The Crusades Essay -- essays research papers

After the death of Charlemagne in 814 and the eventual dissect of his empire, Europe was under attack and on the defensive. Nomadic muckle from Asia ransacked eastern and central Europe until the 10th century. Beginning ab come forward 800, some(prenominal) centuries of Viking raids disrupted life in northern Europe and even jeopardize Mediterranean cities. But the greatest holy terror came from the forces of Islam. Eventually these threats became real. Battles broke out and these battles turned to wars spanning from 1095 to 1229 all this over one city, Jerusalem, on country, Israel, one land, the Blessed Land.Islamic forces had already conquered North Africa, the eastern shores of the Mediterranean, and most of Spain by the eighth century. They also established bases in Italy, greatly reduced the size and power of the Byzantine Empire, and took over its capital, Constantinople. Islam was spreading even faster than the Islamic military was conquering. The five pillars of Is lam appealed to many, as did the Koran and the founder of Islam, Muhammad. Eventually, Islam posed a threat of a rival culture and religion which seemed appealing and unstoppable. By the eleventh century the balance of power began to swing toward the West. The church became more concentrate and stronger from a reform movement to complete the practice of kings installing pregnant clergy, such as bishops, in office. popes were able to effectively unite European popular support behind them. This greatly contributed to the popular appeal of the branch Crusades. Europes macrocosm was growing, its urban life was beginning to revive, and both long distance and local trade were gradually increasing. European human and economic resources could at once support new enterprises on the scale of the Crusades. A growing population created more wealth therefore meant a greater demand for goods from elsewhere. olibanum worldly interests coincided with religious feelings about the beatified L and and so the crusades began.Pope Urban II, in a speech at Clermont in France in November 1095, called for a great Christian expedition to free Jerusalem from the Turks, a new Muslim power that had recently begun actively harassing peaceful Christian pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem. These factors were genuine causes, and at the same time, useful justifications for the popes call for a Crusade. As a result, Urbans speech appealed to thousands of spate of all classes... ...cceed, however, in clamshell from Saladin control of a chain of cities along the Mediterranean coast. By October 1192, when Richard in the end left the Holy Land, the Latin Kingdom had been reconstituted. Smaller than the original demesne and considerably weaker militarily and economically, the second kingdom lasted for another century.In conclusion, the crusades were a very important part of European history that really affects the world. These people fought for what they believed in and, maybe, if they had n ot fought for what they believed in, we would practice Islam instead of Christianity. Though many people lost their lives and times were tough, balance of power was up for grabs, and it went on for so long, the crusades were fought over the Holy Land to preserve and protect the aspects of each sides religion. These graduation three crusades show, the best, how important they were to everyone and how they could have affected the world today. In the end I tried to summarize but also try to bewilder points that most people did not know about the crusades that make them significant, important, and infallible to understand how these people can fight over something like this land, The Holy Land.