Question Home

Position:Home>History> Links to the best info about the first crusade?


Question: Links to the best info about the first crusade!?
i want the best info about the first crusade!. give me some links!.!.!.
remember, the person who gives me the best answer gets 10 points!!Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
Lol, I don't know what the guy above me is on about, but I will provide you with a more direct but detailed explanation!.

Simply the medieval church was the most important and unifying institution in the Middle Ages!. It had a lot of wealth which was used on Gothic churches and huge cathedrals!. The church itself was the centre of education providing the nobles and catholic clergy with the knowledge of how to read and write - a valuable skill to acquire!. The monks attended selflessly to the sick and poor - therefore gaining the respect of serfs across christendom!. People in medieval Europe were very religious and devoted their lives to becoming better christians!. Often, peasants and people low in society had the worst lifestyle and believing in a divine lord gave them hope for a better future after their death!.

When Pope Urban the II called a crusade in 1096 it attracted massive attention!. He encouraged everyone to join this holy cause through offering them a rare exception, this being their sins forgiven and protection from the church!. This promise was all to irresistable for thousands as they headed off to participate!. The Church felt the need to intervene with Middle-Eastern affairs simply to free Eastern Christians from Islamic rule!. Alexius the I of Constantinople was in dire need of aid against muslim forces and Urban decided that calling a "crusade" could benefit the Byzantine Empire through military assistance!. Pilgrims were also denied the right to visit the holy lands consequently resulting in urban's orders to commence this assault!.

Two crusading battalions existed!. The People's crusade (a mix of townsfolk) and the professional regiment!. The people's crusade headed the initial assualt on Nicea the Turkish capital and failed!. They were all massacred or forced to convert to Islam!.

There was two different fighting styles!. The crusaders had elite cavalry, the main of which was the knight's templar and knight's hospitaller!. They harboured strong infantry with very little archers!. The Muslims however, used stallions (very fast horses) and took advantage of ranged combat - firing arrows from a distance and then retreating!.

There was a long journey through harsh desert climates and the problem of limited resources (food and water)!. The Seljuk Turks were always attempting to break the strict columns of lines and disorganise crusader ranks!. Conflict was regular - over half the crusaders perished before reaching Antioch their second major city after Nicea!. The discovery of the holy lance in Antioch lifted morale and spirits for everyone involved - giving the crusaders a thought of invicibility!. basically there were small-medium, intricate confrontations between the muslims and crusaders, none of which halted the eager christian soldiers!. Jerusalem was taken in 1099 after the sefless efforts of the crusaders and their courageous battles!. A victory well deserved indeed!.

Additonal information and background knowledge:

1!. The spread of catholicism across all of Europe was mainly the result of the western Roman Empire!. Originally they believed in the pagan gods, but changed to christianity around 360 AD!. Emperor Constantine the I split the Roman empire into two halves when he named Constantinople the new Roman capital!. The Eastern Roman Empire is known as the Byzantine Empire!.

2!. Mohammed was born in 610 AD in Constantinople (Christian city in Byzantium)!. He founded the religion we know as Islam, effectively converting the Middle-East!. In approximately 400 years time, the Muslims would oppose the crusaders!.

3!. Saladin a combat genius and great commander of the muslim armies re-took Jerusalem from the crusaders in 1187, he died just 6 years later!. An interesting point to note is that only two of the nine crusades were actually successful!. The First crusade and the sixth one (a peaceful surrender to the crusaders)!.

There's a lot of information, but I think you'll find that it is a lot more relevant and easy to understand than Mystery's paragraphs!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Wikipedia is awesome for that!. It also has some other links!. It is pretty balanced as well!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I will give you full information from my own knowledge jsut give me 20 minutes!. From the time i psot this, I will edit this post and start talknig about the First Crusade!.

Ok, first off, let's get the time period right!. the Western Roman Empire with the Emperor Romulus Augustus (a child emperor with the ironic name of the two msot important people in Rome, Romulus and Agustus, there is amovie on this i've watched) well he lsot his empire in about 470 AD!.

Well there is much of a time difference!. So obviously technolgoy improved somewhat at least militarily if not in culture and arts!.

