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CRUSADES
CAUSES
* War between Christians and Muslims (Saracens) which centered around the city of Jerusalem and the Holy places of Palestine.
* Although the city of Jerusalem was held by theSaracens the Christian pilgrims had been granted safe passage to visit the Holy city. In 1065 Jerusalem was taken by the Turks, who came from the kingdom of ancient Persia.
* PRINCIPAL CAUSE:3000 Christian pilgrims massacred in Jerusalem.
* Storm of indignation throughout Europe and encouraged the desire of rescuing the Holy city. (Christians).
* If it were a meritorious thing tomake a pilgrimage to the Holy Sepulcher, much more would it be a pious act to rescue the sacred spot from the profanation of infidels. This was the conviction that changed the pilgrim into a warrior* Peter the Hermit, a native of Picardy, in France, preached a crusade all over Europe encouraging people to fight against Muslims.
* Pope Urban II made oratory in the council of Claremontexposing the humiliation and misery of the provinces of Asia in which Christians were present.
* Turks started attacking Constantinople and the emperor Alexius Comnenus sent urgent letters to the Popeasking for aid against the Saracens.
* Crusades begun on august 15, 1096.
THE FIRST CRUSADE
* Leaders: distinguished representatives of European knighthood. Count Raymond of Toulouse headed aband 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 theConqueror's eldest son. The Normans from Italy and Sicily were led by Bohemond, a son of Robert Guiscard, and his nephew Tancred.
* The crusaders traversed Europe by different routes and reassembled atConstantinople. 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...