The Crusdes

First Crusades set off for there journey

Aug 15, 1096

The People's Crusade - Freeing the Holy Lands. 1st Crusade led by Count Raymond IV of Toulouse and proclaimed by many wandering preachers, notably Peter the Hermit. official crusader armies set off from France and Italy on the papally ordained date of 15 August 1096. The armies journeyed eastward by land toward Constantinople, where they received a wary welcome from the Byzantine Emperor. Pledging to restore lost territories to the empire, the main army, mostly French and Norman knight.

The first crusade

Nov 27, 1096

Capture of Antioch

Jun 7, 1099

The starving crusader army marched south, moving from town to town along the coast, finally reaching the walls of Jerusalem on 7 June 1099 with only a fraction of their original forces

the end of the first crusade

Jul 15, 1099

Decisive Saracen victory in Holy Land
Decisive Crusader victories in Iberia and the Baltic
Failure to recreate County of Edessa.
Peace treaty between Byzantine Empire and Seljuq Turks.
Beginning of Crusader advances into Egypt.
Collapse of Almoravids, and rise of the Almohads.

The second Crusade

Feb 13, 1144

The success of the Christians in the First Crusade had been largely due to the disunion among their enemies. But the Moslems learned in time the value of united action, and in 1144 A.D. succeeded in capturing Edessa, one of the principal Christian outposts in the East. The fall of the city of Edessa, followed by the loss of the entire county of Edessa, aroused western Europe to the danger which threatened the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem and led to another crusading enterprise.

Second Crusade - The Fall and Massacre at Edessa

Feb 13, 1146

In the year 1146, the city of Edessa, the bulwark of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem on the side towards Mesopotamia, was taken by the Turks, and the entire population was slaughtered, or sold into slavery

The end of the second crusade

Feb 13, 1155

the third Crusade

May 13, 1189

Not many years after the Second Crusade, the Moslem world found in the famous Saladin a leader for a holy war against the Christians. Saladin in character was a typical Mohammedan, very devout in prayers and fasting, fiercely hostile toward unbelievers, and full of the pride of race. To these qualities he added a kindliness and humanity not surpassed, if equaled, by any of his Christian foes. The Third Crusade was caused by the capture of Jerusalem in 1187 by Saladin, the sultan of Egypt.

The end of the Third Crusade

Aug 13, 1192

After driving the Muslims from Acre they left and Saladin failed to defeat Richard in any military engagements, and Richard secured several more key coastal cities

the fourth crusade

Feb 13, 1202

The real author of the Fourth Crusade was the famous pope, Innocent III. Young, enthusiastic, and ambitious for the glory of the Papacy, he revived the plans of Pope Urban II and sought once more to unite the forces of Christendom against Islam. No Emperor or Kings answered his sumonds. The crusaders of the Fourth expedition captured Constantinople instead of Jerusalem.

The Fifth Crusade

Apr 13, 1213

Pope Innocent III called a new crusade. However, most of the Christian leaders were busy fighting each other and his request fell in deaf ears: The Christians didn't want another defeat (following the Second, Third and Fourth Crusades' failure). He found another way to launch a crusade, by appealing to the regular Christian citizens who were idle. In turn, he offered indulgence for every Christian who joined the Fifth Crusade or indirectly helped the cause, by paying for example.

The end of the fifth Crusade

Feb 13, 1221

The Sixth Crusade

Sep 13, 1228

It began as an attempt to regain Jerusalem It involved very little actual fighting. The diplomatic maneuvering of the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick II resulted in the Kingdom of Jerusalem regaining control of Jerusalem and other areas for fifteen years.

End of the sixth Crusade

Feb 13, 1229

The seventh Crusade

Feb 13, 1248

Disastrous French crusade, led by Louis IX, a reaction to the loss of Jerusalem to the Moslems for the final time. The crusade was aimed at Egypt, the main Muslim power in the area.

The end of the seventh Crusade

Feb 13, 1254

The end of the fourth Crusade

Feb 13, 1261

The Eighth Crusade

Feb 13, 1270

Charles of Anjou was to attack Tunis first in order to command the ports and make the conquest of Egypt, Louis' goal, easier. However, upon landing in Africa in 1270 much of the army became sick due to the water. could be considered a partial success because Charles managed to receive trade rights with Tunis.

The Ninth Crusade

Feb 13, 1271

Was indicated by the misfortunes that, towards the close of the thirteenth century, befell the Christian kingdom in Palestine. They succeeded in capturing Nazareth, and in compelling the sultan of Egypt to agree to a treaty favorable to the Christians in the Last Crusade .

The End of the Crusades

Feb 13, 1272