Crusade

The series of holy wars launched by the Christian states against the Saracens starting in 1095 when Pope Claremont preached the First Crusade at the Council of Claremont. The object of the crusades was at first to release the Holy Land, in particular Jerusalem, from the Saracens, but in time was extended to seizing Spain from the Moors, the Slavs and Pagans from eastern Europe, and the islands of the Mediterranean. The first crusade, which lasted from 1095-1099, established the latin Kingdom of Jerusalem, providing more lands for the crusading knights, who often traveled across Europe to try their fortunes and to visit the Holy Sepulcher. The kingdom was gradually lost until the last Christian city, Acre, fell in 1291. The dream of returning to the Holy Land nonetheless proved popular; the Kings of France and England frequently made such plans, though in nearly every case the crusades were redirected or derailed by regional tensions.

The crusades also gave rise to the important knightly orders, the Templars and the Hospitallers, orders of religious knights, working from monastic rule to defend the holy land and pilgrims en route to the same lands.

♦ First Crusade: 1096 - 1099, Freed the Holy Lands

♦ Second Crusade: 1147 - 1149, Louis VII Prepared to attack Damascus

♦ Third Crusade: 1189, Richard I, Truce with Saladin

♦ Fourth Crusade: 1198, French/Flemish, Advanced on Constaniople

series of military campaigns waged by Christian countries in the Holy Land from the 11th to the 13th century to recover the area from Islam; used more generally for any military campaign on behalf of the church