Erlacher

 ​The Crusades 

The First Crusades: (Also known as: The Christain Crusades) 1095-1291

The First Crusades were a very important part to Medieval History. The purpose was intended to re-capture Jerusalem from the Muslims, which took over in 1076. After the Muslims captured Jeruselum the Christains who wanted to pay to pilgrimage to the city were faced with difficult times. The Muslim soldiers made life practiacally miserable from the Christians. This made them angry. Then one christian named Alexius l of Constantinople, was afraid that his country might also fall into the hands of the Muslims. Alexius contacted the Pope-Urban II to ask for help. Then in 1095 Pope Urban spoke to a large crown at Clermont, France. He wanted to start a war against the Muslims so that Jerusalem was regained fro the christian faith. Many volenteeres to go fight the Muslims. The volenteers cut out red crosses and sewed them in their tunics (shirts). The fight against the Muslims turned into a Holy War. The first place that the Crusaders was an important fortress city named Nicea (See immage above) The next area of attack was Antioch, a turkish city. It took them seven months of battle before the Crusaders won. After that the Crusaders moved on to Jeruselum. They invaded the Summer of 1099, and the Muslims were very well prepared. The first few months were unsuccessful for the Christians. When the gates opened to the city the crusaders pretty much killed everyone they wanted to, enabling them to win.