One of the most important events to take place during the high Middle Ages was the issuing of the Crusades by Pope Urban II. This momentum event which would last from 1095 to 1291 (unofficial ending) one could say had a particular effect on the middle east, as the western world tried to gain control over the area. The meaning of the word crusade comes from the word cross.
The crusades themselves inspired a tremendous amount of writing in the subject area that it is impossible to read everything on it. There were many reasons people went on the crusades, and therefore a simple cut and dry answer will not do. Some of the people that went on the crusades actually felt like they were doing God’s will. However, one might ask what makes a war justified? The concept of the just war was evident in the belief system of the day. This concept was invented as an excuse for the knights to fight in battle. Despite the fact that there were people going on crusades for moral reasons, others went on these crusades not for any particular religious sense, but for excitement and battle. Thousands of people would end up going on the first crusades. The impact that the crusades had on the Middle East, would change the relationship up to the current modern day. Housley’s main thesis on his book on the crusades suggests that historians should look at the subject matter thru a pluralistic point of view. By looking at this subject matter thru a multiple point of view, one can see that this subject matter is a complex issue and therefore should be treated as such.
The book itself is divided into multiple chapters dealing with the history and context of the subject matter. Chapter one of Housley’s book deals with the origins of the first crusades and the...
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...ved in the Christian faith, and went to Mass on Sunday. War and Military conquest was also apart of the society during this point in the High Middle Ages. Military conquest was important because it rewarded the individual with wealth and power. On the other hand the society was also a Christian one, and therefore the people that went to war had to come to grip with what they were doing. In closing, despite the Church’s attempt to have full control over the rulers of Western Europe, it was impossible to do so. Therefore, the Church came up with the concept of chivalry, which was an attempt to reconcile war and peace. Other decrees such as no violence against women, children, peasants, and clergy men. Though these may have been the best comprise they could have came up with at the time. One has to realize that these two concepts of war and peace, cannot mesh together.
In Thomas F. Madden’s The New Concise History of the Crusades, he is able to effectively give an accurate depiction of the Crusades in a story-like manner. The expansive and convoluted history of the Crusades has been marred by myths and misconceptions about the true nature of these “holy wars”. In his history, Madden seeks to correct these maladies that plague the Crusades by using concrete evidence to support his claims. Although Madden does an excellent job in condensing the history of the Crusades into 225 pages, there are some improvements that he could have made in his history in order to make it less opinionated and more critical. This paper will criticize the effectiveness of Madden’s arguments and presentation of themes. The doctrine of “holy war”, the place of military leadership and rivalry, and the response of Muslim states and military leaders are all important themes addressed in The New Concise History of the Crusades that will be analyzed to extract Madden’s true intentions, concerns, and assumptions.
Riley-Smith adequately proves his argument that although the idea of crusading was not a new one; the outcome of the first crusade had a direct impact on the ideas surrounding a holy war. His book, The First Crusade and the Idea of Crusading, is a well developed and coherent argument that is neatly organized and concise, allowing the reader to gain a good understanding of the topic. This book was an excellent choice for first year university students, as it was an easy read, and very easy to identify the main points and arguments of each chapter.
In 1095 Pope urban II call all Christians to take part in what would become the world’s greatest Holy War in all of history. Urban’s called Christians to take up arms and help fight to take the Holy Land of Jerusalem back from the accursed Muslims. During this time of war the whole world changed. Land boundaries shifted, men gained and lost and gained power again, and bonds were forged and broken. The Crusades had a great impact on the world that will last forever. There were many major social, political, religious and economic changes that occurred during the crusades. But first, a brief history to give backbone to these reasons.
The eminent historian Jonathan Riley-Smith defines ‘crusade’ as “holy war fought against those perceived to be the external or internal foes of Christendom for the recovery of Christian property”. This would suggest that the Crusades were primarily an endeavour intended to promote Christian expansionism through the acquisition of both territory and religious converts. However the Crusades can also be interpreted as a means for independent Christian rulers to demonstrate their piety, amass wealth through loot and enhance their prestige; all of which would be beneficial to the rule of their own territories. In addition to this, the Crusades were intended as a defensive measure in
The Crusades were an outlet for the intense religious tension between the Muslims and the church which rose up in the late 11th century. This all started because the church and the Catholics wanted the Holy Lands back from the Muslims. Around this time the church was the biggest institute and people were god-fearing. Pope Gregory VII wanted to control more lands and wanted to get back the lands that they had lost to the Muslims (Medieval Europe). So in order to get back these lands he launched The Crusades which he insisted to the peasants was a holy war instead.