Well when the Roman Empire collapsed, many Kingdoms and states were formed!. No lnoger did one country such as Rome owned a alrge emprie and had a vast size from for example Spain to Jereselum (modern day)!.

So basiclly, the later part of Roman history, Cosntantine had a vision in a abttle and he became Christian!. (Note: East Roman Empire lasted way longer than the West, West Roman Empire was tiny and a shadow of it's former self in AD 476 whislt the East was a relative reasonable Empire size the East is mroe popularily reffered to as the Byzantine Empire which lasted for lnoger than the First Crusade it fell in 1204) Whislt the first Crusade was in 1095!.

The Byzantine Empire was quite powerful and it was able to shield many Muslim invaders who wanted the Western Empire, but later couldnt not help the Western any lnoger and there were two Emperors etc!.!.!.

Anyway, mroe info on the First Crusade huh!? Wlel jsut remember Constantine was the first Emperor to embrace Christianity as the new "modern", state and official religion of the Roman Empire thus ending the pesecution of the church and ending the old ways of the old gods such as Apollo etc!.

Constaniople, the East Empire Captial was a bastion of Christianity and along side with Rome was a major trading city and would be considered the world's major city!.

There was a pope supproted by Rome and the Pope during the medieval time period was considere dGod's representative on Earth held much power!. The Pope during the first crusade and the one who launched it is called Urban II!. Pope Urban II and is French, which was once in ancient times known as Gaul and part of the Western Roman Empire!.

Well some mroe backgroudn info on the crusades!.!.!. Is the Roman Empire which lasted for so lnog was under attack by the Turks, Muslim and Islam invaders as well as Huns etc but don't worry aobut the Huns and others or the Roman integration etc!.

What happened was many Christians of Europe were called on by the Pope and were on a mission to capture the Holy Land (Jereusaleum) and repel the Muslim invaders!.

Ok some mroe background!. back ground helps!.

When West Roman Emprie fell there was apower vacuum!. Religion was the main power!. Whislt in the Muslim and East side of things, the Sassanid Empire also fell and it was mroe of a colation of countries now dtermined by religion!.

What happened in the West was a successor of the Western Roman Empire, whic hwas called the Holy Roman Empire (lol) we did this in German well I sort of did it!. Anyway, the Holy Roman Empire was basiclly German, French and di not have Rome it's empire but was the main power in the West!. The East as I said before was the Byzantine!.

Anyway, in Europe, Christanity was wide spread much thanks to the old Roman Empire!. Thus Europe was called Christendom (mainly a word to describe Christ's Kingdom, simialr to Kingdom of Heaven on earth), the countries in Christendom were every Christian nation basiclly the whole of Europe, England, Holy Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire, and whatever other countries!.

However there were also muslims and some islamic forces in the East where the Sassanid Empire and Umayyads ocne was!. By the way, using a map helps, I rememebr some of this from Rome: Total War
( a game)!. So basiclly these were Egypt, and the Seljuq Empire!.

Basiclly without gonig into much mroe background detail, there was a rise of Muslim and Christian states!. Like two camps with different religions!. Like say World War, where there are only absiclly two camps, germans and Austraians vrs their enemies etc!.

The European during this time, were basiclly trying to expand their own kingdoms and influence, lol I remmeebr Medieval Total War (a game)!.

Many Europeans beleivewd they were strong militarily because of their military successes in mediterrian and in Spain, Africa (Carthrage area) alongside with themselves being "brothers and sisters in Christ" with the Papal guidance (Christendom)!.

Many Europeans were also influenced by the Church, who wanted to claim Jereseulem back because of it';s significance to Christianity, (Jesus was Jewish, he born and died in Jereusaleum etc)!. also Crusaders were told by the Church that their sins owuld be frogvien and they were exempt from taxes!.

Anyway, the East Empire as I said, known as the Byzantine still stood, Constantine had made his own capital named after himself called Constaniople with the rich Eastern Empire side was able to last a bit, but was now also being attacked by the Muslim turks!.

