-
1095
The Beginning of the Crusades
The Crusades were started in November of 1095 when the Pope had told the Christians to take the Holy Land back from the Muslims. -
1096
First Major Clash
The People's Crusade arrived before the Crusaders and crossed the Bosporus Strait in early August where the Turkish forces crushed the invading Europeans at Cibotus. -
1096
The Rhineland
Count Emicho led another group of Crusaders to different towns in the Rhineland where there were series of massacres of Jews at their hands. This caused many problems in the Christian and Jewish relations. -
Period: 1096 to 1099
The First Crusade
During these three years, the Crusaders were led by Raymond of Saint-Gilles, Godfrey of Bouillon, Hugh of Vermandois and Bohemond of Taranto. There was also a smaller, less talented group called the "People's Crusade" that was led by preacher Peter "The Hermit". -
1097
Nicea
In May, the Crusaders alongside of their allies from Byzantine attacked Nicea. This attack lasted until the end of June when the town finally surrendered to the Crusaders. -
1098
Antioch
The Crusaders and Byzantine allies continued to go on capturing different cities and captured the great Syrian city of Antioch in June. Tensions were high between the Crusaders and the leaders of their allies and in the city of Antioch there were struggles for power between the two groups. -
1099
Jerusalem
The Crusaders next went to Jerusalem to take that city. By mid-July they were able to get the governor to surrender. During this time there was a promise of protection for the people of the city yet there were hundreds of people murdered; men, women, and children alike. -
1130
Jihad
During the year 1130 the Muslims started to gain significant ground in the war, which is what they called a jihad. They called the Christians "Franks" and they lived in very guarded castles. -
1144
Edessa
In 114, the governor of Mosul, who was the Seljuk general Zangi had captured Edessa. This was a great turning point in the war for the Muslims and the Crusaders had lost ground because of this. Since the northernmost Crusader state lost this ground the Christian authorities in the West called for another Crusade. -
Period: 1147 to 1149
The Second Crusade
The Second Crusade happened several long years afterward of the First Crusade as the Crusaders had reached their goal of taking over the cities. Most of the Crusaders had gone home after they took over the cities leaving only a few Crusaders left there to keep control over them. -
1154
Damascus
The ruler of Damascus called on the successor of Mosul in 1154 as the Crusaders had an army of over 50,000 people which was the largest Crusader army yet. After the ruler of Damascus called on Mosul they defeated the Crusaders army and ended the Second Crusade. -
1169
Cairo
The Crusaders of Jerusalem tried more than once to take over Egypt but with no success. Nur al-Din’s forces were then able to take over Cairo in 1169 effectively making the Crusaders evacuate -
1187
Hattin
Saladin's troops more or less destroyed the Christian army at Hattin, taking back an important city and a lot of territory to go with it. This was the start of the Third Crusade. -
Period: 1187 to 1192
The Third Crusade
The Third Crusade was also several years after the Second Crusade had ended and only lasted five years. -
1191
Arsuf
Richard's army defeated Saladin's army at Arsuf. This battle is known as the only true battle of the Third Crusade. -
1192
Kingdom of Jerusalem
Richard and Saladin signed a peace treaty in September of 1192 that reestablished the Kingdom of Jerusalem, not including the city of Jerusalem itself. This ended the Third Crusade. -
Period: 1202 to 1204
The Fourth Crusade
A new Crusade, the Fourth Crusade, was called for in 1198 but there had been a power struggle that causes the Crusaders to change their mission to help Alexius IV take over the Byzantine emperor from Alexius III in 1203. -
1204
The Fall of Constantinople
After Alexius IV took over, there was a lot of resistance against him and his ways. In 1204 there was a coup that took place in the palace and he ended up being strangled. After that happened the Crusaders declared war on Constantinople and ended the Fourth Crusade with the Fall of Constantinople -
Period: 1208 to 1271
The Final Crusades
The Final Crusades were the longest. These Crusades were less aimed at destroying the Muslims and more aimed at trying to protect themselves for anyone who was seen as an enemy to the Christian faith. -
Period: 1208 to 1229
The Albigensian Crusade and the Baltic Crusades
The Albigensian Crusade, 1208-1229, was meant to destroy the heretical Cathari or Albigensian practices of Christianity in France. The Baltic Crusades, 1211-1225, were meant to take control of the pagans in Transylvania. -
1212
The Children's Crusade
This is not actually a crusade in the same ay as the others are, this time there was no fighting involved but rather thousands of children were going to march to Jerusalem. There is no solid proof that the movement even actually consisted of children as it never actually made it to Jerusalem. -
1229
The Sixth Crusade
The Emperor of Jerusalem achieved a peaceful agreement to transfer rein to the Crusaders through negotiation. A decade later that negotiation ended and the Muslims took over once again. -
Period: 1248 to 1254
The Seventh Crusade
This Crusade was a very big fail for Louis IX of France and he did not gain control of Egypt. -
1270
The Eight Crusade
The original mission for this Crusade was the help the remainder of the Crusaders that were in Syria but after Luis died, they redirected their focus on Tunis as it was where he died at. -
1271
The Nineth Crusade
This Crusade gets grouped with the Eighth Crusade but it is actually its own Crusade. This Crusade consisted of Edward I taking another expedition. This Crusade accomplished very little but is still known as the last significant Crusade to the Holy Land. -
1291
The Last Crusade
Acre was one of the last of the Crusaders cities but it fell to the Muslim Mamluks. This event is believed to be the final act of the Crusades and their states.