The Crusades were great military missions embarked on by the Christian nations of Europe for the purpose of rescuing the Jerusalem and the Holy Land from the hands of the Moslems. The Crusades were considered Holy Wars (1). Their main target was the Moslems not the Jews, although campaigns were also waged against pagan Slavs, Jews, Russian and Greek orthodox Christians, Mongols, Cathars, Hussites, Waldensians Old Prussians, and political enemies of the popes (2). There were many Crusades some more significant than others, but in general the Crusades was an important event in the history of Medieval Europe.
First of all, we can underline how Madden emphasizes the fact that the Crusades were driven by religious reasons: “A crusade army was a curious mix of rich and poor, saints and sinners, motivated by every kind of pious and selfish desire, yet it could not have come into being without the pious idealism that led men to risk all to liberate the lands of Christ” (Madden, 13). The First Crusade occurred after Pope Urban II preached a sermon to liberate Jerusalem and the Holy Land. Madden expresses regrets about what he calls a “mistaken view”, that says that “religion was not an impetus but a diversion” (11). He definitely assumes a point of view that is diffe...
The crusades in the middle ages were a long-lasting series of vigorous wars between Christians and Muslims over the Holy Land, Jerusalem. The crusades lasted for almost two hundred years. They began in 1099 and approximately ended in 1291. (What were the motives, and causes of these gruesome wars?) is the first question one might ask. To properly answer this question, I am about to analyze the first four crusades that had began in 1099 and ended in 1212.
The Crusades were one of the most prominent events in Western European history; they were not discrete and unimportant pilgrimages, but a continuous stream of marching Western armies (Crusaders) into the Muslim world, terminating in the creation and eventually the fall of the Islamic Kingdoms. The Crusades were a Holy War of Roman Christianity against Islam, but was it really a “holy war” or was it Western Europe fighting for more land and power? Through Pope Urban II and the Roman Catholic Church’s actions, their proposed motivations seem unclear, and even unchristian. Prior to the Crusades, Urban encouraged that Western Europe fight for their religion but throughout the crusades the real motivations shone though; the Crusaders were power hungry, land coveting people who fought with non Christian ideals and Morales.
The people of the middle ages showed their faith in many ways some were through prayer or fasting and others took a more violent approach. The Crusades were a way for men to resolve themselves of their sins according to Pope Urban II. This was also a way for the Crusaders to take back what they believed was stolen from their ancestors and their god. This was not only from the men who went to fight, there were also the elderly, women, and children who felt they needed to go help their faith. This would also make the Muslims who had control over Jerusalem because they believed it was their holy land as well. They on the other side had to protect their faith and pay their own piety. This would also cement the relationship of Christians and Muslims for
The Crusades had a huge impact on changes in Europe. First it affected the effort of raising/improving military forces and providing supplies for them. Trading was improved especially after the boundaries were set. Also the interactions between the West and East led to European culture changes in art and architecture, literature, mathematics, science and education. The crusades enhanced the power of the Catholic Church, which continues to maintain more followers than any other organized religion. The crusades also brought Europe into closer
A major turning point in Medieval history were the Crusades. The Crusades were a series of wars fought between the Christian Europeans and the Muslim Turks, which occurred between the years of 1096 to 1272. In this Holy War the Christians goal was to obtain the Holy Land from the Turks, in which they did not succeed. Although the Christians did not meet their goal, many positives did come out of their attempt. Due to the reason that they did not meet their goal, yet numerous positives came out of their effort, many refer to this as a successful failure.
In conclusion, the Crusades were a series of wars that lasted over two centuries to gain control over the Holy Land. The First Crusade was the only crusade that was seen as a success. Many cultural, scientific, and commercial exchanges took place as a result of the Crusades and the Crusades had a deep impact on many areas that extended beyond the Holy Land. Eventually, in 1291, the Crusades would finally come to an end but the impact would extend into today’s
In 1095, the conflict between the Christians and the Muslims started a crusade (a military campaign in defense of Christianity) for the battle of Jerusalem. This crusade involved people of other religions besides Christianity such as the Jews but they did not play a major role during this time. The Crusades lasted almost two decades and consisted of eight different crusades. With all of the events and actions that took during the Crusades, it led too many effects throughout years. There were short term effects and long term effects from the crusades that effected people of all different cultures. Two places which have had many effects from the Crusades are Europe and Islam. The Crusades has had short term and long term effects on power, economic and classical knowledge throughout Europe and Islam.
In 1095, Pope Urban II called the first crusade. Happening between 1096 and 1099, the first crusade was both a military expedition and a mass movement of people with the simple goal of reclaiming the Holy Lands taken by the Muslims in their conquests of the Levant. The crusade ended with the capture of Jerusalem in July 1099. However, there has been much debate about whether the First Crusade can be considered an ‘armed pilgrimage’ or whether it has to be considered as a holy war. This view is complicated due to the ways in which the Crusade was presented and how the penitential nature of it changed throughout the course of the Crusade.