The Crux of the Crusades

581 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: An essay on the impacts of the crusades

Lasting from 1096-1270, “The Crusades were a series of eight military campaigns… in which Europeans attempted to wrest control of the Holy Land from the Muslims who ruled the Middle East.” (“The Crusades.” Science and Its Times). Because the Holy Land was, and still is, of religious significance to a number of different groups, the Crusades heavily impacted a vast amount people during the Middle Ages. Most significantly, the Crusades increased and encouraged conflict between religious groups, caused the deaths of thousands of people, and added a moral aspect to, along with the justification of, war. (Roche). On a lesser, but more positive note, The Crusades also increased foreign trade and commerce – causing an unprecedented stimulation in intellectual development. In addition, The Crusades assisted in the change of the government structure by diminishing feudalism. (“Effects of the Crusades”). For the previously stated reasons, the Crusades were, by far, the most influential event of the Middle Ages.
As with all wars, the Crusades generated a large need for supplies. The Crusades “created a constant demand for the transportation of men and supplies, encouraged ship-building, and extended the market”. The products from large cities made their way throughout Europe and with that “silks, tapestries, precious stones, perfumes, spices, pearls, and ivory” became luxuries that the crusaders were enchanted with. (“Effects of the Crusades”). With increased commerce came increased knowledge.
They went out from their castles or villages to see great cities, marble palaces, superb dresses, and elegant manners; they returned with finer tastes, broader ideas, and wider sympathies… The knowledge of the science and learning of the East gained...

... middle of paper ...

...ential event of the Middle Ages.

Works Cited

“The Crusades.” Arts and Humanities Through the Eras. Ed. Edward I. Bleiberg, et al. Vol. 3: Medieval Europe 814-1450. Detroit: Gale, 2005. 331-335. Student Resources in Context. Web. Nov. 2013.
“Crusades.” Gale Student Resources in Context. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Student Resources in Context. Web. 7 Nov. 2013.
“The Crusades.” Science and Its Times. Ed. Neil Schlager and Josh Lauer. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2001. Student Resources in Context. Web. 7 Nov. 2013.
“Effects of the Crusades.” LordsandLadies.org. Lords and Ladies, n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
Hamilton, Franklin. “The Holy Land.” The Crusades. The United States of America: The Dial Press. 1966. 16-17. Print.
Roche, Jason. “Crusades in the Holy Land and Egypt (Consequences).” World at War: Understanding Conflict and Society. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 10 Nov. 2013

Show More
Related

  • Assess the value of Fulcher of Chartres’s account of the council of Clermont for understanding Urban II’s message.

    1034 Words  | 3 Pages

    Dana C. Munro, "Urban and the Crusaders", Translations and Reprints from the Original Sources of European History, Vol 1:2, (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, 1895), 5-8

    Read More

  • Book Review: Armies Of Heaven By Jay Rubenstein

    983 Words  | 2 Pages

    For instance, the city was sacked by the Romans in 70 AD, which destroyed most of the city's important religious artifacts. Later, the city was completely destroyed and covered in 135 AD by the Roman Emperor Hadrian. Rubenstein delves deeply into the background of the crusade, as many of the events and ideologies that inspired it are critical to understanding its reasoning and justifications. This sets Rubenstein apart from the Madden textbook, which begins at the council at Claremont and does not provide essential background information. Rubenstein's book serves as an excellent introduction to the history of the Crusades.

    Read More

  • The First Crusades Analysis

    1928 Words  | 4 Pages

    The First Crusade was a widely appealing armed pilgrimage, and mobilized a vast conquering force at a time when the Christian Church was moving towards centralization and greater political influence in Europe. The Church gained a wider audience more accepting of its leadership, benefitted economically, and developed its own militarily force. These outcomes, along with the Church’s documented ambition to expand and its reversal of prior teachings, support the idea that the First Crusade was a deliberate political maneuver, intended to to expand and consolidate the authority of the

    Read More

  • The Crusades: Religious Devotion or Economy Desire?

    629 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Crusades took place in the Middle East between 1095 and 1291. They were used to gain a leg up on trading, have more land to show hegemony, and to please the gods. Based upon the documents, the Crusades between 1095 and 1291 were caused primarily by religious devotion rather than by the desire for economic and political gain.

    Read More

  • How Friar Lawrence is Responsible for Romeo and Juliet's Death

    802 Words  | 2 Pages

    What is the difference between a'smart' and a'smart'? Detroit: Gale, 2005. http://www.detriot.com/detriot/detriot/ Literature Resource Center -. Web. The Web.

