The Crusades: A Medieval Religious and Political Movement

The Crusades: Expansion of Christianity in the Middle Ages

The Call to Arms

The expansion of Christianity during the Middle Ages extended beyond Europe to the eastern Mediterranean through a series of religious wars known as the Crusades. Occurring between the late 11th and early 13th centuries, these wars were sponsored by the papacy with the primary goal of reclaiming Jerusalem, the holy city, from Muslim control. In the 11th century, the papacy had compelling reasons to initiate an expedition against Muslims in the East. Such an endeavor would solidify the pope's claim as the leader of Christian society in the West. Furthermore, a significant theological rift had divided the Greek Church of Byzantium and the Roman Church of the West in 1054.

Preachers played a crucial role in disseminating ideas and narrating tales of warrior saints who vanquished hundreds of enemies. Thousands of individuals from all social classes heeded Pope Urban II's call to action, joining what became known as the First Crusade.

The First Crusade and Its Aftermath

The First Crusade achieved success primarily due to the fervent enthusiasm of its participants, whose main driving force was religious zeal. Their knowledge of the geography and climate of the Middle East was limited. Despite facing hardships, including the massacre of hundreds of noncombatants by Turkish forces, the Crusader army persevered, besieging and capturing several cities, including Antioch. After a month-long siege, Jerusalem fell to the Crusaders in July 1099.

Between 1096 and 1270, the crusading ideal manifested in eight papally sanctioned expeditions. However, none after the First Crusade achieved comparable success. Following the Muslim recapture of Jerusalem, the crusading movement encountered further setbacks. The conflict between Christian forces exacerbated the existing schism between the churches and tarnished the reputation of the entire crusading movement in the eyes of many Christians.

In the late 13th century, Turkish armies, having gradually subdued other Muslim rulers, turned their attention towards the Crusader states.

The Legacy of the Crusades

Overall, the Crusades can be considered a failure, largely due to the diverse social composition of the participants and the disparity in their weapons and equipment. Nevertheless, the Crusades serve as a testament to the religious fervor of the High Middle Ages and the influence wielded by the papacy. They provided opportunities for kings and the pope to expand their administrative systems and offered an outlet for the ambitions of nobles seeking glory.

The Late Middle Ages

, European people lived in a dark and hopeless life, so it was called the dark period. The hundred-year war was a disaster for both the British and French people. At that time, the black death was prevalent. Under the double attack of war and epidemic, the economy of Britain and France suffered a lot and the people couldn't survive. The plague from 1346 to 1350 killed about 25 million people in Europe. The disaster greatly hit the economic, political and even population development of Europe