and the Middle East.
From the Paper "Given the political events of modern times, it is not difficult to understand the type of religious fervor that would give rise to a religious-based military campaign. However, one can better understand the Crusades if one understands the developments that were happening in Western Europe throughout the Early Middle Ages. (Wikipedia). While much of the Dark Ages was characterized by constant struggles between European countries over borders, by the Early Middle Ages borders had stabilized. In addition, during the Dark Ages, much of Western Europe was still under the influence of pagan religions. However, by the Early Middle Ages, the Vikings, the Slavs, and the Magyars had been converted to Christianity."
Abstract This paper takes a look at the Third Crusade, or the Kings' Crusade and explains why it was structurally the most prepared and organized crusade to have happened. The author explains how crusades were the Pope's answer to God's wishes concerning the lands that did not embrace Christianity and discusses the leadership of each of the Kings involved: King Richard of England, King Philip of France and the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick. The paper accounts for the non-achievement of this crusade but notes that it did prove beneficial as it united three different nations under a common cause and re-established just how important the spread of Christianity was.
From the Paper "Urban III was one of the main driving forces behind the expeditions of the First and Second Crusades during the early 12th century. However, with his death it was now his successor Gregory VIII that was sending out an appeal for a new crusade to be taken up. This call was answered by King Richard, Philip and Frederick who believed it was their duty to recapture Jerusalem and place it back into the holy hands of the Christians. Throughout this campaign to recruit soldiers the crusading mentality was beginning to shift. This thought now revolved around the connections the clergy were presenting to the people in regards to the link between crusading and their spiritual lives."