    Read More

  • The Crusades Argumentative Essay

    1075 Words  | 3 Pages

    Among some of the largest conflicts in the world stand the Crusades; a brutal conflict that lasted over 200 years and was debatably one of the largest armed religious conflicts in the history of humankind. Since this is so clearly an event of importance, historians have searched vigorously for the true answer as to why the crusades began. Ultimately, because of accusatory views on both the sides of the Christians and of the Muslims, the two groups grew in such hatred of each other that they began to act in deep discrimination of each other. Moreover, Christian motives seemed to be driven mostly by the capture of Jerusalem, the dark ages of Europe and the common-folks desperation for land, wealth, and a spot in heaven. What seems to be continually

    Read More

  • Deus Vult: A Tale of an Armed Pilgrimage

    2888 Words  | 6 Pages

    What is a Crusade? How did a Crusader crusade? What caused him to seek “holy war?” Is a Crusade a Holy War or a Pilgrimage? Did a crusader only leave to find his own economic benefits? What caused the success of the first crusaders? These are some of the many questions that laid before me when I started my research. The crusading movements are such widely debated among the modern historian that they leave many readers confused about what actually caused the crusades, and what a crusade actually entails. In the coming pages I hope to give my reader something to ponder, understand, and acknowledge about it’s origins, and eventually lead my reader into the first crusading movement. Thus, the argument I intend to make examines the events in previous centuries, and the culmination of political and moral changes, as well as economic ones that occurred before Urban’s call for crusade. We will explore Feudalism, it’s war-centric society and how this caused Urban (as well as some Popes and religious figures before him) to seek a peaceable solution that would ensure safety for the clergy, the peasant, and the non-violent. Furthermore, Pope Urban sought to continue Pope Gregory's (and Cluniac) reform to solidify Papal authority over Christendom, and respond to years of Muslim raids along the Mediterranean and upper Italian Coastlines that threatened Italian unity. In effect, the first crusading movement represented and embodied the European culture, society, and ideologies of the time.

    Read More

  • The Crusades Through Arab Eyes, by Amin Maalouf

    1343 Words  | 3 Pages

    Maalouf’s main thesis in The Crusades Through Arab Eyes is that the crusades are a major part of history and have truly influenced every one of our lives. The second pa...

    Read More

  • God's Battalions

    1656 Words  | 4 Pages

    God’s Battalions: The Case for the Crusades by Rodney Stark, will cause readers to question much of what they know about the Crusades, the Crusaders themselves, and the formidable Muslim forces they encountered along the way in liberation of the Holy Land. Stark gives compelling reasons for the Crusades, and argues that readers should not be too quick in following the lead of historians who cast the Crusaders in less than positive light. Stark makes his case supported by evidence that vindicates the valiant struggles of the Crusaders who accomplished the task of keeping Christianity alive through troubled times.

    Read More

  • crusades

    2392 Words  | 5 Pages

    Crusading, much like Imperialism in the 20th century, was all about expansion. During the middle ages however, it was more about the expansion of religion rather then power, or at least that’s the way it was preached. Crusading by definition is; “ a holy war authorized by the pope, who proclaimed it in the name of god of Christ. It was believed to be Christ’s own enterprise, legitimized by his personal mandate” (1). This essay examines the background of the crusades to offer a better understanding as to why they occurred. It also examines the effects that the crusades had on the world. It is easy to look at the crusades as a violent meaningless act, but one must understand the type of setting this movement occurred during. This was a time when if you took part in the crusades, you were seen as a warrior of god, recruited by the pope. Any man who fought in the name of god would be rewarded in heaven. Popular belief in the 10th and 11th centuries was that the more you did for god, the less accountable you were for you’re past sins. The more deeds you did, the better your credit in the ‘Treasury of God’ (2). The Treasury of God is a summarization of the good deed outweighing the bad deed principle of the time. Acts of violence in the name of god are far less common in the world today. But, as seen with September 11th, jihad or holy war is still occurring. This essay gives a basic timeline and underlying principles behind the crusading missions. Justification for these acts remains unclear and is simply opinion based.

    Read More

  • The Crusades

    1382 Words  | 3 Pages

    Spanning from 1095 to 1212 C.E, the Crusades were an effort made by medieval Christians to regain their holy lands back from the Muslims. There were five crusades in total going in order from the First Crusade to the Children's Crusade. A few were effective in their own respects although these Crusades proved costly to the European Kingdoms as a result of large losses of life. This paper will explore these crusades and explain why some succeeded whereas others failed.

    Read More

  • The Crusades and the Israeli Palestine Conflict

    786 Words  | 2 Pages

    "The Crusades (Overview)." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2011. Web. 12 Oct. 2011.

    Read More

  • The Crusades: Short Term and Long Term Effects

    1023 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The First Crusade and the Ideas of Crusading

    2006 Words  | 5 Pages

    Contrary to many commonly held notions about the first crusade, in his book, The First Crusade and the Idea of Crusading, Jonathan Riley-Smith sets out to explain how the idea of crusading thought evolved in the first crusade. In his book, Riley-Smith sets out five main arguments to show how these ideas of crusading evolved. Firstly, he argues that Pope Urban’s original message was conventional, secondly that a more positive reaction was drawn from the laity (due to the ideas surrounding Jerusalem), thirdly, that the original message of crusading had changed because of the horrible experiences of the first crusaders, fourth, that due to these experiences the crusaders developed their own concept of what a crusade was, and lastly, that these ideas were refined by (religious) writers and turned into an acceptable form of theology. Riley-Smith makes excellent points about the crusade; however, before one can delve directly into his argument, one must first understand the background surrounding the rise of the first crusade.

    Read More

  • The Causes and Effects of the Crusades

    639 Words  | 2 Pages

    Religious feelings were the principal cause of the Crusades. Up until 1065 the Moslems had control o...

    Read More

More about The Crux of the Crusades

Open Document