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Crusades Facts

Crusades Facts
The Crusades were a group of religious wars that took place in the medieval period. They were sanctioned by the Latin Church in an effort to reclaim Christian territory and remove Islamic rule from the Holy Land. Other Christian military campaigns were referred to crusades as well, when fighting heresy or paganism, or for gaining an advantage politically. The First Crusade took place in 1095 after a call to arms by Pope Urban II. The result was the capture of Jerusalem in 1099. Crusades continued until the 1500s, but most after the late 1200s were minor in comparison to the early crusade efforts.
Interesting Crusades Facts:
Women were even known to fight in the crusades. They would dress in men's clothing and got into battle.
The main goal of the crusades was to control Jerusalem and the Holy Land. It was significant to different groups for different reasons.
The Jewish people wanted to control Jerusalem because it was the site where King Solomon built the original temple to God.
The Christian people wanted to control Jerusalem because it was the site where Christ was crucified and rose from the dead.
The Muslim people wanted to control Jerusalem because it was the site where Muhammad ascended into heaven.
The crusades were fought mainly between the Arabs that controlled Jerusalem and Europe's armies, mainly the Holly Roman Empire.
The first crusade was fought between 30,000 soldiers from Europe (including commoners, peasants, and knights) and the Seljuk Turks, who had taken control of The Holy Land from the Arabs.
The main crusades took place over a period of 200 years. They began in 1095 and continued until 1272.
The first crusade occurred between 1095 and 1099. The European armies took control of the Jerusalem by driving out the Seljuk Turks.
The second crusade occurred between 1147 and 1149. The Turks conquered Edessa in 1146, and decimated the population, but the second crusade was unsuccessful in regaining control.
The third crusade occurred between 1187 and 1192. The Sultan of Egypt recaptured Jerusalem from the Christians in 1187, and Germany, France, and England fought to regain control, unsuccessfully.
The fourth crusade occurred between 1202 and 1204. Pope Innocent III set out to recapture The Holy Land but along the way changed plans and took Constantinople instead.
The Children's Crusade took place in 1212. A French child and a German child led tens of thousands of children to The Holy Land. Most were never seen again or sold into slavery. They never made it to their destination.
The fifth to ninth crusades took place between 1217 and 1272. They were not successful in gaining control of The Holy Land or Jerusalem.
The battle cry of the crusaders was "Deus vult!" This means "God wills it!"
Crusaders wore a red cross as a symbol on their armor and clothing, as well as on flags and banners that were carried into battle.
The Templars and the Teutonic Knights were groups of Holy Knights that formed between the second and third crusades, in an effort to defend Christendom.


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