The Pope and many of the western europe saw the Byzantine Empire as quite important as they too were Christians and if they fell to the Muslims the Europeans would lsoe much tarde!. So the Pope and the Christian Kingdom rallied much troops in a begennig to help the Byzantine Empire with the famous words Deus vult (this comes from the Latin words Deus immortas in ancient times when they worshipped Apollo, but in general the meaning Deus vult means God wills it, simialr in some sense to the tarditional Roman saying)!. Well if you're donig an essay, you can use this quote, "let this one cry be raised by all soldiers of God: it is the will of God!." - Robert the Monk, History of Jeresalem, reporting on Pope Urban II's words in 1095!. I am going to Jeresualu mat the end of the yr so ive been reading somewhat on it!.

I am still editing and will post mroe ni the enxt couple of mniutes!. plz bear with me!. Ill sjut update once again!.

These words renewed Christina forces and rallied in a sense!. By the way ironically though Jesus was Jewish, the Europeans kileld many Jews during the Crusaders alongsidew with Muslims!. A bloodbath massacre!.!.!.

also by the Way, Jeresalem was lost from the Byzantine Empire in 638 AD by Muslim invaders!. also the Byzantine army was also heavily defeated in 1071 which is sort of why Emperor Alexius called for help and the Pope thinknig ,"why lets take Jeresaleum and show who's strogner, we can beat this muslims, and we can restore Christian honour" etc!. (he didnt say that, i am trynig to explain this simply)!. Well the Byzantine defeat was really a sort of excuse to start a war lol!. "TO LIBERATE THE HOLY LAND" as Pope urban said, lol!.!.!.!.

Anyway!.!.!.
So anyway from the defeat, the pope called for Chistendom to hel pagasint the Muslim invaders and they did well at first!.!.!.

From 1096, the crowds the pope was able to get all went to the Holy Land to "take the cross" (quite differently from what Christ taught though, they took it in a ddifferent perspective which suited them)!.

As you may know the first crusades didn't go to well!. the first crusades were led incompetently and msot were disorganized peasents known as rabble who went to war with mroe fo the reaosn to improve their lfie standards!.

However, as support increased, the church truely endorsed the crusade!. Thus, a lot of European nobility, inspired by eternal salvation (sins forgiven if you die fighting the Muslims), glory, plunder (many knew the rteasures and stuff they could steal was there), embarked on the Crusades!. jsut like how many soldiers in WWI and WWII thought fighting in the war would be an adventure (like the Australians who did, we saw the posters in civics)!.

Anyway, the Europeans had knights and stuff!. However, the fighting style is didfferent!. The Muslims used more tactics on guerilla warfare style whislt the Europeans relied on cavalry!. Had the Europeans employed mroe English longbows and the style the Romans ocne used with the hastatis and stuff, they probably would of been mroe succesful!. The Europeans were only succesful if they were directly confronted!. If not, then they were rarely succesful!.

Well before I continue with the siege of Antioch and jjereusaleum i will first give more details on the beggenings of the crusade!.

also I udpate again!. I will edit and continue to psot!. Just update first!.

The begennigs of the Crusade is probably after the council of Clement and is known as the people's Crusade!. (such a ncie name, like the People's republic of China, lol)!. Now, there was a mad priest or monk, known as Peter the Hermit (it was also rumorued he found the spear which stabbed Christ, and he sued to boost morale in the Crusades and with that they defeated a superior army in Jeresaleum)!.

So pope urban II, he called a Crusade and a uniting of Christendom troops to fight the Muslims!. What happened is he got some soldiers who were experienced but a main majority of inexperienced soldiers, the peasents 9rabble) amonuted to about 40,000 let by Peter the hermit!.

Many Lords feared this force as they were oftne undisciplnied and stole from the passing kingdoms as they travelled by!. They foguth with them, the rabble also sort of wanted revnege agaisnt the nobility and stuff!.

The peopel's army made it to Constaniople though!. From there they travelled to Asia minor (middle east, seljuk territory) and then they split up follwoing an argument on what to do by the eladership!.)

The People's Aremy was a failure and many slaughtered!. HWOEVER this ifnuriated many of the Christendom Kingdom's who then soguth vegence for this slaughetr with the Church advertising that the turks should pay!. So from then, trained soldiers anWww@QuestionHome@Com